DOJ Launches Grand Jury Probe Into Obama Team Over 2016 Election Claims

The U.S. Department of Justice, under Attorney General Pam Bondi, has started a grand jury investigation to look into whether officials from former President Barack Obama’s administration cooked up false intelligence about Russia’s role in the 2016 presidential election.

A source familiar with the situation, says the probe is digging into claims by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who says Obama-era officials were part of a “treasonous conspiracy” to mess with Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign.

The DOJ had already put together a special team to check out Gabbard’s allegations that the intelligence community was used as a weapon against Trump. Last month, Gabbard released declassified documents that she claims show Obama officials twisted intelligence to wrongly connect Trump to Russian meddling.

• DOJ Opens Grand Jury Probe into Obama Officials Over 2016 Election Intel
• Tulsi Gabbard Sparks DOJ Investigation into Alleged Anti-Trump Conspiracy
• Obama-Era Officials Face Grand Jury Scrutiny in 2016 Russia Probe Reversal

Back in 2017, a U.S. intelligence report said Russia used things like disinformation, hacking, and social media bots to hurt Hillary Clinton’s campaign and help Trump, but it didn’t change the election’s outcome.

President Trump has been vocal about supporting Gabbard’s claims, accusing Obama of treason and saying, without evidence, that there was a big plot to sabotage his campaign. A spokesperson for Obama called the accusations “ridiculous” and a “weak attempt to distract people.” Democrats say Gabbard’s claims are just political spin, pointing to a bipartisan Senate report that confirmed Russia backed Trump in 2016.

The grand jury, set up by Bondi, will go through evidence brought by a federal prosecutor, and it could lead to charges if the DOJ decides to pursue a case. But some legal experts say it might be tough to bring charges for things that happened back in 2016 because of time limits. Critics argue this investigation is just political payback, while Trump and his supporters say it’s about getting to “the truth.” The DOJ isn’t talking, and no one’s been charged yet.

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This investigation is part of the Trump administration’s push to revisit the 2016 Russia probe, stirring up a lot of talk about fairness and justice.