The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has released a damning report accusing former President Barack Obama and senior members of his administration of directing the Intelligence Community to alter its assessment of Russian interference after the 2016 election in order to undermine President Trump.
According to the report, intelligence officials initially concluded that Russia was unlikely to interfere in the election through cyber means. But following a December 9, 2016 meeting at the White House involving James Clapper, John Brennan, Susan Rice, John Kerry, Loretta Lynch, and Andrew McCabe, the Obama administration allegedly pressured the IC to produce a new assessment that painted a different picture. The shift in narrative, the report states, was politically motivated and designed to support claims that Trump’s victory was tainted by foreign influence.
The resulting assessment, released on January 6, 2017, contradicted earlier intelligence findings and relied in part on discredited sources, including the Steele Dossier. The ODNI report claims these developments were part of a coordinated effort to justify surveillance and investigations targeting Trump and his associates.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard called the operation “a treasonous conspiracy” and said the officials involved must be investigated and prosecuted. “The American people deserve to know the truth,” she stated. “The trust in our democratic institutions was weaponized for political purposes, and that cannot go unpunished.”
The findings are part of a broader review by the Office of Government Transparency and Accountability and are being referred to relevant oversight bodies for potential action.
Read the DNI Press Release
