Pam Bondi, the US Attorney General, has ordered a grand jury on the Russiagate scandal. This came after the criminal referral from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on this alleged conspiracy linking US President Trump to Russia. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has now opened an investigation into the matter.
Despite Bondi’s appeal to the unnamed federal prosecutor, the charges levied and the accused remain unclear in the Russian meddling in the 2016 Presidential election. While the DOJ has not made an official statement on the same, the evidence present could secure a possible arraignment. As per media reports, this referral is being taken “very seriously” and that there is a “clear cause for deep concern”.
Gabbard’s criminalising referral
Tulsi Gabbard shared during a press conference at the White House in July that “irrefutable evidence” had been uncovered, which alleged “gross politicisation and manipulation of intelligence by the Obama administration”. With contradictions unearthed from a memorandum present in the referral, it was revealed that intelligence showed that “Russian and criminal actors did not impact” the 2016 election via cyber attacks, thus triggering the call for an investigation.
Trump-Russia probe
As the evidence remains private, the revelations shed new light on Obama’s alleged involvement. However, the Obama administration had discarded such claims and called the document “nonsense”. It was reiterated that this was an effort to distract and was called baseless, bizarre, and outrageous.
Based on a report from Fox News, former CIA Director John Brennan and ex-FBI Director James Comey are under a criminal probe. But, they have both denied any wrongdoing and Trump’s effort to subvert the justice system.
The Russiagate debate was rehashed after an appendix to the DOJ led an investigation under John Durham which unearthed emails of a plan to smear Trump politically. While not illegal, if found to be true, could shake up Trump’s administration and hint at federal involvement in a coverup scheme.