Justice Department inspector general and FBI director get ready for the Senate hot seat at hearing over report that fingered biased anti-Trump investigators and 'totally destroys James Comey'

  • DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz and FBI Director Christopher Wray will come before a Senate committee on Monday for a grilling
  • Horowitz released his review into then-FBI Director James Comey's handling of the Clinton's email use on Thursday
  • Report was critical of James Comey, saying he deviated from established norms 
  • Wray immediately defended the FBI and dismissed the idea that the agency was sternly anti-Trump  
  • Trump tweeted on Saturday that the report 'totally destroys James Comey' and called this 'a dark and dangerous period in American History'
  • On Monday the president suggested collusion between Comey and Strzok also tainted Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe 

Republican lawmakers will have a chance Monday to vent their outrage over last week's Justice Department report that heaped blame on anti-Trump FBI agents but argued that their political biases didn't affect their jobs in 2016.

DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz and FBI Director Chris Wray will field questions from members of the Senate Judiciary Committee in the afternoon, responding to Thursday's political bombshell.  

Horowitz's report offered a pointed condemnation of former FBI chief James Comey, calling him 'insubordinate' for shutting out then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch from details of the Bureau's probe into Hillary Clinton's classified email scanda. 

The report also referred five FBI employees for disciplinary action after analyzing anti-Trump text messages between Special Agent Peter Strzok and agency attorney Lisa Page.

FBI Director Christopher Wray (left) and Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz (right) will sit before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday for a grilling about Horowitz's report on Thursday that foud political bias among agents and other FBI workers

President Donald Trump responded again on Saturday to the Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General's report, saying it 'totally destroys James Comey;' Comey is seen here in an interview during a Washington Post Live event to discuss his recently published book: A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership, on May 8 in Washington, DC

President Trump responded Saturday to Horowitz's report, saying it 'totally destroys James Comey'

Part of the report revealed that FBI agent Peter Strzok and colleague Lisa Page (pictured), who were linked romantically, exchanged text messages vowing to 'stop' Trump from becoming president
Part of the report revealed that FBI agent Peter Strzok (pictured) and colleague Lisa Page, who were linked romantically, exchanged text messages vowing to 'stop' Trump from becoming president

Part of the report revealed that FBI agent Peter Strzok (right) and colleague Lisa Page (left), who were linked romantically, exchanged text messages vowing to 'stop' Trump from becoming president

On Monday the president suggested collusion between Comey and Strzok also tainted Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe

On Monday the president suggested collusion between Comey and Strzok also tainted Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe

Horowitz wrote that Strzok and Page shared their personal animus toward the president, and other FBI personnel openly rooted for Clinton to win the White House, behavior that 'potentially indicated or created the appearance that investigative decisions were impacted by bias or improper considerations.'

But ultimately, the report concluded, there was no hard evidence those biases changed any outcomes.  

Trump tweeted on Saturday: 'The IG Report totally destroys James Comey and all of his minions including the great lovers, Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, who started the disgraceful Witch Hunt against so many innocent people. It will go down as a dark and dangerous period in American History!'

On Monday the president suggested that collusion between Comey and Strzok also tainted Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe.

'Comey gave Strozk his marching orders. Mueller is Comey’s best friend. Witch Hunt!' he wrote.

Part of the report revealed that Strzok and Page, who were linked romantically, exchanged text messages vowing to 'stop' Trump from becoming president.

Strzok was one of the lead investigators involved in the Clinton email case, and at one pointed worked on the still ongoing Russia investigation, before he was taken off that team.

Comey, according to Horowitz, wrongly deviated from established FBI norms in announcing the completion of the Clinton investigation without looping the attorney general in.

Trump said the IG report revealed 'a dark and dangerous period in American history'

Trump said the IG report revealed 'a dark and dangerous period in American history'

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at the White House on Friday in Washington, DC

Trump has been pulling no punches about Comey for months; he's pictured Friday speaking to reporters on the North Lawn of the White House

The same problem arose when he notified Congress in late October 2016 that the FBI had reopened the investigation.

Wray said Thursday that 'this report did not find any evidence of political bias or improper considerations actually impacting the investigation under review.'

'But the report does identify errors of judgment, violations of or disregard for policy, and decisions that, at the very least, in hindsight, were not the best choices,' Wray added. 

Comey responded to the report's findings succinctly on Twitter on Thursday, writing:

'I respect the DOJ IG office, which is why I urged them to do this review. The conclusions are reasonable, even though I disagree with some. People of good faith can see an unprecedented situation differently. I pray no Director faces it again. Thanks to IG’s people for hard work.'

Comey also penned a longer response, published in The New York Times, writing that 'I do not agree with all of the inspector general’s conclusions, but I respect the work of his office and salute its professionalism.'  

Wray highlighted how the FBI plans to move forward, with new insight into 'a specific set of events back in 2016, and a small number of FBI employees connected with those events.' 

'We’re going to make sure we have the policies, procedures, and training needed for everyone to understand and remember what’s expected of us,' he said.

'That includes drilling home the importance of objectivity – and of avoiding even the appearance of personal conflicts or political bias in our work; ensuring that recusals are handled correctly and effectively – and are clearly communicated to the appropriate people; making all employees fully aware of our new policy on contacts with the news media, which I issued last November – and making clear that we will not tolerate non-compliance; ensuring that we follow all DOJ policies about public statements on ongoing investigations and uncharged conduct; and ensuring that our employees adhere strictly to all policies and procedures on the use of FBI systems, networks, and devices.'

On 'Fox & Friends' Friday, Trump referred to Comey as a 'ringleader of this whole den of thieves.'

'I did nothing wrong. There was no collusion, there was no obstruction, and the IG report yesterday went a long way to show that,' the president said.

'I think the Mueller investigation has been totally discredited.'