Lawmaker says FBI wrongly sought surveillance info about him
A Republican lawmaker has accused the FBI of wrongly searching for his name in foreign surveillance data, underscoring the challenges ahead for U.S. officials trying to persuade Congress to renew their authorities to collect huge swaths of communications.
Ohio gunman appeared to threaten FBI after Trump home search
A law enforcement official says a gunman who died in a shootout after trying to get inside the FBI’s Cincinnati office appeared to have posted calls on social media for FBI agents to be killed and for people to take up arms in the wake of the search at Donald Trump’s home.
FBI open to settling claims by gymnasts abused by Nassar
The FBI has reached out to attorneys representing Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and other women who say they were sexually assaulted by Larry Nassar to begin settlement talks in the $1 billion claim they brought against the federal government.
Wray: Afghanistan unrest could inspire extremism inside US
Top national security officials say the possibility of a 9/11-type attack has diminished over the last 20 years despite the recent Taliban victory in Afghanistan, but the unrest in Kabul could embolden U.S.-based extremists at the same time that the FBI is confronting an uptick in threats from individuals motivated by racial and political grievances.
Americans warier of US government surveillance: AP-NORC poll
As the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks approaches, Americans increasingly balk at intrusive government surveillance in the name of national security - and only about a third believe that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were worth fighting.
Taliban takeover prompts fears of a resurgent al-Qaida
The speedy Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has revived alarms about a resurgent al-Qaida and new terrorism threats against the U.S. The group's danger to the United States had been eclipsed in the past two decades by other threats, but experts are concerned that al-Qaida could again be given unfettered safe harbor by the Taliban.
Clarification: FBI-Kavanaugh story
In a story published July 22, 2021, The Associated Press reported on the FBI’s background investigation of now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, including the new disclosure that the bureau had received thousands of tips and had provided “all relevant” ones to the White House counsel’s office.
Lawyer: FBI enlisted Proud Boys leader to inform on antifa
In this Jan. 6, 2021, photo, Proud Boys including Joseph Biggs, front left, walks toward the U.S. Capitol in Washington, in support of President Donald Trump. The Proud Boys even have counted some law enforcement officers among their ranks, including a Connecticut police officer and a Louisiana sheriff's deputy. AdThe FBI would not comment on why agents were meeting with Biggs or why the bureau was trying to solicit information about antifa through the Proud Boys. Biggs, 37, of Ormond Beach, Florida, wouldn't be the first Proud Boys informant. Proud Boys members describe themselves as a politically incorrect men’s club for “Western chauvinists.” Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes, who founded the Proud Boys in 2016, sued the Southern Poverty Law Center for labeling it as a hate group.
Pelosi taps DC National Guard head to lead House security
National Guard troops were delayed in getting to the building as the rioters beat up police officers and smashed through windows and doors to get in. On Thursday, seven House committees asked 10 federal agencies for documents and communications from the government as part of a wide-ranging investigation. The Senate Homeland and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Senate Rules Committee have already held two hearings with security officials about what went wrong. The security officials described violent attacks on overwhelmed police officers and desperate pleas for backup. As the committees investigate, Capitol officials are improving the building's physical security, including reinforcing the House doors that the rioters attempted to breach.
Jan. 6 commission stalls, for now, amid partisan dissension
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has pushed for the commission, which would be modeled after the panel that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington. “The problem is the scope,” Pelosi said Wednesday. But Republicans swiftly decried the broad latitude that the commission would have to investigate the causes of the insurrection. Senate Republicans cast doubt that there was enough support for the commission. 2 Republican, said he doesn’t think the commission will happen if the legislation isn’t changed.
Officials: Violent extremists pose 'elevated threat' to US
Violent extremists motivated by political grievances and racial biases pose an elevated threat to the U.S. homeland, officials said Wednesday, March 17, in a unclassified intelligence report released more than two months after a violent mob of insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol. (AP Photo/John Minchillo File)WASHINGTON – Violent extremists motivated by a range of political grievances and racial biases pose an “elevated threat” to the United States, officials said Wednesday in an unclassified intelligence report released more than two months after a mob of insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol. AdThe riot laid bare the threat posed by domestic extremists and led Biden, weeks later, to assign his intelligence officials the task of studying the scope of the problems. “Today’s report underscores how we face the greatest threat from racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists, especially white supremacists, and militia violent extremists,” said Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. Intelligence officials said in their assessment that extremists seen as risks for violence are motivated by a range of ideologies.
US: Putin approved operations to help Trump against Biden
The document makes clear that even while Trump has cried foul about the legitimacy of the election, intelligence officials believe Russia sought to influence people close to Trump as a way to tip the election in his favor. The primary threats instead came from Russia and Iran, albeit with different intentions and through different means, according to intelligence officials. The report also says Putin authorized influence operations aimed at denigrating Biden, boosting Trump, undermining confidence in the election and exacerbating social divisions in the U.S. Intelligence officials did not single out any Trump ally in that effort. U.S. officials have said they regard Derkach as an “active Russian agent,” and Tuesday's report said Putin is believed to have “purview” over his activities.
Garland vows return to 'normal' Justice Dept. on 1st day
President Joe Biden's pick for attorney general Merrick Garland, addresses staff on his first day at the Department of Justice, Thursday, March 11, 2021, in Washington. Welcome to the new Justice Department, likely a much tamer place to be after four years of blaring headlines under Donald Trump. The former president insisted that his attorney general, and entire department, be loyal to him personally, battering the department’s reputation for political independence. “When I walked in the door of Main Justice this morning, it really did feel like I was coming home,” Garland said, referring to Justice Department headquarters. AdAbout 15 minutes later, he took the oath of office, administered by Assistant Attorney General Lee Lofthus.
General: Pentagon hesitated on sending Guard to Capitol riot
Guard troops who had been waiting on buses were then rushed to the Capitol, arriving in 18 minutes, Walker said. Much of the focus at Wednesday's hearing was on communications between the National Guard and the Defense Department. Contee said Sund pleaded with Army officials to deploy National Guard troops as the rioting escalated. AdAccording to the Defense Department, Walker was called at 3 p.m. by Army officials, and was told to prepare Guard troops to deploy. Thousands of National Guard troops are still patrolling the fenced-in Capitol, and multiple committees across Congress are investigating Jan. 6.
The Latest: FBI says probe of Capitol officer death ongoing
FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 2, 2021. (Graeme Jennings/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON – The Latest on FBI Director Chris Wray's testimony about the Capitol insurrection (all times local):12:30 p.m. The FBI director is declining to comment on the cause of the death of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who collapsed after responding to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and died the next day. FBI Director Chris Wray told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday the agency is “not at a point” where it can disclose or confirm the cause of death. ___HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FBI DIRECTOR CHRIS WRAY'S TESTIMONY ON THE CAPITOL INSURRECTION:FBI Director Chris Wray condemns the January riot at the U.S. Capitol as “domestic terrorism” as he defends the bureau’s handling of intelligence indicating the prospect for violence.
FBI director: No evidence of antifa, ‘fake’ Trump supporters in US Capitol attack
FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 2, 2021. Wray’s message to lawmakers was clear: The attack on the Capitol was domestic terrorism -- and it’s a growing problem. “We view the events of January 6 as domestic terrorism,” Wray said. “We have not seen evidence of that at this stage.”DURBIN: Do you have any evidence that the Capitol attack was organized by 'fake Trump protesters'? • 270,000+ digital media tips sent from public• 300+ arrested pic.twitter.com/dogXo1W7pJ — NBC News (@NBCNews) March 2, 2021More: FBI chief calls Jan. 6 ‘domestic terrorism,’ defends intel
LIVE STREAM: FBI chief Wray testifies before Senate on extremism, Capitol riot
FILE - In this Oct. 28, 2020, file photo, FBI Director Christopher Wray speaks during a virtual news conference at the Department of Justice in Washington. Wray is set to testify for the first time since the deadly Jan. 6 deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol. Questions about the FBI's preparations for the riot, and investigations into it, are expected to dominate Wray's appearance Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Though he has briefed lawmakers privately and shared information with local law enforcement hearings, Tuesday's oversight hearing will mark Wray's first public appearance before Congress since before November's presidential election. The FBI has said the report, which it says was based on uncorroborated information, was shared through its joint terrorism task force.
FBI chief warns violent 'domestic terrorism' growing in US
WASHINGTON – FBI Director Christopher Wray bluntly labeled the January riot at the U.S. Capitol as “domestic terrorism” Tuesday and warned of a rapidly growing threat of homegrown violent extremism that law enforcement is scrambling to confront through thousands of investigations. The problem of domestic terrorism has been metastasizing across the country for a long time now and it’s not going away anytime soon,” Wray told lawmakers. And in applying the domestic terrorism label to conduct inside the Capitol, Wray sought to make clear to senators that he was clear-eyed about the scope and urgency of the problem. Ad“Some of those people clearly came to Washington, we now know, with the plans and intentions to engage in the worst kind of violence we would consider domestic terrorism," he said. Though he has briefed lawmakers privately and shared information with local law enforcement, Tuesday's oversight hearing marked his first public appearance before Congress since before November's presidential election.
Florida: Slain FBI agent remembered for protecting children
Agents Laura Schwartzenberger, 43, and Daniel Alfin, 36, were gunned down Tuesday while serving a search warrant at the Broward County home of a child pornography suspect. The service for Schwartzenberger was held at the Miami Dolphins' football stadium. It's a job with high stress, high emotional toll and high burnout,” Wray said of the agent, who was originally from Pueblo, Colorado. She'd talk to anybody and everybody about protecting children from predators online.”Federal government officials who attended the service with Wray were Acting U.S. Attorney General Monty Wilkinson and President Joe Biden's Homeland Security Advisor Dr. Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall. “During her 15 years as an FBI Special Agent, Laura Schwartzenberger was selfless, tireless, brave and committed to protecting some of society’s most vulnerable: its children,” Wilkinson said in statement.
Activists wary of broader law enforcement after Capitol riot
Though there is no federal law that explicitly charges crimes as domestic terrorism, prosecutors have successfully used other statutes to cover conduct that might reasonably be seen as terrorism, including at the Capitol. No comparable law exists for people aligned with U.S.-based extremist groups, which enjoy expansive free speech protections. “Surveillance tactics and the eye of our law enforcement have always been trained on communities of color. Particularly Black communities,” Nelson said. Muslim Americans believe they've felt particular scrutiny since 9/11, including after the Patriot Act, legislation that afforded law enforcement new counterterrorism authority, as well as less intrusive initiatives like the Obama-era program designed to counter violent extremism.
Biden orders review of domestic extremism threat in US
District of Columbia National Guard stand outside the Capitol, Wednesday night, Jan. 6, 2021, after a day of rioting protesters. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden has directed his intelligence community to study the threat of domestic extremism in the United States, an undertaking being launched weeks after a violent mob loyal to Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol. The disclosure Friday by White House press secretary Jen Psaki is a stark acknowledgment of the national security threat that officials see as posed by American extremists motivated to violence by extremist ideology. FBI Director Chris Wray has said that, over the last year, the most lethal violence has come from anti-government activists, such as anarchists and militia-types. “The rise of domestic violent extremism is a serious and growing national security threat," Psaki said.
Biden orders review of domestic violent extremism threat
It's been a stunning day as a number of lawmakers and then the mob of protesters tried to overturn America's presidential election, undercut the nation's democracy and keep Democrat Joe Biden from replacing Trump in the White House. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden has directed law enforcement and intelligence officials in his administration to study the threat of domestic violent extremism in the United States, an undertaking being launched weeks after a mob of insurgents loyal to Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol. The announcement Friday by White House press secretary Jen Psaki is a stark acknowledgment of the national security threat that officials see as posed by American extremists motivated to violence by radical ideology. The National Security Council will do its own policy review to see how information about the problem can be better shared across the government. “In particular, far-right, white supremacist extremism, nurtured on online platforms, has become one of the most dangerous threats to our nation,” Schiff said.
White House: Biden confident in FBI head, will retain him
FBI Director Christopher Wray speaks during a briefing about the upcoming presidential inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, at FEMA headquarters, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden has confidence in FBI Director Chris Wray and plans to keep him in the job, the White House press secretary said Thursday. FBI directors are given 10-year terms, meaning leadership of the bureau is generally unaffected by changes in presidential administrations. But Biden's spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, was notably noncommittal when asked at her first briefing Wednesday whether Biden had confidence in Wray. "I have not spoken with him about specifically FBI Director Wray in recent days," Psaki said.
Smooth Psaki shows new tone in first Biden press briefing
NEW YORK – If there's one thing clear after White House press secretary Jen Psaki's first session with reporters on Wednesday, it's that she's determined to minimize drama in the briefing room. The 42-year-old Psaki (pronounced SOCK-eee) was a State Department spokesperson and White House communications director in former President Barack Obama's administration. Psaki showed a bone-dry wit when one reporter asked if Biden planned to keep the new color scheme that Trump ordered for Air Force One. CNN's chief White House correspondent, Kaitlan Collins, pointed to the lack of attacks on reporters coming from the podium. “This is the way it should have been for four years with President Trump.
FBI tracking 'extensive' online chatter about armed protests
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)WASHINGTON – The FBI is tracking an “extensive amount of concerning online chatter,” including calls for armed protests leading up to next week's presidential inauguration, Director Chris Wray said Thursday. Wray said the FBI was receiving a “significant” amount of information that it was pushing out to other law enforcement agencies ahead of the inauguration. States nationwide have already been stepping up security in preparation for possible armed protests and violence this weekend, particularly at statehouses amid legislative sessions and inaugural ceremonies. An FBI bulletin earlier this week warned of potential armed protests in all 50 states. The vice president visited with guard troops keeping watch outside the Capitol, telling them he’s familiar with the National Guard because he used to be a governor.
FBI won't 'sidestep' sexual misconduct claims, director says
FILE - In this Sept. 24, 2020 file photo, FBI Director Christopher Wray, testifies during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on "Threats to the Homeland" on Capitol Hill in Washington. Wray is seeking to reassure agents that the bureau won't tolerate sexual misconduct in the workplace, promising more resources for victims and full investigations into claims brought against FBI officials regardless of rank or title. Wray sent a lengthy statement to staff late last week following an Associated Press investigation that found multiple senior FBI officials were accused of sexual misconduct over the past five years. The AP found that the FBI officials it identified were not disciplined and several were quietly transferred or retired, keeping their full pensions and benefits even when probes substantiated the sexual misconduct accusations against them. “No one deserves unwelcome sexual misconduct or sexual harassment, and no one should suffer in silence or feel like they need to tolerate inappropriate or illegal behavior.”
Trump says Barr resigning, will leave before Christmas
FILE - In this Oct. 15, 2020, file photo, Attorney General William Barr speaks during a roundtable discussion on Operation Legend in St. Louis. Barr went Monday to the White House, where Trump said the attorney general submitted his letter of resignation. Trump said Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen, whom he labeled “an outstanding person,” will become acting attorney general. But Democrats have repeatedly accused Barr of acting more like the president’s personal attorney than the attorney general, and Barr had proved to be a largely reliable Trump ally and defender of presidential power. Trump was also said to blame Barr for comments from FBI Director Chris Wray on election fraud and mail-in voting that didn’t jibe with the president’s alarmist rhetoric.
Justice Dept.'s China focus likely to continue under Biden
The Justice Department in 2018 launched what it called the China Initiative to combat what officials saw as a multi-pronged effort by Beijing to steal intellectual property and conduct foreign influence operations in the U.S. The Justice Department, for its part, did keep an eye on Moscow, unsealing an indictment last month that accused six Russian military officers in a global hacking campaign. The Justice Department says it has charged more than 10 trade-secret theft cases tied to China since the China Initiative began. To be sure, the Justice Department had begun a focus on Chinese hackers well before Trump took office. The following year, President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that their countries had agreed not to conduct or support hacking for economic espionage.
GOP backs Trump as he fights election results, transition
In fact, election officials from both political parties have publicly stated that voting went well and international observers also confirmed that there were no serious irregularities. And the White House moved to crack down on those not deemed sufficiently loyal as Trump continued to refuse to concede the race. White House officials and Trump political appointees informed career government staffers they were not to begin acting on transition planning until GSA approved it, according to officials familiar with the matter. The White House hasn’t provided a “readout” of any call between the president and a foreign leader in weeks. He hasn’t met with members of the White House coronavirus task force in months.
Refusing to concede, Trump blocks cooperation on transition
In fact, election officials from both political parties have publicly stated that voting went well and international observers also confirmed that there were no serious irregularities. And the White House moved to crack down on those not deemed sufficiently loyal as Trump continued to refuse to concede the race. Trump is not expected to formally concede but is likely to grudgingly vacate the White House at the end of his term, according to several people around him. The White House hasn’t provided a “readout” of any call between the president and a foreign leader in weeks. He hasn’t met with members of the White House coronavirus task force in months.
Trump decries FBI probe of supporters surrounding Biden bus
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump on Sunday suggested the FBI should stop investigating an incident in which his supporters were seen surrounding a Biden campaign bus in Texas, which led Democrats to cancel an event there. Trump’s tweet come as tensions remained high between the president and FBI Director Christopher Wray, and as Trump has pressed the Justice Department and FBI to act against his rivals, including Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden himself. At one point, one of the pickup trucks can be seen colliding with an SUV that was driving behind the bus. This weekend, caravans of Trump supporters also blocked the Mario Cuomo Bridge in New York, which spans the Hudson River between Tarrytown and Nyack, and snarled traffic on the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey. At least we’ve never had a president who thinks it’s a good thing,” Biden said during a campaign event in the Philadelphia suburbs.
Justice Dept. charges 8 in Chinese harassment plot in US
The Justice Department has charged eight people with working on behalf of the Chinese government to locate Chinese dissidents and political opponents living in the U.S. and coerce them into returning to China. In July, for instance, the Justice Department charged hackers working with the Chinese government with targeting firms developing vaccines for the coronavirus. In another case similar to the one announced Wednesday, the Chinese government passed a message to relatives in the U.S. of a target it could not locate, Wray said. The Justice Department says the defendants broke the law by failing to notify the U.S. that they were acting as agents of the Chinese government. As of Wednesday evening, three of the defendants had appeared in federal court in Brooklyn and were released on bond.
As Trump casts doubt on election, new agency contradicts him
(AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)WASHINGTON – Earlier this month, President Donald Trump was predicting on Twitter that this election would be “the most corrupt” in American history. Christopher Krebs, the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, closed an online conference with a warning about “bad guys, whoever they are,” trying to “sow chaos, sow doubt” about the integrity of the U.S. election. “I have confidence that your vote is secure, that state and local election officials across this country are working day in and day out, 24/7, that the 2020 election is as secure as possible,” Krebs said. Some state election officials and Republicans, suspicious of federal intrusion on their turf, were opposed to the designation. But the Trump administration supported the designation, and, eventually, skeptical state officials welcomed the assistance.
US: Russian hackers targeting state, local networks
(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)WASHINGTON – U.S. officials said that Russian hackers have targeted the networks of dozens of state and local governments in the United States in recent days, stealing data from at least two servers. “However, the actor may be seeking access to obtain future disruption options, to influence U.S. policies and actions, or to delegitimize (state and local) government entities,” the advisory said. He said the alert was issued in regard to the scanning of county networks for vulnerabilities, not specifically to the targeting of elections. As of October 1, the advisory said, the hackers have exfiltrated data from at least two servers. Hultquist said he does not think Energetic Bear has the ability to directly affect the U.S. vote but fears it could disrupt local and state government networks proximate to the systems that process votes.
US: Russian hackers targeting state, local networks
(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)WASHINGTON – U.S. officials said Thursday that Russian hackers have targeted the networks of dozens of state and local governments in the United States in recent days, stealing data from at least two servers. “However, the actor may be seeking access to obtain future disruption options, to influence U.S. policies and actions, or to delegitimize (state and local) government entities,” the advisory said. He said the alert was issued in regard to the scanning of county networks for vulnerabilities, not specifically to the targeting of elections. As of October 1, the advisory said, the hackers have exfiltrated data from at least two servers. Hultquist said he does not think Energetic Bear has the ability to directly affect the U.S. vote but fears it could disrupt local and state government networks proximate to the systems that process votes.
US officials link Iran to emails meant to intimidate voters
Officials say Russia and Iran have obtained some voter registration data, aiming to interfere in the November election. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool, File)WASHINGTON – U.S. officials have accused Iran of being behind a flurry of emails sent to Democratic voters in multiple battleground states that appeared to be aimed at intimidating them into voting for President Donald Trump. Iran sent spoofed emails designed to intimidate voters and sow unrest and also distributed a video that falsely suggested voters could cast fraudulent ballots from overseas, Ratcliffe said. Though Democratic voters were targeted, Ratcliffe said the spoofed emails were intended to harm Trump, though he did not elaborate how. “These emails are meant to intimidate and undermine American voters’ confidence in our elections,” Christopher Krebs, the top election security official at the Department of Homeland Security, tweeted Tuesday night after reports of the emails first surfaced.
Job on the line, Wray threads needle on controversial issues
FBI Director Christopher Wray speaks during a press conference at the Department of Justice, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2020, in Washington. (Jim Watson via AP)WASHINGTON – Less than four years into his 10-year term, FBI Director Christopher Wray’s future in the job is decidedly uncertain heading into the presidential election. President Donald Trump has been escalating his rhetoric against Wray, angry over his public statements on issues like antifa, voting fraud and Russian election interference. Wray's future is seen as uncertain because Trump has already fired one FBI director and has repeatedly lashed out at Wray. If he wins, he could seek an FBI director more willing to back his political agenda.
Protest arrests show regular Americans, not urban antifa
It also underscores how the people being brought up on federal charges rarely fit President Donald Trump's portrayal of them as members of left-wing radical groups. In some cases, prosecutors have gone so far as appealing judge's orders to release defendants. Authorities have not claimed that the man accused of firing the shots is a member of antifa. More than 40% of those facing federal charges are white. Attorneys for those facing federal charges either declined to comment or didn’t respond to messages from the AP.
How a probe of Trump-Russia ties turned into a GOP rally cry
Yet in the 2020 campaign, Democrats are largely ignoring the Russia probe. While some of the revelations from the steady drip of newly declassified documents are serious, they do not undercut the reasons the Russia probe was launched or its principal findings. Meanwhile, Attorney General William Barr has appointed a prosecutor to investigate the origins of the Russia probe. Meanwhile, attacking the Russia probe is a core part of Trump's campaign. Those attacks on the Russia probe may not win over many undecided voters.
Trump: Justice Dept. had 'plenty of time' for Durham probe
On Friday, Trump told conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh that Justice Department investigators had “plenty of time to do it. After Limbaugh read Trump an Axios story on the topic, Trump said he'd be disappointed if Barr had relayed that message to lawmakers. Still, much of the uptick in tensions between Trump and Barr centers on the Justice Department's handling of the Durham probe. Even the outlines of the case involving FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith, who pleaded guilty in the Durham probe, were already known before he was charged. Trump aides had banked on the Durham probe being finished before 2020 election to lend credibility to Trump’s claims that his own investigative agencies were working against him.
Trump, Barr at odds over slow pace of Durham investigation
With time running out for pre-election action on the case, Trump is increasingly airing his dissatisfaction in tweets and television appearances. Still, much of the uptick in tensions between Trump and Barr centers on the Justice Department's handling of the Durham probe. A senior administration official said Trump feels like he’s given Barr wide latitude to advance the investigation, including declassifying documents related to Russia. Even the outlines of the case involving FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith, who pleaded guilty in the Durham probe, were already known before he was charged. Barr has privately expressed frustration over the president's public pronouncements on the Durham investigation.