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A clandestine group comprising dozens of federal officials, including intelligence personnel, is assisting President Donald Trump in his stated aim for retribution against perceived adversaries, according to government records and an informed source.
Operating under the name the Interagency Weaponization Working Group, the body has been convening since at least May.
Its ranks draw from a wide array of government departments, including the White House, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Justice and Defense Departments, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Federal Communications Commission, among others, as revealed by two official documents.
The group's formation follows an executive order issued by Trump on his inauguration day in January. This directive instructed the attorney general to collaborate with other federal agencies "to identify and take appropriate action to correct past misconduct by the federal government related to the weaponization of law enforcement and the weaponization of the Intelligence Community."
Earlier this year, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard publicly announced the establishment of internal agency groups. Their stated purpose is to "root out" individuals they claim have misused government power against Trump.
Shortly after Reuters asked the agencies for comment on Monday, Fox News report
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