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

The April 26 Homeland Safety inspector general's evaluation supplies a damning look at the way DHS' Workplace of Intelligence and Evaluation dealt with intelligence associated to Russia's efforts to interfere within the US, stating the division had deviated from its customary procedures in modifying assessments related 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 newest example of how his aides managed his aversion to any information about how Russia may be helping his election prospects. According to particular 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 neighborhood announced during 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 previous suspicions that Trump appointees distorted some intelligence studies to foster a extra Trump-friendly narrative.

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

"The delays and deviation from I&A's normal process and necessities put I&A susceptible to creating a perception of politicization. This conclusion is supported by I&A's own tradecraft evaluation, which determined that the product is likely to be considered as politicized," it continues.

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

The scope of the DHS IG report was limited to the only intelligence report in query.

Initially, the IG found, the DHS Intelligence and Evaluation Office had followed internal drafting and enhancing processes. The report was two pages in length and related to 1 "'present Democratic presidential candidate'" and to Russian activities to affect the presidential election. It advanced over time after receiving internal input, in line with the IG report.

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

In line with notes of the assembly obtained by the IG, one top official wrote: "AS1 -- will damage POTUS -- kill it per his authorities." The official instructed the IG the notes meant the appearing secretary had advised him to carry the product because it will 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 asked for the product to be improved.

"I attempted to place myself within the place of considered one of our state and local partners who would be studying 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 well written," the appearing secretary advised the IG's workplace, based on the report.

The delays and disruptions, though, put the office at risk of creating the perception 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 stories are according to policies and guidelines. I&A agreed with the recommendation.

CNN's Marshall Cohen contributed to this report.