How About Obama?

The Headline
 
  Trump orders DOJ to investigate itself
 
  The Grind
 
  President Trump on Monday officially demanded the Department of Justice conduct an investigation into whether it or the FBI spied on his 2016 presidential campaign.
 
  The demand follows media reports about an unidentified FBI "informant" who spoke with then-Trump campaign aides Carter Page and George Papadopoulos.
 
  The Details
 
  Republicans have largely supported Trump's efforts to get to the bottom of a rumor that could expose corruption within federal agencies, but they worry the DOJ cannot be trusted to investigate itself.
 
  "We've seem disturbing evidence that the FBI engaged in political targeting," says Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC), "but the DOJ can't be trusted to investigate themselves - Congress needs the documents too."
 
  Efforts by Meadows and colleagues to discover more about the informant have so far been stymied by the DOJ and FBI - which insists exposure would threaten the informant's life and present a national security risk.
 
  Trump's lawyer Rudi Giuliani insists the Trump Administration has a right to know the informant's identity and has suggested that the FBI's failure to provide this information could block a future interview between Trump and Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who seeks to interview the President as part of his Russia investigation.
 
  Democrats and other critics insist Trump's demands for an investigation are an attempt to distract from Mueller's probe and could represent "obstruction of justice."
 
  Trump critic and former CIA Director John Brennen has called on Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Paul Ryan (R-WI) to stop Trump from pursuing the investigation, while Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) has accused Trump of trying to undermine federal institutions.
 
  In addition to demanding an investigation, Trump on Sunday accused Mueller of prolonging his "witch hunt" in order to hurt the Republican Party before mid-terms.
 
  Depending on what happens with the DOJ's investigation, we could see multiple firings within the agency as well as concrete proof of inappropriate politically-motivated efforts by the Obama Administration to spy on Trump's presidential campaign.