Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on July 31 launched a declassified annex to former particular counsel John Durham’s 2023 report on the FBI’s investigation into allegations of Trump marketing campaign–Russia ties.
Based on statements by Grassley, Lawyer Basic Pam Bondi, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, the report means that the Hillary Clinton marketing campaign sought to falsely declare that then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump had ties with the Russian authorities, whereas the FBI failed to analyze the matter.
“Today, the Department of Justice provided Chairman Grassley with previously classified information relating to Special Counsel Durham’s investigation into possible coordination between the Clinton campaign and the Obama administration to interfere with the 2016 presidential election,” Bondi mentioned in an announcement.
Her assertion was echoed by Ratcliffe.
Data within the Durham annex, Ratcliffe mentioned, exhibits that there was “a coordinated plan to prevent and destroy Donald Trump’s presidency” throughout his first time period.
In one of many now-declassified memos, it mentioned that the Clinton marketing campaign “approved a plan proposed by one of her foreign policy advisors … to ‘smear Donald Trump by magnifying the scandal tied to the intrusion by the Russian special services in the pre-election process to benefit the Republican candidate.’”
That info was uncovered by Durham throughout his probe of the FBI and different intelligence actions throughout that election.
“Based on the Durham annex, the Obama FBI failed to adequately review and investigate intelligence reports showing the Clinton campaign may have been ginning up the fake Trump–Russia narrative for Clinton’s political gain, which was ultimately done through the Steele Dossier and other means,” Grassley mentioned in a assertion.
Grassley described it as “one of the biggest political scandals and cover-ups in American history.”
“The new Trump administration has a tremendous responsibility to the American people to fix the damage done and do so with maximum speed and transparency,” he mentioned.
Based on the senator, the FBI additionally failed to analyze whether or not Clinton marketing campaign officers got here up with the Russia collusion narrative, which turned a heavy focus of media shops throughout the preliminary phases of Trump’s first time period in workplace. He additionally faulted the bureau for utilizing a now-discredited file created by former UK spy Christopher Steele to acquire surveillance warrants focusing on 2016 Trump marketing campaign aide Carter Web page.
The Durham Report, launched in Could 2023, was the fruits of a four-year investigation led by Durham into the FBI’s probe of alleged ties between Trump’s 2016 marketing campaign and Russia. Clinton testified to Durham beneath oath, as did officers who have been in high intelligence positions throughout the 2016 elections.
Durham probed the FBI’s investigation into Trump and located that it was triggered by unverified intelligence. He later instructed lawmakers after the report was launched in 2023 that “based on our investigation, it is not a legitimate basis to open a full investigation.”
The Epoch Occasions contacted Clinton’s workplace for touch upon Thursday.
Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
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