House GOP Calls on Trump-Era Special Counsel for Testimony on Russia Probe

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As Donald Trump faces a federal indictment consisting of 37 counts and the potential for a lengthy prison sentence if found guilty, House Republicans are seizing the opportunity to criticize federal law enforcement, citing political bias, with the help of a special counsel’s report.

John Durham, who recently concluded his investigation into the FBI’s inquiry into Trump’s 2016 campaign, will appear before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. This comes after a closed-door meeting with members of the House Intelligence Committee.

Despite securing only three prosecutions, with two resulting in acquittals, during his four-year investigation, Durham’s report shed light on FBI agents withholding crucial information from judges and argued that the bureau disregarded valid reasons for not investigating Trump’s campaign.

House Republicans, who hold the majority, maintain their frustration over the 2016 campaign probe known as “Crossfire Hurricane” and plan to use this as leverage to impose new restrictions on the FBI in exchange for renewing expiring surveillance powers under Section 702. However, many Democrats also support implementing new rules regarding the FBI’s access to foreign surveillance data when it concerns U.S. citizens and companies.

The GOP’s resentment toward the Justice Department intensified with the recent news that Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden’s son, is likely to avoid jail time through a plea deal related to tax and gun allegations. Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, the Judiciary Committee’s chair, expressed his frustration on Twitter, emphasizing the “double standard of justice.”

During the hearing, Jordan attempted to draw a connection between the Russia investigation and Trump’s indictment for mishandling classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate, insinuating that both cases were driven by a desire to target Trump.

John Durham was appointed by former Attorney General William Barr to examine the origins of the investigation into possible ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 campaign. Durham concluded that the FBI acted hastily and without sufficient justification in initiating a full investigation. He also argued that the bureau exercised more caution when handling allegations regarding former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s mishandling of classified information on her private email server.

Additionally, Durham highlighted the FBI’s reliance on the Steele dossier in its application to the U.S. surveillance court, despite failing to corroborate any significant allegations within it. The dossier was partly funded by the Clinton campaign, which agreed to pay a fine for misreporting campaign spending on research.

The Durham report resulted in only one conviction through a guilty plea from a relatively unknown FBI employee, while the other two cases ended in acquittals.

It is important to note that although Durham accused the FBI of confirmation bias, he did not assert that political bias or partisanship influenced the bureau’s actions.

Furthermore, the FBI faces bipartisan criticism regarding its handling of electronically collected intelligence under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which enables spy agencies to gather foreign communications data for investigative purposes.

A recently declassified surveillance court opinion revealed that the FBI conducted numerous unsupported searches involving American citizens, including those related to the January 6 insurrection and the 2020 protests following George Floyd’s killing.

Prior to Durham’s meeting with the Intelligence Committee, Representative Mike Turner, the committee’s chairman, accused the FBI of going astray and damaging the credibility of the justice system.

Turner emphasized the need to revise rules and laws to prevent such misuse of mechanisms in the future, stating that they should not harm the American public.

Representative Jim Himes, the committee’s top Democrat, clarified that the meeting was not politically motivated and that questions were asked based on members’ concerns and affiliations.

FBI Director Chris Wray has acknowledged errors in the handling of the Trump-Russia probe. In a statement, the bureau confirmed implementing corrective actions to ensure the FBI

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More about Trump-era special counsel

• House Republicans Seek Testimony from Trump-Era Special Counsel
• John Durham Completes Investigation into FBI’s Handling of Trump Campaign Probe
• House Judiciary Committee to Hear Testimony on FBI’s Actions During 2016 Campaign
• Section 702 Surveillance Powers and Renewal Debate
• Hunter Biden Plea Deal Raises Questions and Controversy
• Key Findings of John Durham’s Report on Russia Probe