X Close

The Durham report is a total whitewash

Special Counsel John Durham, author of the report into Donald Trump's alleged Russian collusion. Credit: Getty

May 17, 2023 - 7:15pm

Early this week, Special Counsel John Durham released his much-anticipated report on the years-long investigation into alleged collusion between Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and the Russian Government. Slated to be another major milestone in the affair now known as Russiagate, the moment has been met — at least in the media — with a muted response. 

“After Years of Political Hype, the Durham Inquiry Failed to Deliver,” the New York Times declared in its headline. The Associated Press, while more even-handed, took a similar approach, noting that the inquiry merely supplied “fodder to Trump supporters” while, at the same time, offering proof that it was no more than a “politically motivated farce”.

Behind the media’s highly calibrated equivocation is the core tension at the heart of the inquiry. When former attorney general Bill Barr stipulated “a confidential report explaining the prosecution or declination decisions reached by the Special Counsel”, he gave the most narrow aspect of the inquiry greater weight than its broadest and gravest. The dying-fall headline of the report blotted out its explosive contents — to everyone’s benefit, save the American public. 

In this context, the resulting lack of a successful criminal prosecution led the inquiry to be declared, on its own narrowly defined terms, a “failure”. But the meat of the report provides a breathtaking look into how the FBI, along with parts of the Intelligence Community, not only violated but ran roughshod over well-established norms. As the report states: 

In light of the foregoing, there is a continuing need for the FBI and the Department to recognize that lack of analytical rigor, apparent confirmation bias, and an over-willingness to rely on information from individuals connected to political opponents caused investigators to fail to adequately consider alternative hypotheses and to act without appropriate objectivity or restraint in pursuing allegations of collusion or conspiracy between a U.S. political campaign and a foreign power.
- Durham report

This is the most powerful law enforcement agency on earth investigating an elected president on the thinnest of pretexts — and failing to maintain even basic standards of rigour, neutrality and investigatory scepticism. Such is the nature of the Durham report that selecting almost any section at random produces bombshell observations. 

By far the most alarming revelation of the report is buried on page 81. There, Durham explains the full significance of what he calls the Clinton Plan. As early as 2016, the CIA was in possession of intelligence that Hillary Clinton’s team “had approved a campaign plan to stir up a scandal against [Trump] by tying him to Putin and the Russians’ hacking of the Democratic National Committee.”

While this intelligence was declassified in 2020, what Durham shows is its significance — and the reaction to it by the FBI which, again, raises serious questions about the competence of its investigators. Specifically, the report found that the Clinton Plan intelligence was:

Highly relevant and exculpatory because it could be read in fuller context, and in combination with other facts, to suggest that materials such as the Steele Dossier reports and the Alfa-Bank allegations […] were part of a political effort to smear a political opponent and to use the resources of the federal government’s law enforcement and intelligence agencies in support of a political objective.
- Durham report

This was the smoking gun. And yet, despite this, according to Durham, “no FBI personnel who were interviewed by the Office recalled Crossfire Hurricane [the investigation into Trump by the FBI] personnel taking any action to vet the Clinton Plan intelligence.” 

Among the mainstream media, Jake Tapper was a lone voice in observing that the report provides a “devastating” appraisal of the FBI in what is likely its most consequential investigation in its history — whether a US president was corrupted by a foreign adversary. And even here Tapper blunted his observation, noting that the report “exonerated Trump”. But that framing once again places the onus on Trump — a figure who was seemingly presumed guilty — while sidestepping an agency which not only failed in its duty, but which also flouted the principles that undergird its very legitimacy.

In the end, the Durham report did not “fail to deliver,” as the New York Times would have it. It was a stunning success as the grand finale of a years-long effort to whitewash what might be the greatest scandal the American justice system has seen in decades, if not ever. With its remit so narrow and its bar set so high, the inquiry will invariably let everyone, from the FBI and DOJ to the Intelligence Community and of course the media, “officially” put Russiagate to bed. They could wash their hands of it. And so, it seems, they have.

Join the discussion


Join like minded readers that support our journalism by becoming a paid subscriber


To join the discussion in the comments, become a paid subscriber.

Join like minded readers that support our journalism, read unlimited articles and enjoy other subscriber-only benefits.

Subscribe
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

20 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
J Bryant
J Bryant
1 year ago

The problem is there’s already ample evidence (e.g., the Twitter files) to prove the politicization of government and law enforcement agencies, and collusion between those politicized agencies and the msm, mostly in the cause of left wing politics.
The evidence is there. The case has been made beyond a reasonable doubt. The Durham report is merely cumulative evidence.
And still the American population, as a whole, are as supine as stunned sheep. There is no political backlash. Why would the left, and their corporate backers, change their tactics?

J Hop
J Hop
1 year ago
Reply to  J Bryant

Yes, stunned sheep is true. I literally saw a guy arguing on a thread about this topic state, “Just because they were lying about it doesn’t mean it’s not true.” The amount of cognitive dissonance some people on the left must be living with is mind boggling.

Emmanuel MARTIN
Emmanuel MARTIN
1 year ago
Reply to  J Bryant

This
At this point, FBI should be dismantled, its leadership charged for treason, and people who has any role in these cases should be in jail. Forever.
Anyhting less is “letting the dems get away with it”.
Yet doing that means “risk of civil war”. So it wil not happen.
During the Watergate case, a free country prevailed as Republican leaders AND voters did not accept a spooky maneuver by one of their leaders. Yet Democrat and their leaders are fully OK with banana republic tactics as long as the guy is ont their side
RIP american democracy

Last edited 1 year ago by Emmanuel MARTIN
J Hop
J Hop
1 year ago
Reply to  J Bryant

Yes, stunned sheep is true. I literally saw a guy arguing on a thread about this topic state, “Just because they were lying about it doesn’t mean it’s not true.” The amount of cognitive dissonance some people on the left must be living with is mind boggling.

Emmanuel MARTIN
Emmanuel MARTIN
1 year ago
Reply to  J Bryant

This
At this point, FBI should be dismantled, its leadership charged for treason, and people who has any role in these cases should be in jail. Forever.
Anyhting less is “letting the dems get away with it”.
Yet doing that means “risk of civil war”. So it wil not happen.
During the Watergate case, a free country prevailed as Republican leaders AND voters did not accept a spooky maneuver by one of their leaders. Yet Democrat and their leaders are fully OK with banana republic tactics as long as the guy is ont their side
RIP american democracy

Last edited 1 year ago by Emmanuel MARTIN
J Bryant
J Bryant
1 year ago

The problem is there’s already ample evidence (e.g., the Twitter files) to prove the politicization of government and law enforcement agencies, and collusion between those politicized agencies and the msm, mostly in the cause of left wing politics.
The evidence is there. The case has been made beyond a reasonable doubt. The Durham report is merely cumulative evidence.
And still the American population, as a whole, are as supine as stunned sheep. There is no political backlash. Why would the left, and their corporate backers, change their tactics?

Jim Veenbaas
Jim Veenbaas
1 year ago

From what I understand, any official potentially prosecuted in this investigation, would have to go through a Washington court. What are the odds of a conviction? It’s probably not worth the effort.

Anyone not blinded by the regime media and the Democrats, or anyone who doesn’t have TDS, knows what’s happening. We knew it before this report. We know it now.

Michael Coleman
Michael Coleman
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim Veenbaas

So true. Leftist talking heads point to the Sussman and Danchenko acquittals as proof of Durham’s incorrectness when in fact the acquittals were due to the facts that a) the defense successfully showed the lies of these 2 individuals were not “material” as FBI higher ups were always aware of the lies and b) it is impossible to form a DC area jury without including hard-core Democrat partisans

Jim Veenbaas
Jim Veenbaas
1 year ago

I think it voted 95% Democrat. Wonder if that’s a problem?

Jim Veenbaas
Jim Veenbaas
1 year ago

I think it voted 95% Democrat. Wonder if that’s a problem?

Michael Coleman
Michael Coleman
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim Veenbaas

So true. Leftist talking heads point to the Sussman and Danchenko acquittals as proof of Durham’s incorrectness when in fact the acquittals were due to the facts that a) the defense successfully showed the lies of these 2 individuals were not “material” as FBI higher ups were always aware of the lies and b) it is impossible to form a DC area jury without including hard-core Democrat partisans

Jim Veenbaas
Jim Veenbaas
1 year ago

From what I understand, any official potentially prosecuted in this investigation, would have to go through a Washington court. What are the odds of a conviction? It’s probably not worth the effort.

Anyone not blinded by the regime media and the Democrats, or anyone who doesn’t have TDS, knows what’s happening. We knew it before this report. We know it now.

Lesley van Reenen
Lesley van Reenen
1 year ago

I found this shocking and still the story is largely buried.

Lesley van Reenen
Lesley van Reenen
1 year ago

I found this shocking and still the story is largely buried.

N T
N T
1 year ago

The report isn’t the end.
Now there will be
* numerous House hearings on the matter, complete with subpoenas of various officials, threats, and Contempt of Congress citations which will be forwarded to DOJ in 2025 (where they will die). The DOJ’s inaction in response to said citations will be used as proof that Biden is corrupt, and as raw meat for Trump’s campaign.
* a movement in the House to defund the FBI, NSA, CIA, IRS (because political hay), etc., certainly as part of budget negotiations.
* depending on the results of the 2024 Federal elections, massive retasking of agencies to pursue and destroy individuals involved in this scandal.

Last edited 1 year ago by mikeynospam
N T
N T
1 year ago

The report isn’t the end.
Now there will be
* numerous House hearings on the matter, complete with subpoenas of various officials, threats, and Contempt of Congress citations which will be forwarded to DOJ in 2025 (where they will die). The DOJ’s inaction in response to said citations will be used as proof that Biden is corrupt, and as raw meat for Trump’s campaign.
* a movement in the House to defund the FBI, NSA, CIA, IRS (because political hay), etc., certainly as part of budget negotiations.
* depending on the results of the 2024 Federal elections, massive retasking of agencies to pursue and destroy individuals involved in this scandal.

Last edited 1 year ago by mikeynospam
Su Mac
Su Mac
1 year ago

They did election manipulation so well they did it again in 2020…

Su Mac
Su Mac
1 year ago

They did election manipulation so well they did it again in 2020…

Graff von Frankenheim
Graff von Frankenheim
1 year ago

Like the Horowitz Report, Durham couldn’t find breaches of law to indict anyone on. Only breaches of professional standards, which might lead to disciplinary action. However, the worst players have already left the scene, And lack of neutrality is so endemic in the Swamp, that it hardly serves as a complaint…it’s more a diagnosis.

Graff von Frankenheim
Graff von Frankenheim
1 year ago

Like the Horowitz Report, Durham couldn’t find breaches of law to indict anyone on. Only breaches of professional standards, which might lead to disciplinary action. However, the worst players have already left the scene, And lack of neutrality is so endemic in the Swamp, that it hardly serves as a complaint…it’s more a diagnosis.

Ethniciodo Rodenydo
Ethniciodo Rodenydo
1 year ago

OK who now say the 2020 election was not rigged?

Ethniciodo Rodenydo
Ethniciodo Rodenydo
1 year ago

OK who now say the 2020 election was not rigged?

Tom Blanton
Tom Blanton
1 year ago

Meanwhile, it is becoming clearer every day that the sitting US president and his family have been in the pay of the Chinese Communist Party all along. Something hardly discussed in the legacy press.

Tom Blanton
Tom Blanton
1 year ago

Meanwhile, it is becoming clearer every day that the sitting US president and his family have been in the pay of the Chinese Communist Party all along. Something hardly discussed in the legacy press.

Nicky Samengo-Turner
Nicky Samengo-Turner
1 year ago

Trump could not even find Russia on a map…

Nicky Samengo-Turner
Nicky Samengo-Turner
1 year ago

Trump could not even find Russia on a map…

Rasmus Fogh
Rasmus Fogh
1 year ago

This report does have to be taken seriously. It seems to be the first time that a serious person not suffering from TIS (Trump Infatuation Syndrome) has this kind of criticism of the Russiagate story. At the very least it reminds us that both sides in US politics make extensive use of dirty tricks. And the Russiagate investigation may well have been done badly and with bias.

The TIS side does have a big problem, though. It is accepted fact that Russian intelligence *did* hack Democratic emails, and *did* publish the results, and therefore that the Russia *did* actively work to distort the democratic election and make Trump president. (If you do not agree, just tell us: Who hacked and published those emails?). And Trump openly welcomed them and encouraged them to continue. Surely this warranted an investigation? Or is accepting help from the FSB one of those normal all-American things that every US politician has the right to do undisturbed?

Vote me down – if you do not have any arguments.

Last edited 1 year ago by Rasmus Fogh
Simon Bonini
Simon Bonini
1 year ago
Reply to  Rasmus Fogh

Indeed, the investigation known as Russiagate did yield fruit, lots of it. Some of the original evidence used to kick it off was flawed. This is troubling as others have said – personally I doubt the FBI, CIA and NSA has a left wing bias – much more likely the other way. There is an issue here but let’s remember that the initial evidence for an investigating a possible crime is just a starting point and if it proves there is no crime then it ends. The not very good evidence did lead to something.

Last edited 1 year ago by Simon Bonini
John Pade
John Pade
1 year ago
Reply to  Rasmus Fogh

Russia tried to hack Republican e-mail servers but couldn’t.
Congress determined Russia’s goal was to sow doubt and confusion among voters before the 2016 election. They were not found to have favored one side or the other.
Trump’s welcoming and encouragement consisted of a quip at a rally where he said he’d like to know what other information Russia had found on Secretary Clinton. There was no campaign/Russia coordination of even communication.
Durham’s report also describes several instances where DOJ declined to investigate Clinton campaign irregularities despite their having corroborated evidence of them, while every investigation it launched of the Trump campaign had no such evidence.

Rasmus Fogh
Rasmus Fogh
1 year ago
Reply to  John Pade

Congress determined“. Have you got a link? Before I would trust that finding I would like to know how many Democrats agreed with it.

As for the quip, you cannot as a presidential candidate go around sayng that you want to put your oppponent in jail (‘Lock her up!’), that you welcome foreign inteligence agency help in beating your opponents, that you won but the election was stolen from you, or that your supporters should go to the Capitol and fight – and then say afterwards that it does not matter because you did not really mean it.

Yana Way
Yana Way
1 year ago
Reply to  Rasmus Fogh

Did you read the Durham Report? It honestly does not sound like it. Hard to quibble with pages of documented facts. Documented facts are not mere partisan jibber jabber. Dismissing it as such shows your own unwillingness to consider beyond your partisan viewpoint.

John Pade
John Pade
1 year ago
Reply to  Rasmus Fogh

Have you heard President BIden’s recent address at Howard University? Or his frequent description of opponents as enemies of democracy? At least this president is not adverse to incendiary language.
It was also distressing to read that Jim Comey, during an MSNBC interview, lamented that he would have to talk about a candidate for president engaging in water sports with a prostitute when he knew before the interview that the story was false.

Yana Way
Yana Way
1 year ago
Reply to  Rasmus Fogh

Did you read the Durham Report? It honestly does not sound like it. Hard to quibble with pages of documented facts. Documented facts are not mere partisan jibber jabber. Dismissing it as such shows your own unwillingness to consider beyond your partisan viewpoint.

John Pade
John Pade
1 year ago
Reply to  Rasmus Fogh

Have you heard President BIden’s recent address at Howard University? Or his frequent description of opponents as enemies of democracy? At least this president is not adverse to incendiary language.
It was also distressing to read that Jim Comey, during an MSNBC interview, lamented that he would have to talk about a candidate for president engaging in water sports with a prostitute when he knew before the interview that the story was false.

Rasmus Fogh
Rasmus Fogh
1 year ago
Reply to  John Pade

Congress determined“. Have you got a link? Before I would trust that finding I would like to know how many Democrats agreed with it.

As for the quip, you cannot as a presidential candidate go around sayng that you want to put your oppponent in jail (‘Lock her up!’), that you welcome foreign inteligence agency help in beating your opponents, that you won but the election was stolen from you, or that your supporters should go to the Capitol and fight – and then say afterwards that it does not matter because you did not really mean it.

Andrew F
Andrew F
1 year ago
Reply to  Rasmus Fogh

How do we know it was Russia and not China or North Korea or even Israel since Trump was more to their liking?
Main difference from foreign actors is that part of the state apparatus was engaged in investigation of one presidential candidate for the benefit of another while knowing that the basis of the investigation is dossier commissioned by Trump opponents.
This strikes me as more sinister than action of foreign countries.

Simon Bonini
Simon Bonini
1 year ago
Reply to  Rasmus Fogh

Indeed, the investigation known as Russiagate did yield fruit, lots of it. Some of the original evidence used to kick it off was flawed. This is troubling as others have said – personally I doubt the FBI, CIA and NSA has a left wing bias – much more likely the other way. There is an issue here but let’s remember that the initial evidence for an investigating a possible crime is just a starting point and if it proves there is no crime then it ends. The not very good evidence did lead to something.

Last edited 1 year ago by Simon Bonini
John Pade
John Pade
1 year ago
Reply to  Rasmus Fogh

Russia tried to hack Republican e-mail servers but couldn’t.
Congress determined Russia’s goal was to sow doubt and confusion among voters before the 2016 election. They were not found to have favored one side or the other.
Trump’s welcoming and encouragement consisted of a quip at a rally where he said he’d like to know what other information Russia had found on Secretary Clinton. There was no campaign/Russia coordination of even communication.
Durham’s report also describes several instances where DOJ declined to investigate Clinton campaign irregularities despite their having corroborated evidence of them, while every investigation it launched of the Trump campaign had no such evidence.

Andrew F
Andrew F
1 year ago
Reply to  Rasmus Fogh

How do we know it was Russia and not China or North Korea or even Israel since Trump was more to their liking?
Main difference from foreign actors is that part of the state apparatus was engaged in investigation of one presidential candidate for the benefit of another while knowing that the basis of the investigation is dossier commissioned by Trump opponents.
This strikes me as more sinister than action of foreign countries.

Rasmus Fogh
Rasmus Fogh
1 year ago

This report does have to be taken seriously. It seems to be the first time that a serious person not suffering from TIS (Trump Infatuation Syndrome) has this kind of criticism of the Russiagate story. At the very least it reminds us that both sides in US politics make extensive use of dirty tricks. And the Russiagate investigation may well have been done badly and with bias.

The TIS side does have a big problem, though. It is accepted fact that Russian intelligence *did* hack Democratic emails, and *did* publish the results, and therefore that the Russia *did* actively work to distort the democratic election and make Trump president. (If you do not agree, just tell us: Who hacked and published those emails?). And Trump openly welcomed them and encouraged them to continue. Surely this warranted an investigation? Or is accepting help from the FSB one of those normal all-American things that every US politician has the right to do undisturbed?

Vote me down – if you do not have any arguments.

Last edited 1 year ago by Rasmus Fogh