News Desk

Now that special counsel Robert Mueller has undermined two years of Democratic campaigning against President Trump by confirming there was no collusion, authorities are probing deeper.

How was the Russia probe launched and who was behind it?

It’s already known that the Obama FBI and DOJ used a dubious political opposition-research document funded partly by Hillary Clinton to obtain permission to spy on the Trump campaign in 2016.

The author of the “dossier” himself, former British spy Christopher Steele, has acknowledged his work is “unverified.”

And the investigation of the Trump campaign may have been the “insurance policy” mentioned by FBI investigator Peter Strzok and bureau lawyer Lisa Page that was to be deployed should Trump win.

Eventually, Mueller was appointed to resolve the collusion claim, which after nearly two years cost some $25 million in tax dollars.

The episode, Trump supporters believe, amounts to a president and his administration weaponizing the government’s resources to target a political opponent.

Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., asked Attorney General William Barr on Tuesday if he was working to find out how the investigation began and who was responsible.

The congressman argued that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court can authorize surveillance only if probable cause exists.

Barr replied: “The office of the Inspector General has a pending investigation of the FISA process in the Russia investigation. I expect that will be completed in May or June.”

He also said he is doing his own investigation of “all the aspects of the counterintelligence investigation during the summer of 2016.”

And Barr confirmed he will review the criminal referrals issued by Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif.

“If there’s a predicate for an investigation,” he said, “It’ll be conducted.”