WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has shifted its review of the Russia probe to a criminal investigation, a person familiar with the matter says. It’s a move that is likely to raise concerns that President Donald Trump and his allies may be using the powers of the government to go after their opponents.
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The revelation comes as Trump is already facing scrutiny about a potential abuse of power, including a House impeachment inquiry examining whether he withheld military aid to pressure the president of Ukraine to launch an investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
The person who confirmed the criminal investigation Thursday was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.
It is unclear what potential crimes are being investigated, but the designation as a formal criminal investigation gives prosecutors the ability to issue subpoenas, potentially empanel a grand jury and compel witnesses to give testimony and bring federal criminal charges.
The Justice Department had previously considered it to be an administrative review, and Attorney General William Barr appointed John Durham, the U.S. attorney in Connecticut, to lead the inquiry into the origins of special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election. It’s unclear when Durham’s inquiry shifted to a criminal investigation.
Durham is examining what led the U.S. to open a counterintelligence investigation into the Trump campaign and the roles that various countries played in the U.S. probe. He is also investigating whether the surveillance methods and intelligence gathering methods used during the investigation were legal and appropriate.
Mueller’s investigation shadowed Trump’s presidency for nearly two years and outraged the Republican president, who cast it as a politically motivated “witch hunt.” Mueller determined that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 election, but his investigation didn’t find sufficient evidence to establish a criminal conspiracy between Trump’s campaign and Russia. Mueller also examined 10 possible instances of obstruction of justice and has pointedly said he could not exonerate the president.
The New York Times first reported that Durham’s inquiry had become a criminal investigation.
The chairmen of the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees, which are leading the impeachment inquiry, said in a statement late Thursday that the reports “raise profound new concerns” that Barr’s DOJ “has lost its independence and become a vehicle for President Trump’s political revenge.
“If the Department of Justice may be used as a tool of political retribution, or to help the President with a political narrative for the next election, the rule of law will suffer new and irreparable damage,” Democratic Reps. Jerrold Nadler and Adam Schiff said.
The Justice Department has said Trump recently made several calls at Barr’s request to foreign leaders, including Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, to help the attorney general with the Durham investigation.
Barr also traveled with Durham to Italy in August and September, and the two met with Italian intelligence officials to seek information about the activities of FBI agents assigned there, Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte said Wednesday.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
He probably planned after finishing his term to a few trump towers. I hope yiiden will not be sorry ffor involvement with trump switch to the demorats
From your command of the English language, its obvious that you’re an intellectual or in academia; hence e planning your anti-Trump bias.
From your command of the English language, its obvious that you’re an intellectual or in academia; hence explaining your anti-Trump bias.
I think you mean to say , he planned on building a few trump towers after his term in 2024 when he is over 80. Maybe or maybe kushner wants it . But what’s wrong ? Let him build a few towers .
Klal yisroel has alleays supported the prosta poritz who supports us. We don’t and can’t get paranoid about what ifs bec maybe in the future some other poritz will arise and punish those who supported the old one . That much down the road we rely and daven to Hashem for . That’s our approach .
Now to the main issue , this Russia thing was all bec the dems couldn’t Fargin trump to win . Trump is far from straight but too bad you can’t just investigate him . It’s fair game to bring on a criminal investigation. The more dirty you dems play the more we will back .
Mazel tov for criminal inquiry (inquiry MEANS JUST THAT – INQUIRE!).
Yegata – umitzasah; lo yegata, lo mitzasa.
The corrupt Obama administration used the DOJ and FBI to spy on a rivals political campaign and pushed an opposition research propaganda to try to overthrow the president, of course this should be investigated and the criminals prosecuted, just becasue they are democrats doesn’t mean they are above the law.
As the IMPEACHMENT proceeds in The House of Representatives, what will herr trumpf do next to distract from it? The nazis’already burned the Reichtag, so that won’t work. Maybe abandon and sell out another Ally, like Israel this time? Or attack and burn a few shuls somewhere? His ‘fine people’ (like that MLB umpire) are already planning a civil war. IMPEACH & REMOVE
I welcome the investigation and do hope that all who are issued subpoenas comply unlike those who have recently refused to comply. We are a nation of laws and the laws apply to all. I assume the Durham investigation will do everything in public view from beginning to end as Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump want.
Good Shabbat to my Jewish friends
Trump is playing a dangerous poker game and if he loses yidden will be the losers
The Dems didn’t win and so they decided relentlessly persecute the President. Now it’s going to come back to bite them. Yay!