Congressman: FISA report on 'spying on Trump' coming in 2 weeks

Could the Democrats' frantic push for impeachment have anything to do with the imminent release of the Justice Department inspector general's report on the origins of the Trump-Russia collusion investigation?

Rep. John Ratcliffe, a member of the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees, said in an interview with Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures" he expects Michael Horowitz's report to be released in a week or two.

Horowitz is examining the Obama Justice Department's use of a bogus, anti-Trump dossier funded by the Democrats to obtain warrants to spy on Trump campaign adviser Carter Page in 2016

Anchor Maria Bartiromo asked about unreleased transcript material that Republicans investigators contend was exculpatory evidence not given to the FISA court in applications to spy on Page.

"Well, if there is a transcript, I think everyone would agree, based on what you just said, if there is a transcript of what you just related, that absolutely should have been provided to the FISA court," Ratcliffe responded.

"And the good news is, we'll get a definitive answer from the inspector general when this report gets issued in the next week or two about whether or not that was done."

The Washington Examiner explained Republicans have criticized the presentations to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for the Page warrants. The FBI relied on the dossier compiled by British ex-spy Christopher Steele even though it was unverified and funded by Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign and the Democratic National Committee through Fusion GPS via the Perkins Coie law firm.

Ratcliffe said he has asked the president to declassify documents regarding recorded conversations between FBI informants and former Trump campaign associate George Papadopoulos.

The documents, he insisted, would "expose" the Obama Justice Department and FBI.

Ratcliffe said Sunday he has staked his credibility on that claim.

Horowitz has completed his investigation, and his report is at the DOJ and FBI for classification review.

It will then be given to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, who plans to do his own "deep dive" into the issue.

In addition, U.S. Attorney John Durham is leading a Justice Department investigation into the origins' Obama's collusion probe.

Former U.S. attorney Joseph diGenova has said it appears all four FISA warrants against Page were obtained by the Obama administration illegally.

WND has reported a former top Justice Department official at the center of the anti-Trump dossier scandal, Bruce Ohr, testified that the FBI was aware when it submitted the dossier as evidence that the author was biased against Trump and that Ohr's wife worked for the company that produced it.

But that information was withheld from the FISA court, according to congressional sources with direct knowledge of the closed-door deposition who spoke to investigative reporter Sara Carter.

Republican House members who questioned Ohr, including Reps. Mark Meadows of North Carolina, Jim Jordan of Ohio and Darrell Issa of California, provided further information.

Meadows said Ohr confirmed in his interview that after the FBI terminated its relationship with Steele for leaking to the media, the bureau "privately reengaged with him and continued receiving his info."

"This was after suggesting to the American public they had cut Steele off," Meadows said in a tweet.

The FBI dropped Steele as a source in November 2016, but the Obama administration maintained contact with Steele by using Ohr as a back channel.

President Trump has suggested the scheming went all the way to the top of the Obama administration.