Report on Russia probe's beginnings is 'imminent,' Barr says

The Russia investigation investigation is almost complete.

Even before the FBI's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election wrapped up, President Trump's team has tried to discredit its origins and findings with a number of probes into just how the investigation got started. And in a press conference Wednesday, Attorney General William Barr said a report on one of those probes — this one from the Justice Department's internal watchdog — is "imminent."

The Justice Department's Inspector General Michael Horowitz was conducting the first of at least three investigations into the origins of the probe that became Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Horowitz's report is the one that's "imminent," according to Barr's "understanding," he said Wednesday. People "mentioned in the report" are currently being allowed to "comment on how they were quoted," and after "very short" process is complete, "the report will be issued," Barr continued.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Barr's announcement confirms reports by The Associated Press and The Washington Post indicating Horowitz told Congress last month that his investigation was almost complete. In an Oct. 24 letter to Congress, Horowitz mentioned he was then asking the report's subjects for comments, and said he believes "the final report will be released publicly with few redactions."