DHS watchdog says Trump’s agency appears to have altered report on Russian interference in 2020 election partially due to politics

The April 26 Homeland Safety inspector normal's assessment gives a damning look at the best way DHS' Office of Intelligence and Analysis handled intelligence related to Russia's efforts to interfere within the US, stating the department had deviated from its normal procedures in modifying assessments related to Moscow's concentrating on of the 2020 presidential election.

The conclusion that Trump's appointee appeared to have tried to downplay Russian meddling in a key intelligence report is the latest instance of how his aides managed his aversion to any information about how Russia is likely to be helping his election prospects. In line with particular counsel Robert Mueller's report, Trump officers tried to keep away from the subject during meetings and at hearings, because he would change into enraged and upset when Russian meddling came up.

The US intelligence group introduced through the 2020 campaign that Russia was actively meddling in the election to weaken then-candidate Joe Biden. On the time, Trump downplayed these findings and promoted false claims about Biden that aligned with Russia's disinformation efforts. The IG report addresses past suspicions that Trump appointees distorted some intelligence experiences to foster a more Trump-friendly narrative.

"We determined that the Performing Secretary's involvement led to the rare prevalence of I&A ceasing dissemination of a product after it had already been accepted by the mission supervisor and circulated via advanced notification," the report states.

"The delays and deviation from I&A's commonplace course of and requirements put I&A at risk of making a notion of politicization. This conclusion is supported by I&A's own tradecraft evaluation, which decided that the product is likely to be viewed as politicized," it continues.

The whistleblower claimed that Wolf had instructed DHS officials to "stop providing intelligence assessments on the threat of Russian interference" and, instead, focus their efforts on gathering information related to activities being carried out by China and Iran.

The scope of the DHS IG report was restricted to the single intelligence report in question.

Initially, the IG discovered, the DHS Intelligence and Analysis Office had followed internal drafting and modifying processes. The report was two pages in size and associated to at least one "'current Democratic presidential candidate'" and to Russian actions to affect the presidential election. It evolved over time after receiving inside input, in response to the IG report.

The IG additionally followed up on a July 2020 assembly talked about by the whistleblower, who claimed Wolf had asked for the product to be held as a result of "'it made the President look dangerous.'"

In response to notes of the assembly obtained by the IG, one top official wrote: "AS1 -- will hurt POTUS -- kill it per his authorities." The official instructed the IG the notes meant the acting secretary had told him to carry the product as a result of it could harm Trump and the authorities cited had been in reference to those possessed by the secretary.

The IG's office interviewed Wolf, who denied saying this and added that he had requested for the product to be improved.

"I tried to put myself within the position of certainly one of our state and native companions who would be reading this and I could not see the place the product, as written on July 8, would have added any value or given them any information they could use. ... The product was not properly written," the acting secretary informed the IG's workplace, in keeping with the report.

The delays and disruptions, although, put the workplace vulnerable to creating the perception of politicization, the IG report states. The IG advisable working with the Office of the Secretary and I&A oversight entities to make sure election-related reports are in line with policies and tips. I&A agreed with the advice.

CNN's Marshall Cohen contributed to this report.