2 weeks Ago By ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors sidestepped some Justice Department rules when they seized the phone records or emails of reporters during the Trump administration, according to a new watchdog report released as the aggressive practice of hunting for journalists' sources could again be resurrected. The report Tuesday from the Justice Department inspector general's office also found that dozens of congressional staffers had their records obtained by prosecutors by sheer virtue of the fact that they accessed classified information as part of their job responsibilities. Among those who said their records were obtained was President-elect Donald Trump's pick for FBI director, Kash Patel, who was then a staffer on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence conducting an investigation into Russian election interference.
Patel said in a lawsuit against the department last year that he was notified by Google that the department obtained a subpoena for his records in 2017. People are also reading..
. The issue has new resonance as Patel has spoken of his desire to "come after" members of the media "who lied about American citizens." Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!.
