U.S. Attorney General to refer Republican memo to Justice Dept

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is planning to refer a declassified memo released on Friday by Republican lawmakers alleging Justice Department bias against President Trump to the department's internal watchdog office for investigation.

In a statement, Sessions said he had received inquiries from Congress raising concerns "about the department’s performance" and that he would forward those issues to "the appropriate DOJ components."

He also praised the rank and file staff of the department, saying he has "great confidence" in them.

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)