Jonathan Turley’s Remarks on Election Claims

Law professor Jonathan Turley from George Washington University shared on Thursday that he still feels uneasy after making surprising claims involving former officials from the Obama administration.

James Clapper, the former National Intelligence director, and John Brennan, the former CIA director, faced scrutiny over their claims regarding the 2016 election in a New York Times op-ed. Turley pointed out contradictions in their statements, specifically regarding the so-called “Steele-related documents.” He referenced evidence released by CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

“There’s a troubling pattern with these elections,” Turley said, adding that Clapper and Brennan seem to think they’re safe from perjury laws. “However, the ongoing nature of this investigation means they might have to answer questions in Congress again,” he suggested.

Turley expressed disbelief at Brennan and Clapper’s assertion that they never relied on Steele’s documents despite Brennan’s involvement in including them in the assessments.

In guest columns, both Brennan and Clapper defended the conclusions reached by the Obama administration, asserting they were supported by various assessments, including one from the Senate Intelligence Committee in 2020.

Ratcliffe had earlier introduced Brennan and former FBI director James Comey to the FBI. Brennan, speaking on MSNBC’s “Deadline: White House,” denied any wrongdoing, insisting that the CIA acted with integrity during the 2016 election.

Many media outlets echoed claims that Trump’s 2016 campaign conspired with Russia to undermine Hillary Clinton’s campaign, with frequent references to Adam Schiff, who advocated for investigations into the alleged conspiracy.

As for the Steele dossier, initially instrumental in raising these accusations, its credibility has since diminished.