Durham Report implies FBI may mistreat Trump campaign in 2024.

Is the FBI Playing Favorites?

New Revelations in Durham Report

The FBI’s handling of the Trump and Clinton investigations has come under scrutiny once again with the release of special counsel John Durham’s final report. Durham found that the bureau treated the two campaigns differently, favoring Clinton in several instances. For example, when the FBI learned that a foreign government planned to donate to the Clinton campaign in exchange for influence, the bureau opened an investigation but sat on an application for a warrant to surveil the foreign operative for four months. In contrast, when the Australian government provided a vague tip about a Trump campaign associate speaking about Russia’s offer to hand over Clinton’s emails, the FBI opened a full investigation and commenced surveillance activity without offering defensive briefings.

Little to Suggest Equal Treatment for Trump and Biden

With former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden both facing criminal inquiries while running for office in 2024, there is little to suggest that the FBI has any safeguards in place to ensure equal treatment. Given the bureau’s history of handling the Trump and Clinton investigations, it remains to be seen whether the FBI will afford Trump and Biden the same treatment.

Integrity is Key

The FBI has made dozens of corrective actions since the events Durham examined, but none appear designed to directly thwart the misfeasance before and after the 2016 election. Ultimately, the bureau’s ability to meet its responsibilities comes down to the integrity of the people who take an oath to follow the guidelines and policies currently in place. As the FBI’s letter in response to Durham’s report states, “The FBI is committed to that bedrock principle and to discharging our responsibilities objectively and free from political bias.”

New Examples of Divergent Treatment

Durham’s report also uncovered new examples of divergent treatment of Trump and Clinton. In one instance, the FBI received a tip that a foreign government insider was seeking to set up a meeting with Clinton in exchange for a potential donation to her campaign. The FBI permitted its source to continue interacting with the foreign government insider until the source made an illegal campaign contribution of $2,700 on behalf of the foreigner. The FBI appears to have never collected evidence of the illegal donation and instead warned the confidential source to stay away from Clinton campaign events.

What’s Next?

The FBI’s handling of the Trump and Clinton investigations raises questions about the bureau’s ability to prevent a repeat of 2016. As Durham’s report suggests, little can be done to prevent such a repeat if the people running the show don’t play by the rules they swore to follow. It remains to be seen whether the FBI will take steps to ensure equal treatment for Trump and Biden in the upcoming 2024 election.