A newly declassified annex to the Durham investigation has revealed that individuals connected to George Soros’ Open Society Foundations held early discussions with members of the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee regarding a strategy to link Donald Trump to Russian interference during the 2016 election.
According to the intelligence, campaign operatives—including senior advisers—approved efforts to promote the narrative that Trump was connected to Russian hackers. The plan was reportedly intended to deflect media attention from Hillary Clinton’s email scandal and redirect it toward alleged foreign ties within the Trump campaign.
One internal communication cited in the annex suggested anticipation that the FBI would amplify the story, referring to expectations that federal agencies would “put more oil into the fire” once the strategy was underway.
The documents also indicate that this intelligence was received by the FBI prior to the launch of Crossfire Hurricane, the bureau’s official investigation into Trump-Russia collusion. However, investigators found no evidence that the FBI thoroughly vetted or pursued this information, raising fresh questions about the agency’s decision-making and oversight.
The annex, which was declassified after review by top intelligence agencies, sheds light on possible coordination between political operatives and advocacy networks to influence the 2016 election narrative. The findings have reignited debate over the origins of the Russia probe and whether key institutions acted with impartiality.