Jeff Sessions released a statement Wednesday afternoon in response to an attack that President Donald Trump directed at the attorney general over his handling of an inquiry into potential surveillance abuse.
In Trump's Wednesday morning tweet, he asked why Sessions is allowing the inspector general to investigate potential Justice Department abuse of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Trump tweeted that the inspector general "Will take forever, has no prosecutorial power and already late with reports on Comey etc."
Why is A.G. Jeff Sessions asking the Inspector General to investigate potentially massive FISA abuse. Will take forever, has no prosecutorial power and already late with reports on Comey etc. Isn’t the I.G. an Obama guy? Why not use Justice Department lawyers? DISGRACEFUL!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 28, 2018
Trump's tweet came after Sessions acknowledged Tuesday that the Justice Department would investigate alleged FISA abuses by the Obama administration Justice Department. The president and has argued the Obama administration used FISA to spy on his transition team.
Sessions released a statement in response to Trump's tweet, saying the Justice Department had "initiated the appropriate process" that will ensure complaints are "fully and fairly acted upon if necessary."
We have initiated the appropriate process that will ensure complaints against this Department will be fully and fairly acted upon if necessary. 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.
The Justice Department's inspector general is Michael E. Horowitz, an official who has served in Republican and Democratic administrations and was uncontroversially confirmed as inspector general in 2012 by voice vote.