WASHINGTON, D.C. – A memo released today, signed by the Director of the National Intelligence Committee, John Ratcliffe claims the Russian collusion hoax against President Donald J. Trump was fabricated by his opponent, Hillary Clinton. Today, Ratcliffe declassified portions of the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation.
The FBI investigation found that in late July 2016, U.S. intelligence agencies obtained insight into Russian intelligence analysis alleging that U.S. Presidential candidate Hillary Cli
nton had approved a campaign plan to stir up a scandal against U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump by tying him to Putin and the Russians’ hacking of the Democratic National Committee. The IC does not know the accuracy of this allegation or the extent to which the Russian intelligence analysis may reflect exaggeration or fabrication.
The FBI also said that then-President Barack Obama was briefed by former CIA Director John Brennan about Clinton’s proposal to vilify Trump.
“According to his handwritten notes, former Central Intelligence Agency Director Brennan subsequently briefed President Obama and other senior national security officials on the intelligence, including the “alleged approval by Hillary Clinton on July 26, 2016 of a proposal from one of her foreign policy advisors to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by Russian security services,” the FBI investigation found.
On September 7, 2016, U.S. intelligence officials forwarded an investigative referral to FBI Director James Comey and Deputy Assistant Director of Counterintelligence Peter Strzok regarding, “U.S. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s approval of a plan concerning U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump and Russian hackers hampering U.S. elections as a means of distracting the public from her use of a private mail server.”
Ratcliffe said the release of the information will not impact or interfere with any ongoing Department of Justice investigations in a letter addressed today Senator Lindsey Graham, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
As referenced in his 24 September 2020 letter to your Committee, Attorney General Barr has advised that the disclosure of this information will not interfere with the ongoing Department of Justice investigations. Additional declassification and public disclosure of related intelligence remain under consideration; however, the IC welcomes the opportunity to provide a classified briefing with further detail at your convenience.
