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

The April 26 Homeland Security inspector general's assessment provides a damning look at the best way DHS' Workplace of Intelligence and Evaluation dealt with intelligence related to Russia's efforts to intrude within the US, stating the division had deviated from its customary 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 example of how his aides managed his aversion to any information about how Russia might be helping his election prospects. Based on particular counsel Robert Mueller's report, Trump officials tried to keep away from the subject throughout conferences and at hearings, because he would turn out to be enraged and upset when Russian meddling came up.

The US intelligence community announced throughout the 2020 marketing 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 previous suspicions that Trump appointees distorted some intelligence studies to foster a more Trump-friendly narrative.

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

"The delays and deviation from I&A's commonplace process and requirements put I&A susceptible to creating a notion of politicization. This conclusion is supported by I&A's own tradecraft assessment, which decided that the product might be viewed as politicized," it continues.

The whistleblower claimed that Wolf had instructed DHS officials to "cease offering intelligence assessments on the specter 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 single intelligence report in query.

Initially, the IG found, the DHS Intelligence and Evaluation Workplace had adopted inside drafting and editing processes. The report was two pages in length and associated to at least one "'current Democratic presidential candidate'" and to Russian activities to influence the presidential election. It evolved over time after receiving internal enter, in keeping with the IG report.

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

Based on notes of the meeting obtained by the IG, one high official wrote: "AS1 -- will harm POTUS -- kill it per his authorities." The official informed the IG the notes meant the acting secretary had told him to hold the product as a result of it would damage 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 asked for the product to be improved.

"I attempted to put myself in the place of considered one of our state and local partners 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 knowledge they may use. ... The product was not properly written," the acting secretary told the IG's office, in line with the report.

The delays and disruptions, although, put the office liable to creating the notion of politicization, the IG report states. The IG recommended working with the Workplace of the Secretary and I&A oversight entities to verify election-related reviews are consistent with insurance policies and guidelines. I&A agreed with the recommendation.

CNN's Marshall Cohen contributed to this report.