DOJ inspector general launches review of Trump-era seizure of members of Congress' communications

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Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz announced Friday that his office had initiated a review of the DOJ’s use of subpoenas and other legal authorities to obtain communication records of Members of Congress and of some in the news media.

"The review will examine the Department’s compliance with applicable DOJ policies and procedures, and whether any such uses, or the investigations, were based on improper considerations," said Horowitz in the statement.

It was a rare confirmation by the IG that his office had initiated a review. Traditionally, the DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General only communicates with the public upon the completion of an investigation.

The statement marked a rapid progression of events, as Fox News only learned earlier on Friday that Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco had referred the matter to the DOJ’s inspector general.

"I applaud the decision of the Attorney General to request an Inspector General investigation, and the IG’s commitment to proceed and probe the abuse of the department’s investigatory powers against Congress and the press," said Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., in a statement.