Mueller Report: DOJ Launches Criminal Investigation Into Origins Of Russia Inquiry

Topline: The Justice Department has reportedly triggered a criminal investigation into the origins of the Mueller inquiry, which remains a sore spot for President Donald Trump, who condemned Robert Mueller's probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election as a "witch hunt."

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• The move, first reported by the New York Times, is a shift in tactics: In May, the Justice Department launched a review into whether the Mueller probe was lawful, but on Thursday it was revealed that the department had decided to pursue a criminal investigation.
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• The criminal investigation, overseen by Attorney General William Barr, will equip prosecutor John Durham with greater investigative powers, including the ability to issue subpoenas for witnesses and documents, and file criminal charges.
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• The Mueller probe, which found that Russian interference into the 2016 presidential election was "sweeping and systematic," and investigated contact between the Trump campaign and Russian officials was published in April.

Chief critics: The investigation has raised concerns that Barr is using the Justice Department to score a political win for Trump. In a statement, Representative Jerry Nadler, chair of the House judiciary committee, tweeted: "These reports, if true, raise profound new concerns that the Department of Justice under AG Barr has lost its independence and become a vehicle for President Trump's political revenge."

Barr has previously criticized the Mueller probe, telling Congress last year that he suspected that "spying did occur."

What we don't know: What the crime is that is being investigated, or when the investigation was launched, the NYT said.

Key background: The Mueller probe, ordered in 2016, sought to establish whether Trump's campaign acted with Russia to interfere in the last presidential poll. The investigation did not establish whether Trump or his campaign engaged in criminal conspiracy, but found evidence that the president had tried to obstruct the investigation several times. During the course of Mueller's investigation it emerged that the FBI had launched a counterintelligence operation wiretaps and surveillance in July 2016 to probe contacts between Trump campaign officials and Russia.

Surprising fact: As the NYT reports, the move means that the Justice Department is effectively investigating itself, as it appointed Robert Mueller to run the initial investigation.