DOJ ‘strike force’ to assess declassified Russiagate documents

The Justice Division has fashioned a “strike drive” to evaluate the proof publicized by Director of Nationwide Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard referring to former President Barack Obama and his high nationwide safety and intelligence officers’ alleged involvement within the origins of the Trump–Russia collusion narrative.

The Division of Justice (DOJ), Wednesday night, introduced the formation of the “strike drive,” to research potential subsequent authorized steps which can stem from Gabbard’s current declassification of data suggesting that Obama administration officers “manufactured” intelligence to type the narrative that then-candidate Donald Trump was colluding with Russia to affect the 2016 presidential election.

Justice Division officers instructed Fox Information Digital that the DOJ takes the alleged weaponization of the intelligence neighborhood with “the utmost seriousness.”

A supply accustomed to the strike drive instructed Fox Information Digital that every little thing is being reviewed and that no severe lead is off the desk.

The supply instructed Fox Information Digital that the Nationwide Safety Division of the Justice Division will “doubtless be concerned within the investigation.” 

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Lawyer Basic Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel are investigating proof concerning the origins of the Trump–Russia probe. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Photos)

“The Division of Justice is proud to work with my buddy Director Gabbard and we’re grateful for her partnership in delivering accountability for the American folks,” Lawyer Basic Pam Bondi mentioned.

“We are going to examine these troubling disclosures absolutely and depart no stone unturned to ship justice,” she mentioned.

The strike drive consists of groups made up of investigators and prosecutors that target “the worst offenders engaged in fraudulent actions, together with, mainly, well being care fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, financial institution fraud, cash laundering offenses, false statements offenses,” and extra, in accordance with the DOJ.

Director of Nationwide Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard talks to reporters within the Brady Press Briefing Room on the White Home on July 23, 2025, in Washington.  (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Photos)

The formation of the strike drive comes after a slew of developments associated to the origins of the Trump–Russia investigation.

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Earlier in July, CIA Director John Ratcliffe despatched a prison referral for former CIA Director John Brennan to the FBI.

The referral got here after Ratcliffe declassified a “classes discovered” evaluate of the creation of the 2017 Intelligence Group Evaluation (ICA). The 2017 ICA alleged Russia sought to affect the 2016 presidential election to assist then-candidate Trump. However the evaluate discovered that the method of the ICA’s creation was rushed with “procedural anomalies,” and that officers diverted from intelligence requirements. 

It additionally decided that the “determination by company heads to incorporate the Steele File within the ICA ran counter to basic tradecraft rules and in the end undermined the credibility of a key judgment.” 

The file — an anti-Trump doc crammed with unverified and wholly inaccurate claims that was commissioned by Fusion GPS and paid for by Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s marketing campaign and the DNC — has been extensively discredited. The evaluate marks the primary time profession CIA officers have acknowledged politicization of the method by which the ICA was written, significantly by Obama-era political appointees. 

President Barack Obama waves on stage with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton throughout a rally at Independence Corridor in Philadelphia, Nov. 7, 2016. (AP Photograph/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

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Information declassified as a part of that evaluate additional revealed that Brennan did, the truth is, push for the file to be included within the 2017 ICA.

FBI Director Kash Patel obtained the prison referral and opened an investigation into Brennan.

Patel additionally opened a prison investigation into former FBI Director James Comey.

The total scope of the prison investigations into Brennan and Comey is unclear, however two sources described the FBI’s view of the duo’s interactions as a “conspiracy,” which may open up a variety of potential prosecutorial choices. 

The FBI and CIA declined to remark.

Neither Brennan nor Comey instantly responded to Fox Information Digital’s request for remark.

James Comey and John Brennan. (Mark Reinstein/Corbis through Getty Photos | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Photos)

Days later, Gabbard declassified paperwork revealing “overwhelming proof” that demonstrated how, after Trump gained the 2016 election in opposition to Clinton, then-President Obama and his nationwide safety group laid the groundwork for what can be the yearslong Trump–Russia collusion probe.

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Gabbard mentioned the paperwork revealed that Obama administration officers “manufactured and politicized intelligence” to create the narrative that Russia was trying to affect the 2016 presidential election, regardless of info from the intelligence neighborhood stating in any other case.

The brand new paperwork title Obama, high officers in his Nationwide Safety Council, then-Director of Nationwide Intelligence James Clapper, then-CIA Director Brennan, then-Nationwide Safety Advisor Susan Rice, then-Secretary of State John Kerry, then-Lawyer Basic Loretta Lynch, and then-Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, amongst others.

Gabbard, on Monday, despatched a prison referral to the Justice Division associated to these findings. DOJ officers didn’t share additional particulars on whom the prison referral was for.

President Barack Obama speaks to the media after assembly with Lawyer Basic Loretta Lynch and FBI Director James Comey within the Oval Workplace on the White Home, July 19, 2016, in Washington.  (Mark Wilson/Getty Photos)

And on Wednesday, Gabbard declassified paperwork that confirmed that the intelligence neighborhood didn’t have any direct info that Russian President Vladimir Putin needed to assist elect Trump through the 2016 presidential election, however, on the “uncommon” path of Obama, printed “probably biased” or “implausible” intelligence suggesting in any other case.

That info got here from a report ready by the Home Everlasting Choose Committee on Intelligence again in 2020.

The report, which was primarily based on an investigation launched by former Home Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., was dated Sept. 18, 2020. On the time of the publication of the report, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., was the chairman of the committee.

The report has by no means earlier than been launched to the general public, and as a substitute, has remained extremely labeled throughout the intelligence neighborhood.

Former Director of U.S. Nationwide Intelligence James Clapper (proper) listens to former CIA Director John Brennan (left).  (Gary Cameron/Reuters)

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In the meantime, Fox Information Digital, in 2020, completely obtained the declassified transcripts of Obama-era nationwide safety officers’ closed-door testimonies earlier than the Home Intelligence Committee, wherein these officers testified that they’d no “empirical proof” of a conspiracy between the Trump marketing campaign and Russia within the 2016 election, however continued to publicly push the “narrative” of collusion.

The Home Intelligence Committee, in 2017, performed depositions of high Obama intelligence officers, together with Clapper, Rice and Lynch, amongst others.

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The officers’ responses within the transcripts of these interviews align with the outcomes of former Particular Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation — which discovered no proof of prison coordination between the Trump marketing campaign and Russia in 2016, whereas not reaching a willpower on obstruction of justice.

The transcripts, from 2017 and 2018, revealed high Obama officers have been questioned by Home Intelligence Committee lawmakers and investigators about whether or not they had or had seen proof of such collusion, coordination or conspiracy — the problem that drove the FBI’s preliminary case and later the particular counsel probe.

“I by no means noticed any direct empirical proof that the Trump marketing campaign or somebody in it was plotting/conspiring with the Russians to meddle with the election,” Clapper testified in 2017. “That’s to not say that there weren’t considerations in regards to the proof we have been seeing, anecdotal proof…. However I don’t recall any occasion the place I had direct proof.”

Lynch additionally mentioned she did “not recall that being briefed as much as me.”

“I am unable to say that it existed or not,” Lynch mentioned, referring to proof of collusion, conspiracy or coordination.

However Clapper and Lynch, after which Vice President Joe Biden, have been current within the Oval Workplace July 28, 2016, when Brennan briefed Obama and Comey on intelligence he’d obtained from certainly one of Clinton’s marketing campaign international coverage advisors “to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by the Russian safety service.” 

“We’re getting further perception into Russian actions from (REDACTED),” learn Brennan’s handwritten notes, completely obtained by Fox Information Digital in October 2020. “CITE (summarizing) alleged authorized by Hillary Clinton a proposal from certainly one of her international coverage advisers to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by the Russian safety service.”

In the meantime, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Energy, in accordance with the transcript of her interview to the Home Intelligence Committee, was requested whether or not she had or noticed any proof of collusion or conspiracy.

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Energy replied: “I’m not in possession of something — I’m not in possession and didn’t learn or take in info that got here from out of the intelligence neighborhood.”

When requested once more, she mentioned: “I’m not.”

Rice was requested the identical query.

“To one of the best of my recollection, there wasn’t something smoking, however there have been some issues that gave me pause,” she mentioned, in accordance with her transcribed interview, in response as to if she had any proof of conspiracy. “I don’t recall intelligence that I’d take into account proof to that impact that I noticed… conspiracy previous to my departure.”

When requested whether or not she had any proof of “coordination,” Rice replied: “I don’t recall any intelligence or proof to that impact.”

In the meantime, former FBI Deputy Director McCabe was not requested that particular query however somewhat questions in regards to the accuracy and legitimacy of the unverified anti-Trump file compiled by ex-British intelligence officer Christopher Steele.

McCabe was requested throughout his interview in 2017 what was probably the most “damning or necessary piece of proof within the file that” he “now is aware of is true.”

McCabe replied: “We’ve got not been capable of show the accuracy of all the knowledge.”

“You don’t know if it’s true or not?” a Home investigator requested, to which McCabe replied: “That is appropriate.”

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After Trump’s 2016 victory and through the presidential transition interval, Comey briefed Trump on the now-infamous anti-Trump file, containing salacious allegations of purported coordination between Trump and the Russian authorities. Brennan was current for that briefing, which passed off at Trump Tower in New York Metropolis in January 2017.

The file was authored by Steele. It was funded by Clinton’s presidential marketing campaign and the Democratic Nationwide Committee via the regulation agency Perkins Coie.

Robert Mueller, former particular counsel for the U.S. Division of Justice.  (The Related Press; Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg through Getty Photos; Mike Cohen/Getty Photos for The New York Instances)

However Brennan and Comey knew of intelligence suggesting Clinton, through the marketing campaign, was stirring up a plan to tie Trump to Russia, paperwork declare. It’s unclear whether or not the intelligence neighborhood, on the time, knew that the file was paid for by Clinton and the DNC.

The Obama-era officers have been mum on the brand new revelations, however a spokesman for Obama on Tuesday made a uncommon public assertion.

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“Out of respect for the workplace of the presidency, our workplace doesn’t usually dignify the fixed nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White Home with a response,” Obama spokesman Patrick Rodenbush mentioned in an announcement. “However these claims are outrageous sufficient to benefit one.” 

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“These weird allegations are ridiculous and a weak try at distraction,” Obama’s spokesman continued. “Nothing within the doc issued final week undercuts the extensively accepted conclusion that Russia labored to affect the 2016 presidential election however didn’t efficiently manipulate any votes.”

He added: “These findings have been affirmed in a 2020 report by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, led by then-Chairman Marco Rubio.”