Simon Ateba is Chief White House Correspondent for Today News Africa covering President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. government, UN, IMF, World Bank and other financial and international institutions in Washington and New York.
Special Counsel John Durham’s final report released on Monday portrays a deeply flawed FBI investigation into former President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and its alleged ties to Russia, casting a shadow of doubt over the integrity of the probe.
In the comprehensive 306-page report, Durham identified fundamental errors in the FBI’s investigation, notoriously known as “Operation Crossfire Hurricane.” He indicated that the investigation was initiated despite a lack of tangible proof of collusion.
Durham, who was assigned by then-Attorney General Bill Barr in spring 2019 to examine the controversial investigation, found no solid evidence to back allegations of collusion.
The Special Counsel was critical of both the FBI and Justice Department, highlighting their failure to adhere strictly to the law during the Trump-Russia probe. However, instead of proposing major reforms in the bureau, he emphasized the necessity for “a renewed fidelity to the old” rules.
As the probe’s intensity heightened under former FBI Director Robert Mueller’s supervision, Durham discovered investigators overlooked exonerating evidence. Additionally, they placed undue trust in information obtained from Trump’s political adversaries and executed surveillance without truly believing there was a valid cause for such actions.
Durham also noted that investigators acted without appropriate objectivity or restraint when dealing with contradictory facts and circumstances. These circumstances, which contested the theory of a conspiratorial relationship between Trump or his campaign and the Russian government, were either disregarded or dismissed.
Five Key Takeaways:
1-Special Counsel John Durham’s final report characterized the FBI’s investigation into former President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign as deeply flawed.
2-The investigation, known as “Operation Crossfire Hurricane,” was initiated despite a lack of tangible evidence of collusion.
3-Durham’s report criticized the FBI and Justice Department for not strictly adhering to the law during the Trump-Russia probe.
4-The report revealed that investigators overlooked exonerating evidence and placed undue trust in information from Trump’s political rivals.
5-The only individual to plead guilty during Durham’s four-year investigation was former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith, who admitted to falsifying documents to renew a surveillance warrant against Carter Page, a former Trump campaign aide.