President Donald Trump signaled frustration with Attorney General Jeff Sessions for requesting the Inspector General of the Justice Department to investigate possible FISA abuse.
“Why is A.G. Jeff Sessions asking the Inspector General to investigate potentially massive FISA abuse,” Trump asked, complaining that it would “take forever” and didn’t have the power to prosecute abuses.
“Isn’t the I.G. an Obama guy?” Trump asked. “Why not use Justice Department lawyers? DISGRACEFUL!”
In a statement responding to Trump, Sessions defended his actions as part of the “appropriate process.”
“As long as I am the Attorney General, I will continue to discharge my duties with integrity and honor, and this Department will continue to do its work in a fair and impartial manner according to the law and Constitution,” he wrote.
The decision by Sessions was featured on Fox and Friends on Wednesday morning, about an hour before Trump responded.
Trump has been dissatisfied with Sessions as his Attorney General but has resisted firing him. At one point, Sessions submitted a letter of resignation to the president but was urged to stay by former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus.