WASHINGTON, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The White House on Thursday ordered U.S. intelligence agencies to assist Attorney General William Barr in the review of surveillance issues surrounding President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign, while allowing Barr to declassify intelligence materials.
At the request and recommendation of Barr, Trump directed the intelligence community to "quickly and fully cooperate with" the attorney general's investigation into surveillance activities during the 2016 presidential election, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement.
The president repeatedly claimed that his campaign was the victim of "spying," while the intelligence community has insisted that it acted lawfully during the Russia investigation.
During a congressional hearing last month, Barr said that "spying did occur" against Trump's 2016 campaign, though declining to elaborate further on his concerns.
Barr was criticized by former FBI director James Comey and other former law enforcement officials for using the phrase "spying" to discuss how investigators monitored some Trump's campaign advisers who had extensive contacts with Russians, local media reported.
