US Attorney General Pam Bondi has activated an inquiry into allegations that Donald Trump's political opponents may have colluded to fabricate claims of his collusion with Russia during the 2016 presidential election campaign. This decision entails having prosecutors present relevant evidence to a grand jury composed of ordinary citizens who will assess whether formal charges should be brought, though specific charges or implicated parties remain uncertain.
Trump, who secured victory against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, has consistently decried what he views as politically motivated attacks regarding the "Russiagate" narrative. Recently, former US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard asserted that former President Barack Obama and his national security advisors had orchestrated a "years-long coup" against Trump, alleging mischaracterization of Russian interference intelligence to unjustly link Trump to Russian efforts. In response, Trump leveled accusations of "treason" toward Obama, with an Obama spokesperson labeling the claim as unfounded.
Despite these claims, Democratic leaders uphold that Gabbard's assertions do not contradict a unanimous US intelligence conclusion from January 2017 that Russia aimed to undermine Clinton's campaign and bolster Trump's electoral chances. A bipartisan Senate intelligence committee report from 2020 also corroborated that Russia sought to assist Trump's candidacy.
Further fueling the discussion, reports emerged from Fox News indicating that former CIA Director John Brennan and ex-FBI Director James Comey are currently under criminal investigation concerning the Trump-Russia probe. Both have refuted wrongdoing and further allege Trump is attempting to undermine the justice process. The shadow of the initial investigation loomed throughout Trump's presidency, as the subsequent Mueller report found no evidence linking Trump directly to Russian collusion or facing any related charges.
Debates surrounding Russiagate reignited last week following the declassification of an appendix from another Justice Department probe into the matter, led by Special Counsel John Durham. This appendix revealed a 29-page document stating that Hillary Clinton had supposedly sanctioned a plan to discredit Trump as a Russian asset. It included details of emails allegedly hacked by Russian intelligence, suggesting involvement from individuals connected to liberal financier George Soros.
One email, attributed to Leonard Benardo from the Open Society Foundations, discussed long-term strategies to criticize both Putin and Trump to amplify their political standing. While political smears are not illegal, Trump allies contend that this correspondence hints at possible collusion among federal investigators. However, Durham's findings disclosed no substantial evidence to support this theory.
Benardo stated he lacked clear memory of drafting the email, though he recognized certain phrases could align with his style. Durham's inquiry, which accompanied its main findings released in 2023, criticized the original FBI investigation for a lack of analytical precision and reliance on unverified intelligence. Although US officials confirmed Russian interference via social media manipulation and email hacking, the consensus indicated that its overall impact on the election results was minimal.
