DOJ Requests DNI Docs Following Russiagate Criminal Referral

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has sent the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) a request for a treasure trove of documents related to the ongoing federal investigation into the Obama administration’s Russiagate operation, The Federalist has learned. According to a letter to ODNI senior adviser Paul McNamara, which was obtained by The Federalist, the DOJ has requested from ODNI a wide array of documents about the Obama administration’s 2016 and 2017 attempts to frame then-President-elect Donald Trump as an agent of Russia who stole the 2016 election from Hillary Clinton.

The request comes on the heels of the declassification and public release of records from late 2016 and 2017 which show how top intelligence and law enforcement officials — including former FBI Director James Comey, former CIA Director John Brennan, and former DNI James Clapper — conspired to fabricate a narrative that Russia meddled in the 2016 election in order to elect Trump. The declassified records showed that top intelligence experts objected to the narrative, highlighted myriad issues with the so-called intelligence used to support false claims about Trump, and even told Brennan that he was misrepresenting facts and ignoring counter-evidence as part of a push to attack Trump, cripple his transition, and even hijack his presidency.

Fox News reported on Monday that the DOJ had authorized the empaneling of a federal grand jury to investigate whether Comey, Brennan, or other top Obama administration officials committed any crimes as part of their operation to use the nation’s top intelligence and law enforcement agencies to smear Trump.

The DOJ letter from a federal prosecutor, which was sent in response to a request from Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard for the DOJ to investigate any potential criminal wrongdoing related to the production of the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) that claimed without evidence that Russia sought to elect Trump in 2016, asks for 12 different categories of documents related to Gabbard’s criminal referral.

“Pursuant to the authority and director of the United States Attorney General, I have been assigned responsibility for investigating this criminal referral,” the letter states.

In addition to requesting all documents, intelligence, and correspondence related to Gabbard’s memo exposing the conspiracy to fabricate and mischaracterize intelligence for the purpose of smearing Trump, the DOJ letter also requests all records supporting the recently declassified oversight report from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), all information related to whistleblower complaints about Brennan, Clapper, or Comey’s attempts to manipulate the process, and the identification of “all persons cited in” Gabbard’s memo, the HPSCI oversight report, related whistleblower records, and the ICA itself.

The DOJ letter also requests any and all records related to the handling by the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community inspectors general of any whistleblower complaints related to the misuse or fabrication of intelligence related to the ICA.

The text of the letter also suggests that the DOJ may be looking into whether any media leaks related to the ICA may have been criminal. The letter specifically requested “[a]ll records concerning any investigations into the leaks cited” in Gabbard’s July 18 memo.

“I will also contact your office separately to discuss a physical review of certain relevant materials at your facilities as well as coordinate interviews with relevant persons,” the federal prosecutor states in the letter. “We would appreciate a timely and expedient response to our request and appreciate your cooperation with our investigation.”

Combined with the authorized empaneling of a federal grand jury to investigate the Russia collusion hoax, the DOJ’s apparent pursuit of Gabbard’s criminal referral suggests that the DOJ is aggressively pursuing options to hold accountable any federal officials, and potentially non-governmental accomplices to their conspiracy, for their actions following Trump’s 2016 election and 2017 inauguration.

On July 23, DOJ official formed a “strike force” to examine and and potentially prosecute any crimes that may have been committed in the course of the post-2016 election operation against Trump and his presidential transition and administration. In a press release announcing its strike force, DOJ said its goal was to “assess the evidence publicized by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and investigate potential next legal steps which might stem from DNI Gabbard’s disclosures.” DOJ’s website notes that a formal strike force “consists of interagency teams made up of investigators and prosecutors that focus on the worst offenders engaged in fraudulent activities[.]” The strike force model arose from a 1954 law that gave federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies greater authority to investigate and prosecuted organized crime and racketeering activities across the country.

Sean Davis is CEO and co-founder of The Federalist. He previously worked as an economic policy adviser to Gov. Rick Perry, as CFO of Daily Caller, and as chief investigator for Sen. Tom Coburn. He was named by The Hill as one of the top congressional staffers under the age of 35 for his role in spearheading the enactment of the law that created USASpending.gov. Sean received a BBA in finance from Texas Tech University and an MBA in finance and entrepreneurial management from the Wharton School. He can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].