FILE PHOTO: FBI headquarters building is seen in Washington, U.S., December 7, 2018 © REUTERS/Yuri Gripas
By Kit Klarenberg, an investigative journalist exploring the role of intelligence services in shaping politics and perceptions.
On January 15, the Senate Judiciary Committee declassified a number of interviews conducted over the course of 2020 with assorted officials conducted during its investigation of the origins and aftermath of Crossfire Hurricane, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) probe into potential collusion between Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and the Kremlin.
In an accompanying statement, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, Committee Chair, said the material furthered his contention that Crossfire Hurricane was “a massive system failure” on the part of senior FBI and Department of Justice (DOJ) officials, who were “either grossly incompetent or knowingly allowed tremendous misdeeds.”
“Crossfire Hurricane was one of the most incompetent and corrupt investigations in the history of the FBI and DOJ. The FISA [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] court was lied to. Exculpatory information was withheld on those being investigated,” he fulminated. “Investigators, with some notable exceptions, were incredibly biased and used the powers of law enforcement for political purposes. The subjects of the investigation had their lives turned upside down. At every turn, the FBI and DOJ ran stop signs that were in abundance regarding exculpatory information.”
Given what so many of the individuals quizzed by the Senate revealed under oath, Graham’s incendiary condemnations seem thoroughly warranted. One can only hope his view that the actions of the officials in question were “not representative of the dedicated, hardworking patriots who protect our nation every day” is correct.