'Crossfire Hurricane': Grand jury probe Obama-era intel for role in 2016 Trump-Russia narrative; DOJ examines conspiracy claims
The justice department has convened a federal grand jury to investigate officials from former US President Barack Obama's administration, who are accused of pushing a false scandal about President Donald Trump's alleged ties to Russia during the 2016 election.
The investigation could lead to criminal charges against several prominent figures from the Obama era, including former director of national intelligence James Clapper, former CIA director John Brennan, and former FBI director James Comey, according to The New York Post.
The inquiry focuses on claims that these officials conspired to create and promote the Trump-Russia narrative in the early days of the FBI's 'Crossfire Hurricane' investigation.
The Crossfire Hurricane probe began in July 2016, when the FBI launched an investigation into alleged connections between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives. That inquiry later led to the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, whose 2019 report acknowledged 'links' between Trump associates and Russian individuals but found no evidence of a criminal conspiracy.
However, subsequent scrutiny raised concerns about the FBI's conduct, particularly the improper use of FISA warrants against Trump adviser Carter Page.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
No annual fees for life
UnionBank Credit Card
Apply Now
Undo
In October 2020, then-attorney general Bill Barr appointed John Durham as special counsel to examine the origins of the probe.
Recent reports have highlighted a newly uncovered annex containing intelligence that 'predicted the FBI's actions with alarming specificity,' adding weight to Republican claims that the bureau may have sought to influence the 2016 election in favor of Hillary Clinton.
Trump and current director of national intelligence
Tulsi Gabbard
have both called for a federal investigation into the origins of the Russia probe. Trump has accused the former officials of carrying out a 'treasonous and seditious conspiracy' aimed at undermining his first-term agenda.
He also acknowledged that Obama is likely immune from prosecution following a 2024 Supreme Court ruling that shields presidents from criminal charges related to official acts.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
25 minutes ago
- India.com
US-India ties to worsen further?, Trump warns Indians over THIS issue: 'Respect the terms of...'
US-India ties to worsen further?, Trump warns Indians over THIS issue: 'Respect the terms of...' US-India ties: Issuing a stern warning to visa holders from India, the Donald Trump administration has issued a stern warning about the over staying in the United States. It also made clear that any violation could lead to visa revocation and possible deportation. This may further deteriorate both countries ties amid the tariff war. In a post on X the US Embassy said, 'Respect the terms of your US visa and your authorized period of stay in the United States. Remaining in the United States past your I-94 'Admit Until Date' can lead to severe consequences such as visa revocation, possible deportation, and ineligibility for future visas. Overstaying may permanently affect your ability to travel, study, or work in the United States.' What the Congress said? Marjorie Taylor Greene, Congresswoman from Georgia's 14th District in a post on X said, 'End Indian H1-B visas replacing American jobs instead and stop funding and sending weapons to the Obama/Biden/Neocon Ukraine Russia war.' Her remarks came while referring to the latest statement by US President Donald Trump, who on Monday said that the United States will 'substantially raise' the tariff paid by India for buying 'massive amounts of Russian Oil', stating that much of the oil purchased from Moscow is being sold in the open market 'for big profits'. Trump wrote on Truth Social, 'India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits. They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!' What US said about India purchasing Russian Oil? India has defended its sovereign right to conduct energy policy based on national interest. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday came out strongly in defence of the country's decision to import oil from Russia, despite criticism from the United States and European Union. According to the MEA, India's imports from Russia are driven by necessity and aimed at ensuring predictable and affordable energy costs for Indian consumers. The MEA described the criticism of India's trade policy as 'unjustified and unreasonable,' asserting that India will take necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security.
Hindustan Times
25 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Donald Trump's new visa crackdown blocks trans athletes under ‘fairness in sports' order
In a controversial policy change, the Trump administration moved to deny US visas to transgender women athletes seeking to compete in women's sports, stating that 'Men do not belong in women's sports'. According to Trump's administration, the rationale behind the move is to protect the integrity, safety, and fairness of women's athletics.(REUTERS) The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced this week that it has updated its guidelines to restrict access to certain elite visa categories, including O-1A visas for individuals of extraordinary ability and employment-based immigrant visas (E11, E21), to biological women only. According to the new policy, male-born athletes, including transgender women, will be considered ineligible if their goal is to compete in women's sports in the US. Also Read | After Donald Trump threatens India with tariffs, lawmaker's advice to President The update directly responds to Executive Order 14201, titled "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports," signed by President Trump earlier this year. "Men do not belong in women's sports. USCIS is closing the loophole for foreign male athletes whose only chance at winning elite sports is to change their gender identity and leverage their biological advantages against women," said USCIS Spokesperson Matthew Tragesser. "It's a matter of safety, fairness, respect, and truth that only female athletes receive a visa to come to the US to participate in women's sports. The Trump Administration is standing up for the silent majority who've long been victims of leftist policies that defy common sense," he said. Also Read | Manish Tewari slams Donald Trump's 'bullying' over tariffs, asks Centre to show 'spine' The rationale behind the move, as per officials, is to protect the integrity, safety, and fairness of women's athletics. The policy update also redefines how USCIS evaluates the accomplishments of foreign athletes. It states that any notoriety gained from competing against women as a transgender woman will be seen as a negative factor in visa consideration, even if those athletes have achieved international recognition. Under the revised guidance, the agency has made clear that it will not consider transgender women's participation in women's sports as contributing to the US national interest. Trump imposes global barrier for trans athletes This policy marks the first time that gender identity has been directly cited as grounds for denying entry into the United States under the immigration system. Legal analysts say the move is likely to trigger a wave of lawsuits, especially if visa petitions are denied explicitly based on gender identity, raising potential constitutional and international human rights concerns. Trump signed the order in February Trump signed the "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" order in February to protect opportunities for women and girls to compete in safe and fair sports. "It is the policy of the United States to rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities, which results in the endangerment, humiliation, and silencing of women and girls and deprives them of privacy. It shall also be the policy of the United States to oppose male competitive participation in women's sports more broadly, as a matter of safety, fairness, dignity, and truth," the White House stated.
Indian Express
25 minutes ago
- Indian Express
How Russia reins in internet by blocking websites, isolating it from rest of world
YouTube videos that won't load. A visit to a popular independent media website that produces only a blank page. Cellphone internet connections that are down for hours or days. Going online in Russia can be frustrating, complicated and even dangerous. It's not a network glitch but a deliberate, multipronged and long-term effort by authorities to bring the internet under the Kremlin's full control. Authorities adopted restrictive laws and banned websites and platforms that won't comply. Technology has been perfected to monitor and manipulate online traffic. While it's still possible to circumvent restrictions by using virtual private network apps, those are routinely blocked, too. Authorities further restricted internet access this summer with widespread shutdowns of cellphone internet connections and adopting a law punishing users for searching for content they deem illicit. They also are threatening to go after the popular WhatsApp platform while rolling out a new 'national' messenger that's widely expected to be heavily monitored. President Vladimir Putin urged the government to 'stifle' foreign internet services and ordered officials to assemble a list of platforms from 'unfriendly' states that should be restricted. Experts and rights advocates told The Associated Press that the scale and effectiveness of the restrictions are alarming. Authorities seem more adept at it now, compared with previous, largely futile efforts to restrict online activities, and they're edging closer to isolating the internet in Russia. Human Rights Watch researcher Anastasiia Kruope describes Moscow's approach to reining in the internet as 'death by a thousand cuts.' 'Bit by bit, you're trying to come to a point where everything is controlled.' Censorship after 2011-12 protests Kremlin efforts to control what Russians do, read or say online dates to 2011-12, when the internet was used to challenge authority. Independent media outlets bloomed, and anti-government demonstrations that were coordinated online erupted after disputed parliamentary elections and Putin's decision to run again for president. Russia began adopting regulations tightening internet controls. Some blocked websites; others required providers to store call records and messages, sharing it with security services if needed, and install equipment allowing authorities to control and cut off traffic. Companies like Google or Facebook were pressured to store user data on Russian servers, to no avail, and plans were announced for a 'sovereign internet' that could be cut off from the rest of the world. Russia's popular Facebook-like social media platform VK, founded by Pavel Durov long before he launched the Telegram messenger, came under the control of Kremlin-friendly companies. Russia tried to block Telegram between 2018-20 but failed. Prosecutions for social media posts and comments became common, showing that authorities were closely watching the online space. Still, experts had dismissed Kremlin efforts to rein in the internet as futile, arguing Russia was far from building something akin to China's 'Great Firewall,' which Beijing uses to block foreign websites. Ukraine invasion triggers crackdown After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the government blocked major social media like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as Signal and a few other messaging apps. VPNs also were targeted, making it harder to reach restricted websites. YouTube access was disrupted last summer in what experts called deliberate throttling by authorities. The Kremlin blamed YouTube owner Google for not maintaining its hardware in Russia. The platform has been wildly popular in Russia, both for entertainment and for voices critical of the Kremlin, like the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Cloudflare, an internet infrastructure provider, said in June that websites using its services were being throttled in Russia. Independent news site Mediazona reported that several other popular Western hosting providers also are being inhibited. Cyber lawyer Sarkis Darbinyan, founder of Russian internet freedom group Roskomsvoboda, said authorities have been trying to push businesses to migrate to Russian hosting providers that can be controlled. He estimates about half of all Russian websites are powered by foreign hosting and infrastructure providers, many offering better quality and price than domestic equivalents. A 'huge number' of global websites and platforms use those providers, he said, so cutting them off means those websites 'automatically become inaccessible' in Russia too. Another concerning trend is the consolidation of Russia's internet providers and companies that manage IP addresses, according to a July 30 Human Rights Watch report. Last year, authorities raised the cost of obtaining an internet provider license from 7,500 rubles (about USD 90) to 1 million rubles (over USD 12,300), and state data shows that more than half of all IP addresses in Russia are managed by seven large companies, with Rostelecom, Russia's state telephone and internet giant, accounting for 25 per cent. The Kremlin is striving 'to control the internet space in Russia, and to censor things, to manipulate the traffic,' said HRW's Kruope. Criminalising extremist' searches A new Russian law criminalised online searches for broadly defined 'extremist' materials. That could include LGBTQ+ content, opposition groups, some songs by performers critical of the Kremlin — and Navalny's memoir, which was designated as extremist last week. Right advocates say it's a step toward punishing consumers — not just providers — like in Belarus, where people are routinely fined or jailed for reading or following certain independent media outlets. Stanislav Seleznev, cyber security expert and lawyer with the Net Freedom rights group, doesn't expect ubiquitous prosecutions, since tracking individual online searches in a country of 146 million remains a tall order. But even a limited number of cases could scare many from restricted content, he said. Another major step could be blocking WhatsApp, which monitoring service Mediascope said had over 97 million monthly users in April. WhatsApp 'should prepare to leave the Russian market,' said lawmaker Anton Gorelkin, and a new 'national' messenger, MAX, developed by social media company VK, would take its place. Telegram, another popular messenger, probably won't be restricted, he said. MAX, promoted as a one-stop shop for messaging, online government services, making payments and more, was rolled out for beta tests but has yet to attract a wide following. Over 2 million people registered by July, the Tass news agency reported. Its terms and conditions say it will share user data with authorities upon request, and a new law stipulates its preinstallation in all smartphones sold in Russia. State institutions, officials and businesses are actively encouraged to move communications and blogs to MAX. Anastasia Zhyrmont of the Access Now internet freedom group said both Telegram and WhatsApp were disrupted in Russia in July in what could be a test of how potential blockages would affect internet infrastructure. It wouldn't be uncommon. In recent years, authorities regularly tested cutting off the internet from the rest of the world, sometimes resulting in outages in some regions. Darbinyan believes the only way to make people use MAX is to 'shut down, stifle' every Western alternative. 'But again, habits … do not change in a year or two. And these habits acquired over decades, when the internet was fast and free,' he said. Government media and internet regulator Roskomnadzor uses more sophisticated methods, analyzing all web traffic and identifying what it can block or choke off, Darbinyan said. It's been helped by 'years of perfecting the technology, years of taking over and understanding the architecture of the internet and the players,' as well as Western sanctions and companies leaving the Russian market since 2022, said Kruope of Human Rights Watch. Russia is 'not there yet' in isolating its internet from the rest of the world, Darbinyan said, but Kremlin efforts are 'bringing it closer.
