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 Security inspector general's evaluation offers a damning look at the way in which DHS' Workplace of Intelligence and Evaluation handled intelligence related to Russia's efforts to interfere in the US, stating the division had deviated from its customary 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 example of how his aides managed his aversion to any information about how Russia may be helping his election prospects. In response to special counsel Robert Mueller's report, Trump officers tried to avoid the topic during meetings and at hearings, as a result of he would turn into enraged and upset when Russian meddling came up.

The US intelligence group announced during the 2020 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 previous suspicions that Trump appointees distorted some intelligence reports to foster a more Trump-friendly narrative.

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

"The delays and deviation from I&A's normal course of and necessities put I&A liable to creating a notion of politicization. This conclusion is supported by I&A's personal tradecraft evaluation, which determined that the product is perhaps viewed 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 associated 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 discovered, the DHS Intelligence and Analysis Office had adopted internal drafting and enhancing processes. The report was two pages in length and related to one "'present Democratic presidential candidate'" and to Russian activities to influence the presidential election. It evolved over time after receiving inside enter, according to the IG report.

The IG also followed up on a July 2020 assembly 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 dangerous.'"

In accordance with notes of the meeting 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 acting secretary had informed him to carry the product because it would harm Trump and the authorities cited have been in reference to those possessed by the secretary.

The IG's workplace 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 position of one of our state and native companions who could 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 information they may use. ... The product was not effectively written," the appearing secretary informed the IG's office, according to the report.

The delays and disruptions, although, put the office at risk of 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 ensure election-related experiences are in keeping with insurance policies and pointers. I&A agreed with the recommendation.

CNN's Marshall Cohen contributed to this report.