Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Feb 18, 2025

FBI lacked 'actual evidence' to begin probing potential links between Trump and Russia, report finds

FBI lacked 'actual evidence' to begin probing potential links between Trump and Russia, report finds

Former president Donald Trump, who is likely to use the findings as political fodder, has said the report's findings show "the American Public was scammed".

The FBI lacked any "actual evidence" to begin investigating potential links between Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russia, a report has concluded.

US Special Counsel John Durham's probe also found the bureau had relied too heavily on tips provided by the former president's political opponents before it launched its early stage "Crossfire Hurricane" inquiry.

Mr Trump, who will likely use the findings as political fodder as he aims to seek re-election in 2024, wrote on his Truth Social platform: "WOW! After extensive research, Special Counsel John Durham concludes the FBI never should have launched the Trump-Russia Probe! In other words, the American Public was scammed, just as it is being scammed right now by those who don't want to see GREATNESS for AMERICA!"

The report marks the end of a four-year probe launched in May 2019 when then Attorney General William Barr appointed Mr Durham to investigate potential missteps by the FBI when it launched Crossfire Hurricane.

That investigation would later be handed over to Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who in March 2019 concluded there was no evidence of a criminal conspiracy between Mr Trump's campaign and Moscow.

In his new 306-page report, Mr Durham concluded that US intelligence and law enforcement did not possess any "actual
evidence" of collusion between Mr Trump's campaign and Russia prior to launching Crossfire Hurricane.

The report criticised the FBI for opening a full-fledged investigation based on "raw, unanalysed and uncorroborated intelligence," saying the speed at which it did so was a departure from the norm.

It also said investigators repeatedly relied on "confirmation bias", ignoring or rationalising away evidence that undercut their premise of a Trump-Russia conspiracy as they pushed the probe forward.

John Durham's report has criticised the FBI.


He also accused the bureau of treating the 2016 Trump probe differently from other politically sensitive investigations,
including several involving the former president's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

For instance, he said Mrs Clinton and other officials received defensive briefings about being the possible targets of foreign interference, whereas Mr Trump received no such briefing before the FBI opened probes into four members of his campaign.

In response to the report, the FBI said it has already implemented dozens of corrective actions that have been in place
for some time.

Mr Durham's report was released to Congress on Monday without redactions after it was delivered to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday.

House Judiciary Committee Republican Chair Jim Jordan said on Twitter he has invited Mr Durham to testify about his report next week.

The report comes as Mr Trump is planning to run for re-election in 2024 despite facing criminal charges in New York.

Meanwhile, two federal investigations by Special Counsel Jack Smith are looking both at Mr Trump's retention of classified records and his role in efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Mr Trump had hoped Mr Durham would release his report ahead of the 2020 election, in what he thought would be a blow to President Joe Biden's campaign.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk claims that millions of Americans aged between 100 and 159 are recorded in a vital US database.
Trump's Appearances in the Oval Office Reinterpret Presidential Communication
Starmer Calls for US 'Backstop' for Ukraine Peace Deal After European Leaders' Meeting
Scotland Initiates Early Release of Prisoners to Address Overcrowding
The Princess of Wales and Children Share Artistic Portraits
Policy on Refugee Citizenship Draws Criticism from Unions and Faith Leaders
Fibrus Broadband Service Faces Ongoing Challenges After Storm Éowyn
Caldicot School Enforces Strict Discipline Under New Leadership
Supreme Court Blocks Treasury Intervention in Car Loans Case
Bafta 2025: Conclave and The Brutalist Stand Out at the Awards Ceremony
Almost Two Billion Dollars of taxpayer funds are recovered by the DOGE Task Force after going unaccounted for during the Biden administration.
No, you corrupt European leaders—the Nazi genocide apparatus did NOT come about due to free speech.
U.S. State Department Removes Taiwan Independence Statement from Website
Eliminating opposition will not rescue Germany from Nazism—this is precisely what led Germany to become Nazi!
Transatlantic Gold Rush: Traders Shift Bullion in Response to Tariff Concerns and Market Turmoil
Elon Musk advocates for thorough and regular audits of US gold reserves as new proposals confront long-standing review methods.
Bill Ackman Invests in Uber as the Company Shifts Towards Profitability.
AI Giants Take on Nvidia's Supremacy with New Chip Innovations
US and Russian Officials to Meet in Saudi Arabia Over Ending Ukraine Conflict. Ukraine and European leaders – who profit from this war – excluded from the negotiations.
Macron Convenes Urgent Summit as Business Model Amid Ukraine Conflict Faces Threat
Trump Administration Eases AI Restrictions Amid Scarlett Johansson’s Regulatory Demands
Trump’s Defense Secretary: Ukraine Won’t Join NATO or Regain Lost Territories
European Leaders Hold Urgent Summit on Ukraine in Light of US-Russia Peace Negotiations
Flight Reductions at Ronaldsway Airport Attributed to Demand Changes
JD Vance's Claims on Scottish Abortion Buffer Zones Elicit Controversy
Dogs Audition for Role in Glasgow Comedy Play Amidst Festival Celebrations
Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves Faces Scrutiny Over Expenses and CV Claims
Investigation Launched Following Fatal Shooting Outside Kent Pub
UK Ticket-Holder Wins £65 Million EuroMillions Jackpot on Valentine's Day
UK Military Insufficiently Resourced for Potential Ukraine Peacekeeping Mission, Former Army Chief Warns
Netflix Relocates Bafta Afterparty Following Fire at Chiltern Firehouse
Scottish A&E Waiting Times Reach Record Highs, Urging Call for Systemic Reforms
British Couple Detained in Iran as Family Seeks Safe Return
Zelensky Urges Increased Military Expansion in Europe as US Support Remains Uncertain
AI-Driven Virtual Boyfriends Rise in Popularity in China
Chinese Zoo Confesses to Painting Donkeys to Look Like Zebras
Zelensky Highlights the Importance of European Participation in Peace Negotiations at the Munich Security Conference.
Zelensky Prevents Trump-Backed Minerals Agreement Due to Security Issues
Trump's Legal Issues and Claim of Executive Power
Leaders of BRICS Set to Gather in Rio de Janeiro for July Summit
The Archewell Foundation Donates $600,000 to Support Democratic Initiatives Amidst Political Disputes.
U.S. Administration Begins Dialogue with Russia and Ukraine to Tackle Ongoing Conflict
Muhsin Hendricks, a trailblazing openly gay imam, was fatally shot in South Africa.
Elon Musk is Sherlock Holmes - Movie Trailer Parody featuring Donald Trump's Detective
Trump's Greenland Suggestion Sparks Sovereignty Discussion Amidst Historical Resentments
California's CalExit Movement Gathers Momentum Amid Ongoing Political and Economic Discussions in the State.
USAID Revealed: American Tax Dollars Utilized to Erode Democracy in Europe Until Trump Put a Stop to It
Pam Bondi Leaves Congress in Utter Shock with a Stunning Rebuttal of Adam Schiff.
Trump's Press Secretary SLAMS Republican Mitch McConnell for Opposing Tulsi Gabbard.
Brand Finance Unveils its Rankings of the Best CEOs for 2025: Satya Nadella Takes the Lead
×