John Durham, a Trump-era special counsel assigned to review the investigation of the former president’s ties to Russia, concluded authorities didn’t have sufficient information to open the case.
While Durham does not recommend any new charges in his final 305-page report, he offers a scathing assessment of the FBI’s process in how it launched and carried out the investigation, which was known as “Crossfire Hurricane.”
“The objective facts show that the FBI’s handling of important aspects of the Crossfire Hurricane matter were seriously deficient,” Durham wrote, arguing that the bureau relied on “raw, unanalyzed, and uncorroborated intelligence.”
The report comes after a roughly four-year investigation into how the FBI launched a probe into the 2016 Trump campaign and possible contacts with Russia.
Durham was appointed in 2019 by then-Attorney General Bill Barr to investigate the origins of the FBI probe, a move that former President Trump celebrated. Trump himself repeatedly raised expectations for the Durham probe, suggesting it would unveil the “crime of the century.”
Durham’s investigation yielded multiple indictments, but limited results in court. Two individuals – Igor Danchenko and Michael Sussmann – were charged with lying to the FBI and found not guilty, and a third individual pleaded guilty to doctoring an email about a surveillance warrant.
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In his final report, Durham concluded authorities didn’t have sufficient information to open the case. https://t.co/zkPAqnCg3t
— The Hill (@thehill) May 16, 2023
It took four reporters to write this — very unpersuasive — “there’s nothing new here” piece? https://t.co/YH6wXnrCZZ
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) May 15, 2023
One thing is very clear. Special Counsel Durham is way outside his mandate to make these findings and recommendations.
His mandate was to find and prosecute lawbreaking, not to pass judgment on the propriety of the FBI's Russia investigation. https://t.co/1g7nbKmRDX
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) May 15, 2023While we're recapitulating this circus, after Danchenko was acquitted, clown ex-Rep. Devin Nunes went on Fox News and said that Durham would have brought "charges of conspiracy of lying to Congress, misleading Congress, defrauding the gov't" if he wasn't being blocked by DOJ.
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) May 15, 2023But it seems that Special Counsel Durham does not share ex-Rep. Nunes' belief that DOJ interfered with his work.
From his cover letter to AG Garland: pic.twitter.com/6MBvQPZhMl
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) May 15, 2023
Can't illustrate the "post-truth moment"—rejecting truth itself in favor of lurid fantasies—better than declaring people should go to jail based on a report from someone will full prosecutorial powers who had such a weak case he brought few charges and lost in court when he did. pic.twitter.com/WA151zREwA
— Nicholas Grossman (@NGrossman81) May 16, 2023
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