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

The April 26 Homeland Safety inspector basic's evaluation supplies a damning look at the way DHS' Workplace of Intelligence and Evaluation dealt with intelligence associated to Russia's efforts to intrude within the US, stating the division had deviated from its commonplace 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 newest example of how his aides managed his aversion to any details about how Russia is likely to be helping his election prospects. In response to special counsel Robert Mueller's report, Trump officers tried to avoid the subject during meetings and at hearings, because he would develop into enraged and upset when Russian meddling came up.

The US intelligence neighborhood introduced during the 2020 marketing campaign that Russia was actively meddling in the election to weaken then-candidate Joe Biden. At the time, Trump downplayed those 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 studies to foster a more Trump-friendly narrative.

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

"The delays and deviation from I&A's commonplace course of and requirements put I&A at risk of creating a perception of politicization. This conclusion is supported by I&A's personal tradecraft assessment, which determined that the product could be considered as politicized," it continues.

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

Initially, the IG discovered, the DHS Intelligence and Analysis Office had adopted inner drafting and modifying processes. The report was two pages in length and related to at least one "'current Democratic presidential candidate'" and to Russian actions to affect the presidential election. It developed over time after receiving inner input, in keeping with the IG report.

The IG also followed 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 dangerous.'"

In response to notes of the meeting 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 informed him to carry the product because it could 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 tried to place myself in the place of one in all 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 worth or given them any knowledge they might use. ... The product was not nicely written," the performing secretary instructed the IG's office, 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 advisable working with the Office of the Secretary and I&A oversight entities to verify election-related studies are consistent with policies and pointers. I&A agreed with the recommendation.

CNN's Marshall Cohen contributed to this report.