A US Attorney General has ordered a probe into claims Obama-era officials manipulated Russia intel to undermine Trump’s 2016 campaign.
A US Attorney General has ordered a probe into claims Obama-era officials manipulated Russia intel to undermine Trump’s 2016 campaign.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi has instructed federal prosecutors to convene a grand jury to investigate claims that officials in former President Barack Obama’s administration manipulated intelligence regarding Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 US presidential election, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The move comes amid heightened partisan tensions over the origins of the Russia probe that shadowed much of Republican President Donald Trump’s time in office. The Justice Department last month announced the formation of a strike force to evaluate assertions made by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who accused members of the intelligence community of politically motivated misconduct.
Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman, declassified documents she claims support allegations of a “treasonous conspiracy” among senior Obama officials to damage Trump’s 2016 campaign. While Democrats have dismissed her claims as baseless and politically charged, Republicans — including Trump — have seized on them to renew criticisms of the Russia investigation.
Trump, who defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, praised the grand jury development in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social: “The TRUTH always wins out. This is great news.”
Fox News first reported that Bondi had personally directed a federal prosecutor — whose identity has not been disclosed — to begin presenting evidence to a grand jury. If sufficient cause is found, the panel could recommend criminal charges. The Department of Justice declined to comment on the report.
Last month, Trump escalated his attacks, accusing Obama of “treason” for allegedly orchestrating efforts to link him to Russia — a charge he did not substantiate with evidence. An Obama spokesperson swiftly rebuked the accusations, calling them “bizarre” and “a weak attempt at distraction.”
The controversy stems from a 2017 intelligence assessment which concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to hurt Clinton’s campaign and aid Trump’s. The report cited social media disinformation, email hacking, and online bot activity linked to Moscow. However, the assessment also noted that while Russia’s actions aimed to influence public opinion, there was no conclusive evidence that voting outcomes were altered.
Russia has repeatedly denied any involvement in US elections.
The new grand jury investigation marks a significant legal and political turn, potentially setting the stage for fresh debate over one of the most divisive episodes in modern American politics.
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