Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 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
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
×