WASHINGTON (AP) Attorney General William Barr has appointed a U.S. attorney to examine the origins of the Russia investigation and determine if intelligence collection involving the Trump campaign was lawful and appropriate, according to a person familiar with the issue.
Barr appointed John Durham, the U.S. attorney in Connecticut, to conduct the inquiry, the person said. The person could not discuss the matter publicly and spoke Monday to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
With the appointment, Barr is addressing a rallying cry of President Donald Trump and his supporters, who have accused the Justice Department and FBI of unlawfully spying on his campaign.
Democrats have accused Trump of using the allegations to divert attention from special counsel Robert Muellers findings that Russia aided Trumps 2016 campaign and that he could not exonerate the president on the question of whether he tried to impede Muellers investigation. Mueller did not find a criminal conspiracy between the campaign and the Kremlin.
Durhams appointment comes about a month after Barr told members of Congress he believed spying did occur on the Trump campaign in 2016. He later said he didnt mean anything pejorative and was gathering a team to look into the origins of the special counsels investigation.
Barr provided no details about what spying may have taken place but appeared to be alluding to a surveillance warrant the FBI obtained on a former Trump associate, Carter Page, and the FBIs use of an informant while the bureau was investigating former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos.
FBI Director Chris Wray said last week that he does not consider court-approved FBI surveillance to be spying and said he has no evidence the FBI illegally monitored Trumps campaign.
Durhams inquiry, which will focus on whether the governments methods to collect intelligence relating to the Trump campaign were lawful and appropriate, is separate from an investigation by the Justice Departments inspector general. The agencys watchdog is also examining the Russia probes origins and Barr has said he expects the watchdog report to be done in May or June.
Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions had appointed another U.S. attorney, John Huber, in March 2018 to review aspects of the Russia investigation, following grievances from Republican lawmakers.
The review by Huber, Utahs top federal prosecutor and an Obama administration holdover, is a full, complete and objective evaluation of Republican concerns, Sessions said at the time.
Congressional Republicans have also indicated they intend to examine how the investigation that shadowed Trumps presidency for nearly two years began and whether there are any legal concerns.
Durham is a career prosecutor who was nominated for his post as U.S. attorney in Connecticut by Trump. He has previously investigated law enforcement corruption, the destruction of CIA videotapes and the Boston FBI offices relationship with mobsters.
Durham was unanimously confirmed by the Senate in 2018. At the time, Connecticuts two Democratic senators, Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, called Durham a fierce, fair prosecutor who knows how to try tough cases.
In addition to conducting the inquiry, Durham will continue to serve as the chief federal prosecutor in Connecticut.