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House Democrats on Wednesday questioned former special counsel John Durham about his report criticizing the FBI’s investigation into the Trump campaign’s relationship with Russia during the 2016 election.
Republicans highlighted Durham’s findings that the Russia probe should not have been initiated, claiming it was a politically motivated attack on the Trump campaign.
During the hearing, Democrats strongly criticized Durham’s findings. Rep. Steve Cohen accused Durham of running a biased investigation, while Rep. Ted Lieu accused him of spinning the facts. Rep. Adam Schiff questioned the validity of Durham’s probe, citing the report by former special counsel Robert Mueller on Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Democrats’ criticisms sparked anger among Republicans, with Rep. Chip Roy seen banging his fist on the table. Rep. Jerry Nadler questioned Durham’s credentials and expressed skepticism about the length and cost of the probe.
The hearing also saw Rep. Pramila Jayapal calling out Rep. Jim Jordan for mocking Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee’s questions about Durham’s discussions with former Attorney General Bill Barr.
Durham’s testimony before the Judiciary Committee followed a closed-door session with the House Intelligence Committee, where he expressed concerns and highlighted the need for reforms in the FBI and Justice Department’s handling of the Russia investigation.
Durham released a 300-page report last month criticizing the FBI’s actions in the Trump-Russia probe but did not provide evidence of unlawful conduct by government officials.
“The [Justice] Department and the FBI failed to uphold their important mission of strict fidelity to law,” the conclusion section of Durham’s report says. “Senior FBI personnel displayed a serious lack of analytical rigor toward the information they received, especially information received from politically affiliated persons or entities.”
The FBI stated that it had already addressed the identified missteps and implemented corrective actions.
“The conduct in 2016 and 2017 that Special Counsel Durham examined was the reason that current FBI leadership already implemented dozens of corrective actions, which have now been in place for some time,” it said in a statement.
While one guilty plea was secured during Durham’s investigation that led to a probation charge , he did not obtain convictions in two trials. Supporters of former President Trump in Congress have used Durham’s report to argue that the Russia probe was politically motivated.
