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

The April 26 Homeland Safety inspector normal's assessment provides a damning look at the way in which DHS' Office of Intelligence and Analysis dealt with intelligence related to Russia's efforts to intrude in the US, stating the division had deviated from its normal procedures in modifying assessments related to Moscow's targeting 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 newest example of how his aides managed his aversion to any details about how Russia is likely to be serving to his election prospects. In accordance with special counsel Robert Mueller's report, Trump officials tried to avoid the subject throughout meetings and at hearings, because he would turn into enraged and upset when Russian meddling came up.

The US intelligence community introduced in the course of the 2020 marketing campaign that Russia was actively meddling in the election to weaken then-candidate Joe Biden. On the time, Trump downplayed those findings and promoted false claims about Biden that aligned with Russia's disinformation efforts. The IG report addresses previous suspicions that Trump appointees distorted some intelligence reviews to foster a extra Trump-friendly narrative.

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

"The delays and deviation from I&A's commonplace course of and necessities put I&A susceptible to making a notion of politicization. This conclusion is supported by I&A's own tradecraft evaluation, which determined that the product could be seen as politicized," it continues.

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

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

Initially, the IG found, the DHS Intelligence and Analysis Workplace had followed internal drafting and modifying processes. The report was two pages in length and associated to 1 "'present Democratic presidential candidate'" and to Russian activities to affect the presidential election. It developed over time after receiving inner enter, in keeping with the IG report.

The IG also followed up on a July 2020 meeting 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 bad.'"

Based on notes of the assembly obtained by the IG, one top official wrote: "AS1 -- will hurt POTUS -- kill it per his authorities." The official advised the IG the notes meant the performing secretary had instructed him to hold the product because it will damage Trump and the authorities cited were in reference to these possessed by the secretary.

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

"I tried to put myself within the position of one in all our state and native partners who would be reading this and I couldn't see where the product, as written on July 8, would have added any worth or given them any data they could use. ... The product was not nicely written," the performing secretary told the IG's office, in keeping with the report.

The delays and disruptions, though, put the office at risk of creating the notion of politicization, the IG report states. The IG really helpful working with the Office of the Secretary and I&A oversight entities to ensure election-related studies are consistent with policies and pointers. I&A agreed with the recommendation.

CNN's Marshall Cohen contributed to this report.