Washington, Sep 18 (IANS) US President Donald Trump ordered the declassification of various documents and text messages related to the Russia investigation, according to the White House.
The order included selective portions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) application and "all FBI reports" prepared in connection with the FISA warrant request, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said on Monday.
The President also ordered the Justice Department to release all text messages related to the Russia investigation from former FBI Director James Comey, former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, former FBI agent Peter Strzok, former FBI lawyer Lisa Page and Bruce Ohr, a Justice Department official.
Trump has singled out all of those individuals in the past with withering criticism, often on Twitter.
"When the President issues such an order, it triggers a declassification review process that is conducted by various agencies within the intelligence community, in conjunction with the White House Counsel, to seek to ensure the safety of America's national security interests," a Justice Department spokesperson said.
"The Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are already working with the Director of National Intelligence to comply with the President's order."
