In an exclusive report obtained by DailyMail.com, Special Counsel John Durham’s findings shed light on the FBI’s lack of substantial evidence to investigate alleged coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia. The comprehensive 300-page report examines whether the 2016 Trump campaign collaborated with Russia to influence the election.
Durham’s inquiry, which cost nearly $6 million and spanned four years, was delivered to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday. Subsequently, copies were distributed to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, Ranking Member Lindsey Graham, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, and House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerry Nadler.
The report sharply criticizes the Department of Justice and FBI for failing to uphold their commitment to adhere strictly to the law during the Trump-Russia investigation. It emphasizes that, based on exhaustive federal investigations, including the ongoing inquiry, neither U.S. law enforcement nor the Intelligence Community possessed any concrete evidence of collusion at the start of the “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation.
The FBI launched the Crossfire Hurricane investigation in 2016 to explore potential connections between the Trump campaign and Russia. However, it was determined that the investigation was initiated based on entirely inaccurate information.
As a result, Attorney General Bill Barr appointed Special Counsel John Durham in 2019 to investigate any misconduct related to the Crossfire Hurricane investigation.
The report highlights the FBI’s missteps in commencing the investigation based on an unverified dossier compiled by British spy Christopher Steele. It reveals that the Crossfire Hurricane team failed to provide any evidence supporting the significant claims made in the Steele report.
According to Durham’s investigation, the primary secondary source for Steele, Igor Danchenko, also failed to provide any corroborating evidence for the allegations. Additionally, the report criticizes the FBI for neglecting to interview Charles Dolan, a Democratic public relations operative with potential ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s press secretary.
Durham further accuses the FBI of displaying a careless attitude towards accuracy and completeness in their FISA applications, indicating a disregard for important requirements. This suggests that FBI agents did not genuinely believe there was sufficient probable cause to justify investigating individuals suspected of clandestine intelligence activities on behalf of a foreign power.
Former FBI Director James Comey and then-FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe supervised the operations during the inception of Crossfire Hurricane.
While the report does not call for extensive revisions to DOJ policy, it emphasizes the ongoing need for agencies to address issues concerning analytical rigor and confirmation bias.
In response to these allegations, the FBI released a statement acknowledging the need for corrective actions to prevent similar missteps. The bureau stated that corrective measures have been implemented under current leadership, inspired by the examination of conduct during 2016 and 2017 by Special Counsel Durham.
Former President Trump took to his Truth Social account to commend the report’s findings, expressing his long-standing belief that the Trump-Russia investigation should never have been initiated. Trump has frequently referred to the investigation as a “witch hunt.”
Robert Mueller, the previous special counsel, concluded in his 2019 report that the Trump campaign did not collude with Russia during the 2016 election.
Throughout his four-year investigation, Durham has indicted three individuals: former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith, Igor Danchenko, and Clinton attorney Michael Sussmann.
However, only Clinesmith has been convicted thus far. He pleaded guilty to tampering with an email used to obtain a surveillance warrant on Carter Page, who worked for the Trump campaign in 2016.