President Trump has given Attorney General William Barr the authority to declassify key documents relating to the surveillance of his 2016 presidential campaign. He has also ordered the intelligence community to cooperate with Barr’s investigation into the matter.
“Today, at the request and recommendation of the Attorney General of the United States, President Donald J. Trump directed the intelligence community to quickly and fully cooperate with the Attorney General’s investigation into surveillance activities during the 2016 Presidential election,” said White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders in a statement.
“The Attorney General has also been delegated full and complete authority to declassify information pertaining to this investigation, in accordance with the long-established standards for handling classified information.”
Statement on Presidential Memorandum signed tonight pic.twitter.com/wHx6l2lL5c
— Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) May 24, 2019
On Monday, Congressman Mark Meadows (R-NC) indicated that the declassification of the documents would be “right around the corner.”
Speaking to Fox News, the lawmaker said, “I think the delay is over. I think the president is serious. I’ve spoken to him recently and I think declassification is right around the corner and hopefully the American people will be able to judge for themselves.”
In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity last month, the President vowed to declassify the spygate documents and “much more.”
The President said he is “glad” he waited to declassify the documents after he originally had planned to release portions of the FISA application used to spy on Trump campaign volunteer, Carter Page back in September. He reversed course after speaking with the Department of Justice.
“I thought that maybe they would obstruct if I did it early, and I think I was right,” he said to Hannity. “Everything’s going to be declassified and more, much more than what you just mentioned.”
