DHS watchdog says Trump’s agency seems to have altered report on Russian interference in 2020 election partially because of politics

The April 26 Homeland Security inspector general's assessment gives a damning take a look at the way DHS' Office of Intelligence and Analysis handled intelligence related to Russia's efforts to intrude in the US, stating the department had deviated from its normal procedures in modifying assessments associated to Moscow's focusing 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 most recent instance of how his aides managed his aversion to any information about how Russia is perhaps serving to his election prospects. According to special counsel Robert Mueller's report, Trump officials tried to keep away from the topic during conferences and at hearings, as a result of he would become enraged and upset when Russian meddling came up.

The US intelligence community announced through the 2020 marketing campaign that Russia was actively meddling within the election to weaken then-candidate Joe Biden. At 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 decided that the Appearing Secretary's involvement led to the uncommon prevalence of I&A ceasing dissemination of a product after it had already been accredited by the mission manager and circulated through superior notification," the report states.

"The delays and deviation from I&A's standard process and requirements put I&A vulnerable to making a perception of politicization. This conclusion is supported by I&A's personal tradecraft evaluation, which determined that the product might be viewed as politicized," it continues.

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

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

Initially, the IG found, the DHS Intelligence and Evaluation Office had adopted inside drafting and editing processes. The report was two pages in length and associated to 1 "'current Democratic presidential candidate'" and to Russian actions to influence the presidential election. It evolved over time after receiving inside enter, in line with the IG report.

The IG also followed up on a July 2020 assembly talked about by the whistleblower, who claimed Wolf had requested for the product to be held because "'it made the President look unhealthy.'"

In response to notes of the assembly obtained by the IG, one prime official wrote: "AS1 -- will harm POTUS -- kill it per his authorities." The official advised the IG the notes meant the appearing secretary had advised him to carry the product because it could harm Trump and the authorities cited have been in reference to these 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 attempted to put myself in the position of one in all our state and local partners who would be studying this and I could not see where the product, as written on July 8, would have added any value or given them any information they could use. ... The product was not nicely written," the appearing secretary told the IG's workplace, based on the report.

The delays and disruptions, although, put the workplace at risk of creating the notion of politicization, the IG report states. The IG advisable working with the Workplace of the Secretary and I&A oversight entities to verify election-related studies are in line with insurance policies and tips. I&A agreed with the recommendation.

CNN's Marshall Cohen contributed to this report.