Republicans have a lot of questions now.
Two prominent Republican senators are seeking clarification from special counsel John Durham regarding individuals involved in the Crossfire Hurricane investigation who declined to cooperate with his inquiry. They are also interested in knowing whether Durham made any efforts to subpoena these individuals.
These Republicans are beginning to ask Durham why he did not prosecute when they were such important figures in his investigation and why he let them off the hook so easily.
According to the Washington Examiner, Republican Senators Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson recently sent a letter to special counsel John Durham, which was obtained by the Washington Examiner, expressing their concerns and urging him for clarifications regarding his investigation of the Trump-Russia investigators. In the letter, they noted that it appears unusual for individuals to evade full cooperation with Durham’s office, especially considering his authority to compel testimony and access records.
The letter from GOP senators highlighted the fact that several significant individuals, such as James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, Bill Priestap, Kevin Clinesmith, and Glenn Simpson, either did not fully cooperate or did not cooperate at all with special counsel John Durham’s investigation. These individuals were mentioned as noteworthy figures who were implicated in the letter.
In special counsel John Durham’s extensive and significant report, it was concluded that the FBI lacked a valid justification to initiate the contentious 2016 election inquiry, which subsequently evolved into special counsel Robert Mueller’s wide-ranging investigation. The report further disclosed that there was no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. It shed light on the connections between Russian sources and the discredited dossier compiled by British ex-spy Christopher Steele. Additionally, the report concluded that Hillary Clinton’s campaign contributed to disseminating collusion allegations to the media and the FBI. This report’s findings were described as “sobering” due to their implications.
In their communication with special counsel John Durham, Senators Grassley and Johnson acknowledged that they had observed a significant number of former high-level government officials directly linked to the Crossfire Hurricane investigation who either refused or partially refused to cooperate with Durham’s inquiry. They specifically highlighted that certain personnel within the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division declined to cooperate with the review. They further noted that FBI leadership intervened and encouraged these individuals to consent to interviews with Durham.
The senators conveyed to special counsel John Durham their expectation for additional information regarding the refusal to cooperate by certain individuals and the eventual resolution of that matter.
Grassley and Johnson pointed out a significant contrast between the investigative approaches of Robert Mueller’s office and the Durham investigation. They highlighted that Mueller’s office issued over 2,800 subpoenas and executed nearly 500 search-and-seizure warrants during their investigation. In contrast, the Durham investigation served more than 190 subpoenas and executed seven search warrants. The senators underscored this difference to emphasize the varying levels of investigative activity and scope between the two investigations.
In their inquiry to special counsel John Durham, Senators Grassley and Johnson requested comprehensive information regarding James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, Bill Priestap, Kevin Clinesmith, and Glenn Simpson. They specifically sought details on whether Durham had issued subpoenas to any of these individuals and, if not, the reasoning behind that decision. Additionally, they requested information about the content, timing, and recipients of any subpoenas issued. The senators also sought specifics on how each of the mentioned individuals declined to cooperate. They set a deadline of the end of May to receive this requested information.
Why did John Durham go so easy on these specific individuals who were at the center of this major investigation? Hopefully we find out soon enough.