- Bondi Orders Grand Jury on Obama-Era Russia Probe
- Democratic lawmakers have accused the administration of trying to divert attention away from the Jeffrey Epstein case
- The report found substantial evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 election
Attorney General Pam Bondi has instructed Justice Department prosecutors to begin a grand jury investigation into whether officials from the Obama administration broke federal laws in their assessment of Russia’s actions during the 2016 election, according to a senior official from the Trump administration.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard stated during a White House press conference last month that senior Obama administration officials engaged in what she called a “treasonous conspiracy” against Donald Trump. She said she would be sending criminal referrals to the Justice Department.
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A former high ranking official from the Justice Department criticized the decision, calling it “a dangerous political stunt.” Additionally, a former senior national security official noted that several previous investigations, including those led by Republicans, found no criminal wrongdoing.
“There’s no logical or rational reason for this,” said the official, who requested anonymity.
The Trump administration official stated there is no set schedule for the grand jury to convene and that it might take several months before proceedings begin. Fox News was the first to report Bondi’s letter.
According to the official, Bondi’s signed letter directs an unnamed federal prosecutor to start presenting evidence to a grand jury in pursuit of possible federal indictments. However, the letter does not specify the nature of the charges, who the grand jury will examine, or the location of the proceedings.
A spokesperson for the Justice Department declined to comment.
Democratic lawmakers have accused the administration of trying to divert attention away from the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Meanwhile, conservative media figures and influencers have criticized the way Trump, Bondi, and FBI Director Kash Patel have managed the situation, calling for the release of additional documents.
Democrats argue that Gabbard’s claims of a treasonous plot by Obama-era officials are completely unfounded and meant to distract from more pressing issues.
A 2020 bipartisan review by the Senate Intelligence Committee rejected the notion of a conspiracy by Obama administration officials against Trump.
The report found substantial evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Then-Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida and the acting chair of the committee at the time, endorsed the findings.
The committee found no evidence of “collusion” between the Trump campaign and Russia, Rubio said in a statement at the time. But he added: “What the Committee did find however is very troubling. We found irrefutable evidence of Russian meddling.”
The Trump administration’s plans for a grand jury investigation mark the latest in a series of efforts that appear aimed at reshaping the narrative surrounding the 2016 election.
According to Democrats, Trump is misusing government authority to retaliate against political opponents and expand executive power.
Trump and his allies have consistently argued that intelligence and law enforcement officials attempted to sabotage his first term by exaggerating Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and targeting his aides with investigations into potential collusion with Moscow.
They have specifically accused former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan of using these inquiries to damage Trump politically.
A lawyer representing Comey did not respond to a request for comment. Both Comey and Brennan, who now contributes to NBC News and MSNBC, have denied any misconduct.
The intelligence community’s assessment of the 2016 election, along with follow-up government investigations, failed to satisfy extremists on either end of the political spectrum.
Special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to weaken Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
However, it did not find evidence that Trump’s team conspired with the Kremlin, despite some claims from the political left.
Meanwhile, the investigation led by special counsel John Durham appointed by Trump during his first term fell short of far-right expectations.
After three years, Durham found no criminal conspiracy among Obama-era officials to fabricate intelligence regarding Russia.
He also did not bring charges against intelligence officials involved in the 2017 assessment that concluded Russia aimed to influence the election in Trump’s favor.
However, both as president and as a candidate, Trump has portrayed former President Barack Obama and other former officials in prison uniforms and repeatedly called for their imprisonment.
Just last month, he shared an AI-generated video showing himself smiling while a fabricated image of Obama is arrested by FBI agents in the Oval Office and taken to jail.FURTHER READING
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