US intelligence agencies ‘spied’ on Trump 2016 campaign, says William Barr

He later clarified that he believes the spying was 'unauthorised surveillance'

Attorney general William Barr says that American intelligence agencies spied on Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, and that he feels he needs to ensure that power is not abused in the US government.

“I think spying did occur,” Mr Barr said during a Senate hearing. “But the question is whether it was adequately predicated and I am not suggesting that it wasn’t adequately predicated. …. I am not suggesting those rules were violated, but I think it is important to look at that. And I am not talking about the FBI necessarily, but intelligence more broadly.”

Mr Barr's comments come during his second day of testimony on Capitol Hill, where he has been invited to discuss the Justice Department's budget.

During his testimony, the attorney general said that he does not believe there is an "endemic" problem at the FBI that would have led to the spying, but raised concerns with targeted spying on political campaigns.

Thee attorney general noted that he grew up during the Vietnam War, when there was frequent spying on anti-war advocates.

“I think there was a failure among a group of leaders at the upper echelons,” Mr Barr said of the 2016 surveillance. “I feel I have an obligation to make sure that government power isn’t abused.”

The president has frequently characterised special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's efforts to influence the 2016 election a witch hunt, and has maintained over the past two years that his campaign did not collude with that effort.

In a letter to Congress after he received Mr Mueller's report last month, Mr Barr said that the special counsel's team had not uncovered evidence of collusion or a conspiracy. He proceeded to say that he had decided that there was not sufficient evidence to charge the president with obstruction of justice.