Barr appoints Connecticut federal prosecutor to probe beginning of Russia inquiry

What You Need to Know: William Barr

Attorney General William Barr has appointed Connecticut's top federal prosecutor to investigate how the Russia probe started, according to national news outlets, something that President Donald Trump has advocated for some time.

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United States Attorney John H. Durham, who is familiar with serving as a special prosecutor and who was nominated as a U.S. attorney in 2017 by Trump, will oversee the probe, according to The New York Times, citing anonymous sources.

It's the third known investigation into the FBI's surveillance of the Trump campaign during the 2016 presidential race and its potential ties to Russian election interference, the Times reported.

Durham was already investigating FBI leaks from the initial investigation into Russian election interference and possible collusion by then-candidate Donald Trump, according to the Hartford Courant.

Department of Justice Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz is looking into whether political bias motivated the initial decision to surveil the Trump campaign and how informants and wiretaps were used.

Utah U.S. Attorney John W. Huber is also looking into the investigation.

Durham’s office refused a request for comment on the Times reporting.