Hillary Clinton allegedly approved plan to smear Trump in 2016
Durham examined the FBI's investigation into potential links between Trump campaign officials and Russia during the 2016 election and concluded the FBI should have not launched the investigation given the evidence it had at the time. The report authored by the special counsel, released publicly for the first time today, shows potential election interference from another country regarding Clinton, false FBI reports to surveil the 2016 Trump campaign and the FBI's failure to investigate Clinton's ties to the Russia collusion allegations, like the infamously debunked Steele Dossier.
A March 2016 memorandum stated that in part 'Clinton staff, with support from special services, is preparing scandalous revelations of business relations between Trump and the 'Russian mafia.'' 'Based on the Durham annex, the Obama FBI failed to adequately review and investigate intelligence reports showing the Clinton campaign may have been ginning up the fake Trump-Russia narrative for Clinton's political gain, which was ultimately done through the Steele Dossier and other means,' Grassley, 91, said in a statement.
'History will show that the Obama and Biden administration's law enforcement and intelligence agencies were weaponized against President Trump,' the senator continued. 'This political weaponization has caused critical damage to our institutions and is one of the biggest political scandals and cover-ups in American history. According to sources, the annex was among files stuffed in 'burn bags' that were due to be destroyed before recently being rescued by FBI employees. A person familiar with the discovery speculated to the Daily Mail that it was likely an oversight by previous directors that prevented the documents from being destroyed.
The person added that it's likely the documents would have never seen the light of day if the FBI wasn't diligently looking through everything it comes across at the bureau. Within the pages of the annex are private communications between Clinton staff and workers at a George Soros nonprofit cooking up a plan to tie Trump to Russia to distract from scrutiny over the Hillary email server scandal. Leonard Benardo, Senior Vice President of Soros' Open Society Foundations, sent emails to top Clinton staffers that showed Hillary Clinton herself approved of the Trump-Russia plan.
That plan included the FBI working on behalf of Clinton, according to Benardo's emails. 'Julie [Clinton Campaign Advisor] says it will be a long-term affair to demonize Putin and Trump,' one of his emails disclosed in the Durham annex states. 'Now it is good for a post-convention bounce. Later the FBI will put more oil into the fire.' Durham later wrote that Julie Smith, the campaign advisor, 'was, at minimum, playing a role in the Clinton campaign's efforts to tie Trump to Russia.' The emails 'certainly lends at least some credence that such a plan existed,' Durham said.
Donald Trump's CIA Director John Ratcliffe recently suggested that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other top Obama aides could be hit with perjury charges over the annex. A spokesperson for Clinton did not immediately respond to the Daily Mail's request for comment. A spokesperson for the Obamas did not immediately respond to a request for comment either. Ratcliffe said that Obama officials involved with the 'Russia hoax' - the debunked narrative that Russia interfered with the 2016 election on behalf of Donald Trump 's campaign - could be prosecuted.
The dossier, a 2016 opposition research file crafted by former MI6 spy Christoper Steele against then-candidate Trump, was a central - and largely debunked - component of the FBI's 'Russiagate' investigation. Ratcliffe has also noted that former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan could still be hit with charges, including lying to Congress. has also noted that former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan could still be hit with charges, including lying to Congress.
'They conspired against President Trump, they conspired against the American people,' the CIA director said. 'So, I'll leave it to Pam Bondi and our DOJ and Kash Patel and our FBI to investigate the conspiracy to do what, and what charges that they're capable of bringing.' However, some critics have slammed Ratcliffe for not releasing 'Russiagate' documents when he served as director of national intelligence during Trump's first term. 'Can anyone explain why John Ratcliffe, who held the same position as Tulsi (DNI) under Trump, totally failed to identify the Russian collusion coup hoax against Trump and was then promoted by Trump to head the CIA,' podcast host Clint Russell wrote on X.
Last week, DNI Tulsi Gabbard declassified documents that she claims show how Obama-era intelligence officials 'manufactured and politicized intelligence to lay the groundwork.' She released a September 2020 report by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Russia's attempts to influence the 2016 presidential election. The file disputes the claim that Russia interfered with Trump's first election on behalf of the Republican.
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Reuters
4 minutes ago
- Reuters
German finance minister to push for steel quotas on Washington trip
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The Guardian
11 minutes ago
- The Guardian
‘He has trouble completing a thought': bizarre public appearances again cast doubt on Trump's mental acuity
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Trump claimed the US gave $60m 'two weeks ago'. He added: 'You really at least want to have somebody say thank you. No other country gave anything. 'Nobody acknowledged it, nobody talks about it and it makes you feel a little bad when you do that and you know you have other countries not giving anything, none of the European countries by the way gave – I mean nobody gave but us.' Trump seemed to not realize or remember that other countries have given money to Gaza – the UK announced a £60m ($80m) package in July, and the European Union has allocated €170m ($195m) in aid. And the Guardian could not find any record of the US giving $60m to Gaza two weeks ago. In June, the US state department approved a $30m grant to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a group backed by Israeli and US interests which has been criticized by Democrats as 'connected to deadly violence against starving people seeking food in Gaza'. 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The best public interest journalism relies on first-hand accounts from people in the know. If you have something to share on this subject you can contact us confidentially using the following methods. Secure Messaging in the Guardian app The Guardian app has a tool to send tips about stories. Messages are end to end encrypted and concealed within the routine activity that every Guardian mobile app performs. This prevents an observer from knowing that you are communicating with us at all, let alone what is being said. If you don't already have the Guardian app, download it (iOS/Android) and go to the menu. Select 'Secure Messaging'. SecureDrop, instant messengers, email, telephone and post See our guide at for alternative methods and the pros and cons of each.
Scotsman
33 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Can only hope Berwick Bank wind turbines strike the right balance
Bass Rock's gannet population could be put at risk by the Berwick Bank wind farm (Picture: Lisa Ferguson) I am sure it is no coincidence that the Scottish Government waited until Donald Trump was safely back in the White House following his long weekend in Scotland before announcing it had approved the Berwick Bank project, one of the world's largest offshore wind farms, which will be situated 23 miles off the east coast. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The US President is a very vocal critic of wind turbines. During his recent visit he said: 'You fly over and you see these windmills all over the place, ruining your beautiful fields and valleys and killing your birds, and if they're stuck in the ocean, ruining your oceans. Stop the windmills.' Stop the windmills could well become the campaign slogan for the charity RSPB Scotland, whose director Anne McCall described the decision to approve 307 turbines near the seabird colonies at St Abbs and the Bass Rock as a 'very dark day for seabirds'. She fears that the windfarm could 'catapult some of Scotland's most-loved seabird species towards extinction'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad I understand the charity's concerns. Wind turbines may be a source of 'clean' energy, but they do have their drawbacks, especially on such a large scale. There is ample evidence to show that they can pose a risk to wildlife, including seabirds, and while one or two windmills can look graceful, a group of more than 300 is bound to spoil the east coast skyline. But we need clean energy. Climate change is a real and present danger, and wind turbines offer an affordable, renewable source of energy which will help lower our carbon emissions. They may even help reduce our reliance on the volatile global energy markets. We are still suffering from the effect on energy prices after Russia, a major energy exporter, invaded Ukraine in 2022. The price of gas, which most of us use to heat our homes, went through the roof. And we can't underestimate the economic benefit of large-scale wind farms. They create jobs, helping to stimulate the economy, which needs every boost it can get. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, who announced the Berwick Bank project, said the challenge was balancing the 'needs of people and nature.' I only hope that on this scheme the right balance has been struck.
