In the wake of recent bombshell revelations from Special Counsel John Durham’s investigation of Spygate, there appears to be growing concern within the Republican Party that the investigation could be thwarted by the Biden administration.
Forty-six Republican Senators wrote a letter to Merrick Garland last week, insisting that the controversial attorney general respect the independence of Durham’s investigation of the FBI’s spying on the Trump campaign.
“We write to seek your assurance that you will continue to respect the prosecutorial independence of Special Counsel John Durham and his staff, while also ensuring he is provided all resources necessary to fully, thoroughly, and completely pursue the investigation for which he was appointed,” the senators wrote Garland.
Durham’s investigation found evidence that the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign paid a technology company to hack servers at the Trump Tower and the White House and look for “evidence” linking Trump to Russia, and sources say his investigation has “accelerated,” with more witnesses “cooperating” and testifying before the federal grand jury than have previously been reported.
The senators noted that Durham’s findings include “highly concerning, and potentially criminal, manipulation and exploitation of federal law enforcement resources to target American citizens, including a presidential candidate, based upon fabricated evidence that had been procured and disseminated by individuals closely connected with a rival political campaign” and asked Garland to support Durham’s “important work until all those responsible for the fraud committed upon the American people are brought to justice.”
There’s plenty of reason to be concerned that Garland won’t.
During his confirmation hearings last year, he refused to commit to protecting Durham’s investigation when he was asked point-blank to do so.
“If confirmed, will you commit to providing special counsel Durham with the staff, resources, funds, and time needed to thoroughly complete the investigation?” Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) asked Garland.
“So, senator, I don’t have any information about the investigation as I sit here today, and another one of the very first things I’m going to have to do is speak with Mr. Durham and figure out how his investigation is going,” Garland replied. “I understand that he has been permitted to remain in his position, and sitting here today, I have no reason to think that that was not the correct decision.”
Garland also refused to commit to releasing the report to the public. Grassley was deeply disturbed by Garland’s responses, especially in light of the fact that Bill Barr, during his own confirmation hearings when he was nominated to be Attorney General by President Trump, had promised to protect then-special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian collusion.
“When we discussed this over the phone you told me that your predisposition would be to review the record before making a decision,” Grassley said of Garland in the statement. “That answer surprised me. It’s not an answer this Committee would have accepted from Barr on Mueller. I think your predisposition, frankly, should be to protect and support the ongoing investigation as much as possible.”
I’ve never trusted Garland, and I have little faith that he won’t try to undermine the Durham investigation in some way, whether it’s trying to fire Durham for bogus reasons or refusing to release the report with the investigation’s findings. That’s the kind of corruption that was endemic to the Obama administration and that Joe Biden has emulated.
Former Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), who was the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, predicted last year that several Obama officials will end up in prison after the Durham report is released. Considering how many Obama administration alumni are serving in the Biden administration, it seems inevitable that the Biden administration will try to thwart the investigation before it concludes.
