Attorney General William Barr promotes U.S. Attorney John Durham to special counsel for the remainder of the investigation into the 2016 Russia probe.
Durham has been investigating Robert Mueller’s team, the FBI, and other people involved in the Russia probe since April 2019. As special counsel, the incoming Biden administration will not be able to fire Durham unless they can prove misconduct or conflict of interest.
The Trump Administration’s conspiracies that the FBI and Democrats framed the Trump campaign date back before Trump won the election in 2016, when Paul Manafort told him to blame Ukraine for Russians hacking the DNC.
He said Durham’s investigation has been narrowing to focus more on the conduct of FBI agents who worked on the Russia investigation, known by the code name of Crossfire Hurricane.
Under the regulations, a special counsel can be fired only by the attorney general and for specific reasons such as misconduct, dereliction of duty or conflict of interest. An attorney general must document such reasons in writing…
In an Oct. 19 order, obtained by The Associated Press, Barr says Durham is authorized “to investigate whether any federal official, employee or any person or entity violated the law in connection with the intelligence, counter-intelligence or law enforcement activities” directed at the 2016 presidential campaigns, anyone associated with the campaigns or the Trump administration.
Associated Press
Sources
https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-robert-mueller-statutes-elections-ae0275b4eb23981c1e6fbf9fc49c3239
https://www.dw.com/en/us-justice-department-appoints-special-counsel-to-probe-russia-investigators/a-55791939
Photo: Shane T. McCoy / US Marshals