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Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

(107,666 posts)
Thu Jun 2, 2022, 12:44 AM Jun 2022

John Durham's probe of the Trump investigations has flopped

Special counsel John Durham has been trying for three years to prove wrongdoing on the part of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign, the FBI or other government officials in their handling of accusations that then-candidate Donald Trump had nefarious ties to Russia. In court, Mr. Durham’s staff has alleged that there was a “plan” to create an “October surprise” that would kneecap the Republican presidential nominee. His assertions have fueled endless right-wing commentary claiming that the FBI’s investigation of Mr. Trump’s Russia connections was illegitimately predicated, despite compelling evidence and outside investigations showing it was warranted. From its onset, the basis for Mr. Durham’s probe was fallacious.

Now, the special counsel’s most prominent prosecution — of former Clinton attorney Michael A. Sussmann, whom Mr. Durham accused of lying to the FBI — has failed. It took a federal jury only six hours to acquit Mr. Sussmann on Tuesday. “I don’t think it should have been prosecuted,” the jury forewoman told The Post, declaring that the government “could have spent our time more wisely.” Perhaps Mr. Durham’s other prosecution, of Igor Danchenko, a source for a salacious 2016 dossier on Mr. Trump, will end in a conviction. Indeed, Mr. Danchenko’s indictment has already led news organizations such as The Post to backtrack on some previous reporting about the dossier. But these matters are tangential to the broader purpose and effect of Mr. Durham’s probe, which has primarily enabled right-wing agitators to erode trust in the FBI for political gain.

Michael E. Horowitz, the Justice Department’s inspector general, has already demolished the claim that the FBI’s Trump-Russia investigation was wrongfully predicated. After an exhaustive look, “the inspector general did not find political bias or improper motivations impacting the opening of the investigation or the decision to use certain investigative tools,” FBI Director Christopher A. Wray said at the time. “The investigation was opened with appropriate predication and authorization.”

Though Mr. Durham attacked the inspector general for his conclusion — a shocking move that tarnished his professional reputation — he has so far provided no persuasive rebuttal to these findings. That is because there is none. Mr. Trump’s own 2016 campaign manager had ties to Russians close to the regime of Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin clearly sought to help Mr. Trump win the election. Mr. Trump himself publicly asked Russia to hack Ms. Clinton’s emails and displayed bizarre affection for Russian strongman Vladimir Putin. These and many other facts justified the FBI’s Russia investigation. Meanwhile, the FBI did nothing to create an “October surprise” to hurt Mr. Trump; it was only after the election that key details about the Russia investigation emerged publicly.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/06/01/durham-investigation-trump-clinton-failed/

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John Durham's probe of the Trump investigations has flopped (Original Post) Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Jun 2022 OP
thanks. good summary. The GOP has a great fondness for stopdiggin Jun 2022 #1
Not according to what I've read TlalocW Jun 2022 #2
they knew this was false just like the bullshit Big Lie Skittles Jun 2022 #3
Exactly. poli-junkie Jun 2022 #4

stopdiggin

(11,234 posts)
1. thanks. good summary. The GOP has a great fondness for
Thu Jun 2, 2022, 12:55 AM
Jun 2022

a certain term .... ? Oh, yes ... "Witchhunt !!"

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TlalocW

(15,371 posts)
2. Not according to what I've read
Thu Jun 2, 2022, 01:08 AM
Jun 2022

Durham had no chance with the Obama-appointed judge and the liberal jurors, and he knew going in he was going to fail, but now he's got everything on record, and he's playing 5-D chess, and Hillary is going down!



TlalocW

Skittles

(153,103 posts)
3. they knew this was false just like the bullshit Big Lie
Thu Jun 2, 2022, 01:15 AM
Jun 2022

they don't care how much tax money they spend, it's all performance for the CULT

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