Grassley on IG Review of DOJ Congressional Records Collection

Grassley on IG Review of DOJ Congressional Records Collection

WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), today issued a statement on the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General (DOJ OIG) report regarding DOJ's covert collection of congressional members and staffers' communications records, including former members of his own investigative staff. Grassley last year urged DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz to "leave no stone unturned" in his review of DOJ congressional surveillance.

"Here we go again. As I warned years ago with DOJ's rampant FISA abuses during Crossfire Hurricane, DOJ's snooping has the real potential to chill congressional oversight and violate civil liberties. Today's OIG report proves my point and paints a clearer picture of DOJ's bad faith conduct. The report demonstrates how DOJ withheld information from individuals impacted by agency surveillance, without legitimate basis for doing so. It also demonstrates how DOJ used boilerplate language to renew these gag orders and, in one case, even after they had already determined the subject likely had nothing to do with the leaks in question. Lastly, it shows DOJ secured broad authorizations for records collections - allowing it to scoop up information from a wide range of bipartisan members, staffers and news media, while failing to comply with all internal policy.

"It's plain to see DOJ overstepped its authority here. The Justice Department ought to learn from its mistakes and accept accountability, because Congress won't accept any less. The incoming Trump administration must take steps to ensure these problems, which were driven by career attorneys at the Justice Department, are fixed."

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