![William Barr testifies at the start of his U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on his nomination to be attorney general of the United States on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 15, 2019. [File Photo: VCG]](http://img1.zhytuku.meldingcloud.com/images/zhycms_chinaplus/20190411/b4f14167-b867-4124-a5d1-a1244b4b1593.jpg?x-oss-process=image/resize,w_650)
Attorney General William Barr says he thinks “spying did occur” on Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, suggesting the origins of the Russia investigation may have been mishandled.
He did not say what “spying” had taken place but seemed likely to be alluding to a surveillance warrant the FBI obtained on a Trump associate.
He later said he wasn’t sure there had been improper surveillance but wanted to make sure proper procedures were followed. Still, his remarks give a boost to Trump and his supporters who insist his 2016 campaign was unfairly targeted by the FBI.
Barr was testifying at a Senate budget hearing Wednesday that was dominated by questions about special counsel Robert Mueller’s Trump-Russia investigation.
