John Durham's special report on the investigation into possible collusion between Russia and Donald Trump during the 2016 election revealed that the agency committed a "serious lack of analytical rigor."
After three years of investigation, the special prosecutor completed his report on the original FBI investigation into alleged Russian links in the 2016 election campaign of the former Republican president and revealed that neither the Department of Justice (DOJ) nor the FBI fulfilled their "mission of strict fidelity to the law."
This Monday, the more than 300-page document was released to the media, and it was revealed that "senior FBI personnel displayed a serious lack of analytical rigor towards the information that they received, especially information received from politically-affiliated persons and entities."
According to Durham's investigation, there was "significant reliance" on leads provided by the former president's political opponents, and the DOJ never questioned either the evidence or the motivations of those who provided the tips.
The prosecutor even highlighted the significant differences between how the FBI handled the investigation against Donald Trump compared to other sensitive investigations, such as those involving Hillary Clinton, Trump's 2016 election rival.
Report is "devastating to the FBI"
CNN anchor Jake Tapper opined on the report's revelations, noting that it is absolutely "devastating" for the federal agency. "Regardless, the report is now here, and it might not have produced everything of what some Republicans hoped for but it is, regardless, devastating to the FBI, and to a degree, it does exonerate Donald Trump," he said.
#WATCH | CNN reporter states that the Durham report is "devastating to the FBI"#Durham #Trump pic.twitter.com/C9mnasbucW
— VOZ (@Voz_US) May 15, 2023
Donald Trump reacts to the report
Following the media's release of the Durham report, former President Donald Trump opined that both Democrats and former FBI Director James Comey should be held accountable for investigating their alleged collusion with Russia.
"The American public have been victims of this long-running and treasonous charade started by the Democrats. There must be a heavy price to pay for putting our country through this. The national security implications of what they did are very grave," he commented.
Trump called Durham a "very thorough" investigator, which is why he considered the report's outcome "unequivocal" and demonstrates an "absolute disaster in terms of justice."
