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The Durham Report Is No Exoneration of Trump's Actions When It Comes to Russia

  

Category:  News & Politics

Via:  jbb  •  11 months ago  •  29 comments

By:   Jason Nichols (Newsweek)

The Durham Report Is No Exoneration of Trump's Actions When It Comes to Russia
Trump's wrongdoing may not have risen to the level of secret collusion, but that's far from an exoneration. His crimes on this front have always been public.

S E E D E D   C O N T E N T


For the past several years, the MAGA faction of the reactionary Right has waited with bated breath for the results of an investigation by Special Counsel John Durham into the FBI's probe of former President Trump's ties to Russia. To hear the Right tell it, the Durham Report was going to expose the "Deep State," how it had it in for Donald Trump and undermined our free and fair elections, and the report would lead to countless criminal prosecutions, we were promised.

Instead, the report, which came out this week, turns out to be a 300-page demerit for the FBI for not thoroughly vetting information with sufficient "analytical rigor."

That's it.

The report's underwhelming nature was certainly not for lack of trying. Previously, Durham tried his hand at prosecuting alleged offenders, but his efforts yielded a single guilty plea, from Kevin Clinesmith, a low level FBI lawyer. Clinesmith was sentenced to one year of probation and 400 hours of community service for altering an email to an FBI agent and downplaying Trump campaign advisor Carter Page's past relationship with the CIA. Meanwhile, the two times the Special Counsel went to court, he lost; both Igor Danchencko and Michael Sussman were charged by Durham with lying to the FBI, and both were found not guilty.

As for the four-year long investigation, carried out at taxpayer expense, it did not produce any significant new information. The flaws of the Steele Dossier, which was used to procure a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court warrant, have been known for quite some time. Other criticisms of the FBI in the report just repeat the findings of a 2019 Inspector General report, which also criticized the Trump-Russia probe, and in response to which the FBI has already implemented changes.

In fact, even Durham acknowledges that the FBI didhave enough information to launch a preliminary review of Trump's ties to Russia. Those findings are consistent with the Mueller Report, which did not specifically conclude that Trump collaborated with Russians but did show several links between Trump's campaign and Russia. Durham also acknowledges that it was known that Russia hacked the Democratic National Committee's servers, and that Trump publicly asked Russia to produce emails by his opponent in the 2016 election, Secretary of State and Democratic Presidential Nominee Hillary Clinton, thinking they would be politically damaging.

That's why the report doesn't clear Trump. The former President's actions may not have risen to the level of secret collusion, but only because his words were stated in public, making it a hazy First Amendment issue.

In other words, the report was a dud, fodder for Right wing blogs and cable news channels, but nothing of true national interest. It amounts to a strongly worded negative performance review.

Still, expect Trumpian TV pundits and the former President himself to make a mountain out of this molehill. Congressman and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan has already promised to use Durham's report to show that the government is being weaponized against Trump and his allies. Jordan has tried many stunts to get his weaponization claims to take hold outside Donald Trump's strongest circles of support, though thus far, they've all fallen flat due to lack of solid evidence.

Unfortunately for Jordan, Durham's report isn't likely to change that.

Indeed, while the Right claims that the Biden Administration and DOJ brass have been interfering in investigations, the real headline here is that they have not: Durham specifically thanked Attorney General Merrick Garland for allowing his investigation to continue unimpeded. Garland did not redact, summarize, or preempt Durham's report—all of which Bill Barr did when it came to the Mueller report.

Still, there is a cost to this Special Counsel Report. The result will be that the FBI is less likely to investigate corruption from politicians seeking the presidency and those who may be compromised by foreign entities. Durham is correct that the FBI did a terrible job when it came to allegations of collusion between Trump and Russia, but we are now in danger of the powerful and most corrupt on both sides of the political spectrum not receiving the scrutiny they deserve, and grassroots activists bearing the full weight of the federal government.

If Trump returns to the White House, he is likely to gut the Bureau and fill it with loyalists who will key in on his perceived political enemies. If that happens, there is nothing to stop future Democrats and Republicans from doing the same. In the worst case scenario, this could send us down the road of recreating the old FBI under J. Edgar Hoover.

All of which is to say, the findings of the Durham report may be negligible, but its impact will be significant.

Dr. Jason Nichols is an award winning senior lecturer in the African American Studies Department at the University of Maryland College Park and was the longtime editor-in-chief of Words Beats & Life: The Global Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.


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JBB
Professor Principal
1  seeder  JBB    11 months ago

Like his investigation, Durham's report is a dud!

 
 
 
Greg Jones
Professor Participates
2  Greg Jones    11 months ago

Trump did nothing to be exonerated for...

 
 
 
Sparty On
Professor Principal
3  Sparty On    11 months ago

Trump continues to thrive in the TDS riddled mind.

 
 
 
Jeremy Retired in NC
Professor Expert
3.1  Jeremy Retired in NC  replied to  Sparty On @3    11 months ago

I love the "he's guilty" claims with zero evidence, indictments, trials or convictions.  It's kind of fun to watch their hysterics.

 
 
 
cjcold
Professor Quiet
4  cjcold    11 months ago

Trump has been guilty of everything he's been accused of ever since he was a child.

Only his daddy's ill gotten mafia money has kept him out of prison this long.

Trump is a serial liar and serial criminal of the worst kind. He's a narcissist!

Any claim in the Durham report is also suspect.as he was/is seriously biased.

Of course there were those in the FBI who were biased against Trump.

The FBI tends to be biased against lifelong serial criminals.

The intelligence community as a whole is seriously biased against Trump.

That doesn't mean that they are wrong about him. Trump is a seriously evil person.

Anybody who can't see/understand these facts is a braindead fool.

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
4.1  Texan1211  replied to  cjcold @4    11 months ago

Gee the leading investigative force in America could find nothing at all to charge Trump with despite you claiming he is a career criminal.

wow that is soooooo logical!

 
 
 
cjcold
Professor Quiet
4.1.1  cjcold  replied to  Texan1211 @4.1    11 months ago
the leading investigative force in America

Is a Trumpster that's why he was picked to find bias against Trump accusers.

What Durham found was that Trump is guilty as charged as a traitor.

Trump is and always has been a Putin stooge. Sick minds think alike.

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
4.1.2  Texan1211  replied to  cjcold @4.1.1    11 months ago

why are you making this stuff up? 

what do you hope to gain?

do you think anyone is stupid enough to believe you on this??????

 
 
 
Sean Treacy
Professor Principal
4.1.3  Sean Treacy  replied to  cjcold @4.1.1    11 months ago
a Trumpster that's why he

Lol. He was endorsed by his two home state Democratic Senators. 

U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) applauded the Senate’s unanimous approval of John Durham’s nomination to serve as United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.

“John Durham is a fierce, fair prosecutor. As a career prosecutor, John has dedicated his life to public service and the pursuit of justice. He knows how to try tough cases, having taken on organized crime and government corruption. He will be an outstanding U.S. Attorney,” said Murphy and Blumenthal.

.

Stop getting your news from Pravda. 

 
 
 
cjcold
Professor Quiet
4.1.4  cjcold  replied to  cjcold @4.1.1    11 months ago

Anybody who defends Trump is also a Russian stooge and traitor.

RT and Sputnik propaganda outlets got Trump elected in 2016.

Their massive anti-Hillary campaign was very effective with RWNJs.

Hillary would have been a great president were it not for Putin's lies.

Hillary hated Putin as much as he hated her. Putin was afraid of her.

Putin just had a better propaganda machine in the US. Fox News.

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
4.1.5  Texan1211  replied to  cjcold @4.1.4    11 months ago

so much there, so little truth in that post.

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
4.1.6  Texan1211  replied to  cjcold @4.1.4    11 months ago

are you suggesting people on the right were going to vote for Hillary?????   

That's whack!

 
 
 
George
Sophomore Expert
4.1.7  George  replied to  cjcold @4.1.4    11 months ago
Hillary would have been a great president were it not for Putin's lies.

You seriously need to add a satire tag before people start to think you are serious.

 
 
 
cjcold
Professor Quiet
4.1.8  cjcold  replied to  Texan1211 @4.1.5    11 months ago

[Removed, do not spell members in an insulting way]

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
4.1.9  Texan1211  replied to  cjcold @4.1.8    11 months ago

whatever I say is truth, so good on you recognizing it at long last

 
 
 
Ronin2
Professor Quiet
4.2  Ronin2  replied to  cjcold @4    11 months ago

TDS is a disease.

Trump has been guilty of everything he's been accused of ever since he was a child.

Still have to prove it.

Trump is a serial liar and serial criminal of the worst kind. He's a narcissist!

Sure you aren't talking about Brandon the Human Fuck Up Machine? Or Obama? Bush Jr? Clinton? Bush Sr? Or Reagan? The closest thing to a non serial liar/criminal or narcissist to be President was Carter. Nice guy- really bad president.

Any claim in the Durham report is also suspect.as he was/is seriously biased.

Seriously, prove it. Considering that Durham's report closely mirrors the IG report. Or are you saying the IG is also suspect?

Of course there were those in the FBI who were biased against Trump.

Yes, there were. First thing you said that actually is provable.

The FBI tends to be biased against lifelong serial criminals.

Back to TDS. Seriously with how much Democrats love criminals they should be over the moon with Trump. Oh wait, he has an R behind his name. Even criminals have rights; and the FBI cannot use their bias to conduct illegal investigations using hitting pieces paid for by political opponents as the basis.

The intelligence community as a whole is seriously biased against Trump.

Again, you have no problem with that. Especially when it gets in the way of their ethics and adherence to the law. 

That doesn't mean that they are wrong about him. Trump as a seriously evil person.

Must really rankle you that Brandon is guilty of doing everything you are accusing Trump of. Of course Brandon has the AG, FBI, DOJ, and IRS in his back pocket- so they are dragging their feet and making life difficult for anyone trying to investigate. Remember when Democrats claimed that whistleblowers were sacrosanct? Even ones that presented cobbled together hearsay evidence.

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
4.2.1  JohnRussell  replied to  Ronin2 @4.2    11 months ago

the great majority of fbi personnel are conservatives

 
 
 
afrayedknot
Junior Quiet
4.2.2  afrayedknot  replied to  Ronin2 @4.2    11 months ago

“TDS is a disease.”

Please.

At this point it is nothing more than an excuse, to exonerate, or a feeble attempt to discredit. 

 
 
 
Jeremy Retired in NC
Professor Expert
4.2.3  Jeremy Retired in NC  replied to  Ronin2 @4.2    11 months ago
Seriously with how much Democrats love criminals they should be over the moon with Trump. Oh wait, he has an R behind his name.

If I remember correctly, the Democrats fawned all over Trump right up to the day he announced he was running for President.  

 
 
 
JohnRussell
Professor Principal
5  JohnRussell    11 months ago
Of course there were those in the FBI who were biased against Trump.

The FBI tends to be biased against lifelong serial criminals.

The intelligence community as a whole is seriously biased against Trump.

That doesn't mean that they are wrong about him. Trump as a seriously evil person.

Bingo. This also points out the problem with "both sides-ism" when it comes to Trump. Both sides are not just as bad as each other. Yet some "non-partisans" pretend they are. 

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
6  Texan1211    11 months ago

why would anyone ever think that the goal was to exonerate Trump?

That's dumb!

 
 
 
cjcold
Professor Quiet
6.1  cjcold  replied to  Texan1211 @6    11 months ago

Trump falsely believes that Durham exonerated him. That is what is dumb.

Durham actually exonerated those who know that Trump is a criminal.

 
 
 
Jeremy Retired in NC
Professor Expert
6.1.1  Jeremy Retired in NC  replied to  cjcold @6.1    11 months ago
Trump falsely believes that Durham exonerated him.

No different than you believing he's "guilty".

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
6.1.2  Texan1211  replied to  cjcold @6.1    11 months ago

Mayve reading my entire post would help.

 
 
 
Sean Treacy
Professor Principal
7  Sean Treacy    11 months ago

No one is hated as he who shows someone they've been played for fools.  Look at the obsessive attempts to discredit and minimize Durham from the same people who fell for all the collusion lies.   Of all people, those who parroted lies about  collusion, the steele dossier etc for years should be the most mad.  Think of all the lies they were told,  apparently believed, and dutifully posted here.  They were played for fools and embarrassed themselves. Amazingly, they seem happy about being used  and enraged the truth is coming to light. Durham exposed their religion for a sham and is being hounded for it

They are madder at the sham of the investigation being exposed than angry at being manipulated.   They still love Adam Schiff who fed them lie after lie. . That’s crazy to me.

I can’t imagine completely lacking the pride to say, “I was lied to. I helped attack my own government for years based on lies manufactured for partisan reasons. I’m so happy I was used to help divide and damage the country.”

Durham has conclusively detailed how the fbi abused its power for partisan purposes (the way he compares to how Clinton was treated is gold).  That should bother every American.

 
 
 
cjcold
Professor Quiet
7.1  cjcold  replied to  Sean Treacy @7    11 months ago

Durham is a Trump stooge and still couldn't find evidence to exonerate him.

What bothers every intelligent American is that Trump is a Putin stooge. 

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
7.1.1  Texan1211  replied to  cjcold @7.1    11 months ago

I think everyone in America less one understands the investigation wasn't to exonerate anyone.

 
 
 
Tessylo
Professor Principal
7.1.2  Tessylo  replied to  cjcold @7.1    11 months ago

Hillary was right -  with the former 'president' 'all roads lead to Russia'

She was also right with the deplorables comment but there were a lot more . . . she underestimated

 
 
 
Sean Treacy
Professor Principal
7.1.3  Sean Treacy  replied to  cjcold @7.1    11 months ago
ham is a Trump stooge and still couldn't find evidence to exonerate him.

Do you have any idea what's going on here?  At all?   Who taught you that prosecutors exonerate people?   

Talk about moving goalposts.  You might have just set a record. 

t bothers every intelligent American is that Trump is a Putin stooge. 

You've made my point better than I did. You cling to lies and fantasy and spout dogmatic nonsense that no informed person believes because it makes you feel better to believe the lie than admit you've spent years being manipulated. 

 
 

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