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WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General William Barr has given extra protection to the prosecutor he appointed to investigate the origins of the Trump-Russia probe, giving him the authority of a special counsel to complete the work without being easily fired.
Barr told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he had appointed U.S. Attorney John Durham as a special counsel in October under the same federal statute that governed special counsel Robert Mueller in the original Russia probe. He said Durham’s investigation has been narrowing to focus more on the conduct of FBI agents who worked on the Russia investigation, known as Crossfire Hurricane.
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Under federal regulations, a special counsel can be fired only by the attorney general and for specific reasons such as misconduct, dereliction of duty or conflict of interest. An attorney general must document such reasons in writing.
The investigations grew out of allegations of cooperation between Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and Russians to help him defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton.
“I decided the best thing to do would be to appoint them under the same regulation that covered Bob Mueller, to provide Durham and his team some assurance that they’d be able to complete their work regardless of the outcome of the election,” Barr said Tuesday.
Biden’s transition team didn’t immediately comment on the appointment.
The current investigation, a criminal probe, had begun very broadly but has since “narrowed considerably” and now “really is focused on the activities of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation within the FBI,” Barr said. He said he expects Durham would detail whether any additional prosecutions will be brought and make public a report of the investigation’s findings.
In an Oct. 19 order, obtained by The Associated Press, Barr says Durham is authorized “to investigate whether any federal official, employee or any person or entity violated the law in connection with the intelligence, counter-intelligence or law enforcement activities” directed at the 2016 presidential campaigns, anyone associated with the campaigns or the Trump administration.
A senior Justice Department official told the AP that although the order details that it is “including but not limited to Crossfire Hurricane and the investigation of Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III,” the Durham probe has not expanded. The official said that line specifically relates to FBI personnel who worked on the Russia investigation before the May 2017 appointment of Mueller, a critical area of scrutiny for both Durham and for the Justice Department inspector general, which identified a series of errors and omissions in surveillance applications targeting a former Trump campaign associate.
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The focus on the FBI, rather than the CIA and the intelligence community, suggests that Durham may have moved past some of the more incendiary claims that Trump supporters had hoped would yield allegations of misconduct, or even crimes — namely, the question of how intelligence agencies reached their conclusion that Russia had interfered in the 2016 election.
He who lives by the sword dies by the sword. Between Barr and Trump, they neutered
the Special Counsel. Barr was hired to hurry Mueller to a finish and to cull the extent
of his report. If he thinks Durham will be able to hound Biden at will, he should remember
that he sent a precedent on how nullify the work of a special counsel. The next Attorney
General will come in a demand Durham show his progress. Durham will show that he has
been eating free money and not found anything. The AG will ask Durham to turn in his
report and bury it in the vaults of the DOJ. At the same time, he will release the unredacted
Mueller Report showing that Trump was guilty of crimes and charge Barr for obfuscating
them...
This is for placating Trump, but if Barr had intended on relievingI doubt it. Barr knows there is nothing there. This is just to placate Trump. As soon as Biden is in the WH this will get wrapped up as nothing found.
This is for placating Trump, but if Barr had intended on relieving
Durham of his assignment, I doubt that he have given him the
powers of special counsel. Barr is hoping that Durham hounds
Biden on the Russia probe for some time. However, the Special
Counsel was defanged by Barr. That precedent will be the modus
operandus of the new AG, and Durham wont have too much of
an operation once the new guy is in charge. His work will be all
examined and found bereft value or progress. It will be summarily'
terminated together with its principal author, Durham himself.
and Trump will throw them bones right back in Barr's face because he didn't make up that this election was fraudulent.It's to placate Trump. This report was supposed to come out before the election. There was nothing bad to report. So now they changed the focus and elevated his title. Biden wouldn't interfere with an investigation anyway. I don't know how much say the next AG would have but this is just Barr giving Trump a bone to chew on so he keeps hope alive in his deranged lil brain.
and Trump will throw them bones right back in Barr's face because he didn't make up that this election was fraudulent.
This could end no other way. This nigga's final act as POTUS is going to pardon himself over being caught for selling pardons.
you can’t script these kind of things in movies. They actually have to play out in life![]()
This could end no other way. This nigga's final act as POTUS is going to be pardoning himself over being caught selling pardons.
He's not gonna stop saying there was fraud https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/01/...han-170-million-since-election-day/index.html
I'm betting Kushner or one of Trump's kids was the one who received the money for the pardon. I don't think government officials would do it, but with the quality of the people he hires, who knows.
Could be Rudy also with the recent reports of pardon talk.
He still going to catch that beat down in NY and multiple other states... Louis DeJoy bitch ass too lmaooThis could end no other way. This nigga's final act as POTUS is going to be pardoning himself over being caught selling pardons.
Damn, them fools don’t even believe Barr and he been riding with Trump in the passenger seat.
I don’t think he can Pardon his selfHe still going to catch that beat down in NY and multiple other states... Louis DeJoy bitch ass too lmaoo