The US Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into claims that national security officials participated in a conspiracy in late 2016 and early 2017 to link US President Donald Trump to Russia’s election interference and undermine his legitimacy, a person familiar with the matter said.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi directed prosecutors to use a grand jury to investigate claims made by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, said the person, who asked not to be named speaking about a confidential matter.
Gabbard last month claimed that officials working under former US president Barack Obama “manufactured and politicized intelligence to lay the groundwork for what was essentially a years-long coup against President Trump.”
Photo: Reuters
Gabbard made a criminal referral to the justice department to investigate the matter.
It was not immediately clear what specific actions are under investigation and whether prosecutors would use an existing grand jury or convene a new one. It also was not clear in which city and court the case would be presented.
The justice department declined to comment. Fox News reported earlier on the investigation.
Gabbard and her top aides released declassified documents they claim are evidence of an Obama administration conspiracy to subvert Trump’s 2016 victory and his presidency.
Two of the main points Gabbard’s office made is that Obama and his top aides misled the public when they issued an intelligence assessment in early 2017 saying there was high confidence that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help get Trump elected.
Her office also claims that Obama-era officials improperly included an unverified document as an annex to the assessment that made salacious claims about Trump.
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