Federal authorities are set to convene a grand jury to scrutinize Obama administration officials, according to a confidential source.
In the midst of ongoing political debates, a grand jury investigation is focused on allegations of intelligence manipulation by members of the Obama administration regarding Russia's interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Recently declassified documents and reports, released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) under Director Tulsi Gabbard, allege that then-President Obama and his national security team, including figures like John Brennan, James Clapper, and James Comey, manufactured and politicized intelligence to create a false narrative about Russian interference.
These revelations include a December 7, 2016, DNI talking point stating that foreign adversaries did not use cyberattacks on election infrastructure to change the election outcome. Additionally, a December 8, 2016, Presidential Daily Brief for Obama concluded no impact from Russian cyber activities on the election results, which was suppressed from release after a December 9 meeting involving Obama and top national security officials.
Following this meeting, DNI Clapper’s office reportedly instructed intelligence agencies to create a new intelligence community assessment, "per the President’s request," to detail Russian tools and actions allegedly used to influence the election. This led to the January 6, 2017, Intelligence Community Assessment widely cited in the Russia investigation.
Republican Senators Lindsey Graham and John Cornyn have called for a special counsel to investigate the Obama administration’s role in what they regard as a politically motivated "Russia collusion hoax."
Russia has denied any attempts to interfere in U.S. elections. However, an assessment by the U.S. intelligence community published in January 2017 concluded that Russia, using social media disinformation, hacking, and Russian bot farms, sought to damage Democrat Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign and bolster Trump.
The Justice Department is assessing claims made by Tulsi Gabbard about the alleged weaponization of the U.S. intelligence community, as part of the same investigation. A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment on the matter. Trump, in a post on Truth Social, expressed his support for the investigation, saying "The TRUTH always wins out. This is great news."
The assessment determined the actual impact was likely limited and showed no evidence that Moscow’s efforts actually changed voting outcomes. The Justice Department is forming a strike force to assess claims made by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard about the alleged weaponization of the U.S. intelligence community.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed federal prosecutors to launch a grand jury investigation into these allegations. Gabbard's claims are part of the allegations being investigated by the grand jury formed by Bondi. Democrats have called Gabbard's claims false and politically motivated.
The investigation into these allegations continues, with the grand jury considering an indictment if the Justice Department pursues a criminal case based on the evidence presented. The outcome of this investigation could have significant implications for the Obama administration and the intelligence community.
- The ongoing grand jury investigation into allegations of intelligence manipulation by members of the Obama administration, related to Russia's involvement in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, falls under the category of 'politics' and is a part of the broader 'policy-and-legislation' landscape.
- The 'community' of U.S. politics and intelligence, specifically the Obama administration and figures like John Brennan, James Clapper, and James Comey, are facing scrutiny due to accusations of manufacturing and politicizing intelligence to create a false narrative about Russian interference, as revealed in the recent investigation.
