Specific Topic: Sessions Pushes Back on Trump After “disgraceful” Insult

General Topic: National

Specific Topic:Sessions pushes back on Trump after “disgraceful” insult

Attorney General Jeff Sessions pushed back against Trump’s latest insult on Wednesday which was spurred because of Sessions leading an investigation into alleged Surveillance abuses. Trump’s insult was, "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," Trump wrote. "Isn't the I.G. an Obama guy? Why not use Justice Department lawyers? DISGRACEFUL!" Sessions said in a statement that the Justice Department "initiated the appropriate process that will ensure complaints against this department will be fully and fairly acted upon if necessary." Sessions stated that the Justice Department is looking at whether the FBI has properly handled applications for surveillance orders under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The Justice Department’s inspector general is Michael E. Horowitz and he was confirmed as inspector general back in 2012 under President Obama.

Horowitz does not have prosecutorial powers but can make criminal referrals to the Justice Department based on his investigations. An investigation into improper FISA use would fall squarely onto Horowitz, too, given his charge instructs him to "investigate