By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
President Trump has long claimed, with no evidence, that the Russia investigation was a hoax and a “witch hunt.”
Now, two years later, the Justice Department’s inquiry into the origins of the probe has evolved into a criminal investigation.
Attorney General William Barr has turned over the investigation to John H. Durham, who will serve as the prosecutor with subpoena power over testimony and documents and the power to convene a grand jury, The New York Times reports.
In other words, the Justice Department is investigating itself over what Democrats say is unsubstantiated conspiracy theories.
Durham, a longtime prosecutor known for investigating CIA torture, will determine whether intelligence and law enforcement agencies acted within the law when they investigated possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.
Barr’s review of the Russia investigation began in May, when Barr said he had discussions with intelligence and law enforcement officials that led him to question the legitimacy of the investigation. At one point, Barr even described law enforcement’s actions as “spying” on the Trump campaign.
In an interview with Fox News in May, Barr said he had been pursuing questions about whether “government officials abused their power and put their thumb on the scale” to investigate the Russia link.
Since then, no credible evidence has been made public to suggest law enforcement acted inappropriately in investigating Trump’s campaign.
