Declassified document links Russiagate hoax to Soros
The document, a 29-page annex to John Durham's 2023 Special Counsel report, was released by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday shortly after it was declassified. It sheds more light on what Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) described as 'one of the biggest political scandals and cover-ups in American history.'
'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... These intelligence reports and related records, whether true or false, were buried for years,' Grassley said in a statement.
The annex cites several emails allegedly sent by Leonard Benardo, senior vice president of Soros' Open Society Foundations, throughout July 2016, which provide details on the Clinton campaign's plans to falsely accuse Trump of Russia links and tie him to the alleged Democratic National Committee (DNC) hack. Analysis by the Durham team concluded the Benardo emails 'were likely authentic,' the annex states.
'During the first stage of the campaign, due to lack of direct evidence, it was decided to disseminate the necessary information through the FBI-affiliated 'attic-based' technical structures… in particular, the Crowdstrike and ThreatConnect companies, from where the information would then be disseminated through leading US publications,' one of the emails reads.
Another email purportedly sent by Benardo states that the 'media analysis on the DNC hacking appears solid' and suggests that 'later the FBI will put more oil into fire,' apparently predicting the probe by the agency. It also cites an individual named 'Julie,' identified in the annex as Clinton's foreign policy adviser Julianne Smith, who said the future Russiagate 'will be a long term affair to demonize [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and Trump.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
3 hours ago
- Russia Today
Obama was ‘mastermind' behind Russiagate hoax
President Donald Trump has said his 2016 election rival Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama, and others involved in the so-called 'Russiagate' affair should pay a 'big price' for orchestrating what he described as a deliberate attempt to sabotage his presidency. In a Friday interview with Newsmax host Rob Finnerty, Trump responded to newly declassified material from the annex to Special Counsel John Durham's 2023 report, which ties Clinton's 2016 campaign and senior Obama-era officials to a coordinated effort to link Trump to Russia. 'I think they should pay a price. By the way, it's a very big price,' Trump said. 'For that to have gone on – it's one of the great scandals, I think, in the history of our country. I know it is.' Trump accused Obama of personally approving and encouraging Clinton's plan to fabricate Russia collusion claims, citing declassified documents released this week by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). '[Obama] knew about it. We have it cold. [Durham] has it in writing,' Trump said. 'You could almost say that [Obama] was more of the mastermind. He heard what she was doing, and then he approved it – and not only approved it, he pushed it.' Trump went on to describe the campaign as a 'totally fake' conspiracy that inflicted immense damage on innocent people and on the country itself. Asked whether Clinton should face consequences, Trump recalled choosing not to pursue criminal charges after his 2016 victory, despite pressure from supporters to 'lock her up.' 'I had her right under the sights, and I told the people, 'Look, you can't do this to a ex-president's wife.' And I let Hillary off the hook,' he said. 'And then I come in, and they did the same thing to me. The difference is, they meant it.' Despite his calls for accountability, Trump emphasized that he would not interfere with the legal process. He said the decision on potential indictments would rest with Attorney General Pam Bondi, whom he praised as doing 'a terrific job.' The interview follows the declassification of documents by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, which allege that Clinton operatives, with assistance from George Soros-linked organizations, orchestrated the Trump-Russia narrative and expected the FBI to play an active role in advancing it.
Russia Today
7 hours ago
- Russia Today
Trump ‘prepared' for nuclear war with Russia
President Donald Trump has said he cannot treat any talk about nuclear weapons lightly and that the US must be 'totally prepared' for a potential confrontation with Russia, in response to what he described as an inappropriate 'threat' made by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump explained his alleged order to deploy two nuclear submarines closer to Russian waters, saying the move was necessary to ensure national security. 'Well, we had to do that. We just have to be careful. A threat was made, and we didn't think it was appropriate,' Trump said. 'So I do that on the basis of safety for our people. A threat was made by a former president of Russia, and we're going to protect our people.' Well, you just have to read what he said. He was talking about nuclear. When you talk about nuclear, we have to be prepared. And we're totally prepared Earlier on Friday, Trump announced in a post on Truth Social that he had ordered the deployment of two US nuclear submarines to what he called 'the appropriate regions,' in reaction to remarks made by Medvedev on social media. Trump condemned the former Russian leader's rhetoric as 'foolish and inflammatory,' warning that 'words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences.' The dispute escalated after Trump referred to Medvedev as a 'failed' leader and warned him to 'watch his words.' Medvedev, who currently serves as deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, responded with a scathing message warning against provoking Moscow too far, referencing the legendary 'Perimetr' automatic nuclear retaliation system, which dates back to the Soviet era and is presumed to still exist in Russia. 'And about India's and Russia's 'dead economies' and 'entering very dangerous territory' – well, let him remember his favorite movies about 'the walking dead,' as well as how dangerous the fabled 'Dead Hand' can be,' Medvedev wrote. Though Russia has never officially confirmed the existence of the system, it is widely believed by Western analysts to serve as a last-resort deterrent in the event of a decapitating strike on the Russian leadership.
Russia Today
8 hours ago
- Russia Today
US congressman demands Soros testify over Russiagate plot against Trump
Representative Tim Burchett has formally requested that billionaire financier George Soros and his associate Leonard Benardo, senior vice president at the Open Society Foundations (OSF), testify before Congress regarding their alleged involvement in the 2016 'Russiagate' affair targeting Donald Trump. In a letter sent Friday to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), Burchett (R-Tenn.) urged the panel to call Soros and Benardo to a public hearing and to subpoena them if they refuse to appear voluntarily. The request follows the declassification of documents by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and the Senate Judiciary Committee, which allegedly link Soros's OSF to a broader effort to discredit Trump's presidential campaign and derail his first term in office. 'As you know, DNI Tulsi Gabbard recently declassified evidence of a conspiracy by former President Obama, Hillary Clinton, and the national security apparatus to manufacture and politicize intelligence to subvert President Trump and the will of the American people,' Burchett wrote. 'Included in this evidence is a concerning email allegedly from Leonard Benardo… plotting to discredit the incoming Trump Administration.' You are welcome Ma'am. Burchett emphasized OSF's ongoing influence in US elections and said the American public deserves answers. 'Should they refuse the invitation, I encourage you to use subpoena powers. Americans deserve answers into the subversion of our institutions by malicious actors,' he added. The newly declassified 29-page annex to Special Counsel John Durham's 2023 report, released this week by the Senate Judiciary Committee, alleges that the Clinton campaign, with help from OSF-linked figures, concocted the narrative of Russian interference to damage Trump politically. Emails attributed to Benardo reportedly detail efforts to disseminate unverified claims through FBI-adjacent tech firms like CrowdStrike and various media outlets. The FBI launched Crossfire Hurricane, its Trump-Russia probe, despite allegedly having obtained credible intelligence about the plot. Critics argue that the agency's failure to properly scrutinize intelligence pointing to a politically motivated smear campaign fueled years of disinformation, political polarization, and unjustified sanctions against Moscow. President Trump responded Friday by calling the affair 'the biggest scandal in American history,' accusing the Obama administration of treason and vowing accountability. Moscow, for its part, has long denied meddling in the 2016 election and insists the Russiagate narrative was a fabricated pretext for confrontation.
