Justice Department watchdog opens surveillance probe after allegations of abuse

A federal watchdog said it will launch a review of the process by which the Justice Department and FBI obtained a surveillance warrant on a "certain U.S. person" amid allegations from Republican lawmakers that the FBI relied improperly on campaign opposition research to justify the warrant.

Michael Horowitz, the Justice Department’s Inspector General, is already probing allegations of political bias in several investigations leading up to the 2016 presidential election.

In a statement, the IG said it will determine what the Justice Department and FBI knew “at the time the applications were filed from or about an alleged FBI confidential source.”

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