President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday directing the FBI to declassify files on Crossfire Hurricane, the 2016 investigation into false allegations of Trump campaign ties to Russia.
“You probably won’t bother because you’re not going to like what you see,” Trump said, accusing the probe of being a politically motivated attack. “But now you’ll be able to see for yourselves. All declassified.”
The FBI launched Crossfire Hurricane on July 31, 2016, just days after then-CIA Director John Brennan briefed President Obama on a plan by a Hillary Clinton adviser to tie Trump to Russian interference. The Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee funded the Steele dossier, which was used to obtain surveillance warrants against Trump aide Carter Page.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller took over the probe in 2017, later concluding in 2019 that there was no evidence of criminal conspiracy between Trump’s campaign and Russia. Then-Attorney General Bill Barr appointed John Durham to investigate the origins of the probe.
Durham’s 2023 report found the FBI had no actual evidence to justify launching Crossfire Hurricane and failed to uphold its legal obligations. He also determined the agency ignored warnings that it was being manipulated by a Clinton-led effort to influence law enforcement for political purposes. Despite Brennan briefing top officials, including Obama and Joe Biden, no action was taken.
Read the Executive Order here.
