The CIA director, John Ratcliffe, recently pushed for the release of additional files that are said to connect Hillary Clinton to unfounded claims regarding Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
He pointed to what he described as “fundamental intelligence” mentioned in the annex of the Durham Report, which has been examining the dynamics of the Clinton versus Trump election and is still going through the classification process.
Speaking on “Sunday Morning Futures” on Fox News, Ratcliffe commented, “What hasn’t been shared yet is the underlying intelligence.”
He elaborated that part of what was revealed by her intelligence indicates that there was not only a scheme involving Clinton but also involvement from the FBI to advance the false narrative from the Steele dossier.
During the 2016 election, opposition research against Trump, compiled by former MI6 agents, circulated among intelligence communities.
The Washington Free Beacon, along with Clinton’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee, funded the research focusing on Trump during that election cycle.
The Steele documents, which have largely come to light, were reviewed by investigators in the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane Probe concerning Russian interference.
John Durham, who was appointed by the first Trump administration as a special adviser, examined the FBI’s investigation and criticized the bureau’s approach in a report released in 2023, with certain parts still uncategorized.
Ratcliffe summarized, “In the summer of 2016, U.S. intelligence was informed about Russian intelligence that, in part, connected to a project from Clinton intended to falsely accuse Trump of colluding with Russia.”
He mentioned he had reviewed handwritten notes from his predecessor, John Brennan, which unveiled “the fundamental intelligence” clarifying what had transpired.
Ratcliffe stated, “All this information—hidden from the public—is finally coming to light.”
Several prominent figures from the Obama administration, which was in power during the events, have denied that the Steele documents led to the FBI’s Russian investigation into alleged communications with Trump’s campaign.
Ratcliffe expressed, “There’s no doubt in my mind that these individuals conspired against President Trump and against the American people.”
He noted that both he and the Director of National Intelligence referred their findings to the Department of Justice.
He added, “I doubt the existing legal restrictions will hinder prosecution of a conspiracy. Those laws kick in only after the last act that propels the conspiracy.”
He concluded, “They refuse to acknowledge what they did was wrong.”
Earlier this month, Tulsi Gabbard revisited the Russia investigation, disclosing previously classified information, including a 2020 House Intelligence Committee report that found insufficient evidence to support the claim that Russia aided Trump in 2016.
She also presented evidence indicating that intelligence leaders found no hacking of the 2016 voting system that would have altered the election results.
Last week, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondy announced the formation of a “Strike Force” within the Department of Justice to analyze the disclosures from Gabbard and Ratcliffe regarding the Russia investigation.
