The FBI and Department of Justice are expected to redact some information in the materials President Trump has ordered declassified regarding the Russia investigation, according to a report Wednesday.
The president directed the Justice Department, FBI, and Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Monday to provide “immediate declassification” of materials relating to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant applications on Carter Page, FBI reports of interviews with DOJ official Bruce Ohr, as well as all text messages, without redactions, about the investigation from former FBI Director James Comey, his former deputy Andrew McCabe, Ohr, former FBI agent Peter Strzok, and former FBI lawyer Lisa Page.
Three people familiar with review of the materials told Bloomberg the agencies are expected to propose redactions on particularly sensitive materials, including classified sources and methods, before submitting them to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which will then turn over the materials to the White House.
Trump and his Republican allies have contended the Russia investigation has been tainted by anti-Trump bias before special counsel Robert Mueller was appointed. Democrats counter that, saying Trump and his allies only want to discredit the probe.
Despite any proposed redactions, the president has the authority to veto the agencies’ recommendations and declassify the material on his own.
[Opinion: How declassifying documents might backfire on Trump]
