New Developments on FBI’s Role in Trump-Russia Investigation
Recent information suggests that the US intelligence community had reliable sources indicating that the FBI was involved in disseminating the contentious Trump-Russia collusion narrative. This comes ahead of the agency’s controversial Crossfire Hurricane investigation, according to a source familiar with the intelligence shared with Fox News Digital.
Additionally, CIA Director John Ratcliffe is set to declassify information, including a key annex related to former special advisor John Durham’s investigation into the origin of the Trump-Russia probes.
One insider mentioned that Director Brennan expressed disbelief over the release of an “unbelievable” report in 2016, which claimed that Putin had an affinity for Trump.
While the context of the classified documents may not have been entirely clear initially, hindsight shows a predicted and perhaps singular course of action taken by the FBI.
A source noted that the release of the classified annex seems to bolster claims of a coordinated effort within the US government aimed at assisting the Clinton campaign in generating controversy surrounding Trump and Russia. Shortly after this intelligence was gathered, the FBI initiated its Crossfire Hurricane investigation. The source highlighted challenges for former officials like Brennan, Clapper, and Comey in explaining these developments.
Previously, it was reported that in 2016, former CIA director Brennan had informed then-President Obama about intelligence that indicated the Clinton campaign was attempting to link Trump to Russia.
Ratcliffe, during his tenure as Director of National Intelligence, declassified Brennan’s notes from that meeting, which Fox News Digital obtained back in October 2020.
On July 28, 2016, Brennan briefed Obama on strategies involving one of Clinton’s foreign policy advisors. This meeting included prominent figures from the Obama administration, such as former Attorney General Loretta Lynch and former National Intelligence Director James Clapper.
Following this briefing, the CIA properly passed on the information through established channels, which were later utilized in the Crossfire Hurricane investigation, revealing that Clinton campaign strategies could be influencing public perception regarding Trump’s connections to Russian hackers.
On July 31, 2016, the FBI launched an inquiry to ascertain if Trump and his campaign were conspiring with Russia to manipulate the 2016 election—a probe referred to internally as Crossfire Hurricane.
Sources indicated that the release of sensitive intelligence is being managed in collaboration with key figures, including National Security Director William Hartman and FBI Director Kash Patel.
It appears that Ratcliffe, as National Intelligence Director in 2020, provided extensive documents to Durham. However, a former Trump official noted that Durham hesitated to release findings ahead of the 2020 elections, fearing it could jeopardize the investigation’s integrity.
This source recalled that Durham initially aimed to produce a preliminary report but became concerned about accusations of politicization and ultimately retreated from the spotlight. There’s a sentiment that the true politicization of the situation is now coming to light.
Durham’s investigation, which concluded in March 2019, did not unearth evidence of criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russian officials. Following this, he was tasked with examining how the Crossfire Hurricane probe originated, ultimately concluding that the FBI failed to address clear indications that it was being targeted by efforts from Clinton’s campaign.
Durham’s report points out an unexpected lapse in considering Clinton-related intelligence within the FBI’s investigative process, questioning whether the situation could have been approached differently.
In a recent Fox News interview, Ratcliffe hinted at the forthcoming declassification of the annex related to Durham’s findings. He suggested that this intelligence indicates a connection to Clinton’s strategy, as well as the FBI’s role in perpetuating the narrative surrounding alleged Russian conspiracy involving Trump.
The anticipated release of this new information follows previous disclosures that seem to suggest the intelligence was manipulated to enhance the Trump-Russia collusion narrative.
Investigations into high-profile figures like Brennan and Comey are a subject of heightened scrutiny, alongside additional inquiries targeting past Obama administration officials.
