OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Colorado Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert blasted “FBI corruption” and called for more accountability within government agencies following the Monday release of special counsel John Durham’s lengthy report regarding the origins of the ‘Russian collusion’ investigation into former President Donald Trump.
Durham’s report, spanning over 300 pages, was released on Monday afternoon following a four-year investigation into the origins of the FBI’s “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation.
The focus of this investigation was to determine if there was any coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election.
There wasn’t. In fact, according to Durham’s findings, the FBI never had a good reason to even pursue the probe, much less launch it in the first place.
“Based on the review of Crossfire Hurricane and related intelligence activities, we conclude that the Department and the FBI failed to uphold their mission of strict fidelity to the law in connection with certain events and activities described in this report,” the report said.
“The FBI corruption revealed by the Durham Report is unforgivable. The FBI must engage in serious structural reform, including firing deep state operatives,” Boebert tweeted Monday evening.
The FBI corruption revealed by the Durham Report is unforgivable.
The FBI must engage in serious structural reform, including firing deep state operatives.
— Rep. Lauren Boebert (@RepBoebert) May 16, 2023
Durham noted further that his investigation revealed “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.”
“This information in part triggered and sustained Crossfire Hurricane and contributed to the subsequent need for Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation,” the report said, per Fox News. “In particular, there was significant reliance on investigative leads provided or funded (directly or indirectly) by Trump’s political opponents.”
Several other Republicans also sounded off on the FBI and DOJ after the report was released, including the former president.
“I, and much more importantly, then American public have been victims of this long-running and treasonous charade started by the Democrats — started by Comey,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “There must be a heavy price to pay for putting our country through this.”
He went on to say that the activities surrounding the FBI’s original Trump-Russia investigation were “a total disgrace” and added that “public anger over this report is at a level that I have not seen before.”
“This report took a long time because John Durham is a very thorough investigator,” Trump said. “But the result is unequivocal and an absolute disaster in terms of justice.”
The 45th president and leading 2024 GOP candidate noted further that “the national security implications of what they did are very grave.”
“It turned out to be a giant and very dangerous hoax,” he said.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) said the report revealed the fact “that Obama’s FBI had zero actual evidence of collusion when they kicked off the political witch hunt of Donald Trump.”
“We have said this all along. Now there must be consequences,” Scalise noted further on Twitter.
🚨 BREAKING → The Durham Report reveals that Obama's FBI had zero actual evidence of collusion when they kicked off the political witch hunt of Donald Trump.
We have said this all along.
Now there must be consequences.
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) May 15, 2023
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) agreed, adding that she would try to hold those responsible for the unjustified probe “accountable.”
“The long-awaited Durham Report confirmed what the American people already know; that individuals at the highest levels of government attempted to overthrow democracy when they illegally weaponized the federal government against Donald J. Trump,” Stefanik said in a statement.
“This criminal abuse of power went all the way up to the Oval Office where President Obama and then Vice-President Joe Biden were in on it from the very beginning. This was an unlawful attempt by the politicized FBI and DOJ to meddle in our elections,” she added.
“This is what weaponized govt. looks like and why I seek to defund the FBI/DOJ. Imagine what else they are doing too,” Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) said.
