FBI pursued a bogus investigation while knowing it was part of political hit job
The story begins in May 2016, when George Papadopoulos, a foreign policy advisor to the Trump campaign, met with Alexander Downer, Australia’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, and his assistant, Erika Thompson, in London. According to the FBI’s version of events, Papadopoulos hinted during this meeting that Russia might assist the Trump campaign by anonymously releasing damaging information about Hillary Clinton. This claim was later amplified by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who asserted that Papadopoulos had specifically mentioned “dirt” on Clinton in the form of thousands of emails.
However, Downer’s account, as detailed in Special Counsel John Durham’s report, tells a different story. Downer has now publicly confirmed Durham’s findings, stating in a three-word tweet, “Durham is right.” According to Downer, Papadopoulos made no mention of Clinton emails, dirt, or any specific offers of assistance from Russia. Instead, Papadopoulos simply stated, “the Russians have information,” a comment that Downer characterized as vague and inconsequential.
The discrepancy between the FBI’s narrative and Downer’s account raises serious questions about the legitimacy of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. The FBI relied on a cherry-picked snippet from a report written by Erika Thompson following the May 2016 meeting. The snippet, which was submitted to the Australian government and later shared with the U.S. Embassy in London, suggested that Papadopoulos had hinted at Russian assistance to the Trump campaign. However, Downer has clarified that the snippet was “purposely vague” and did not accurately reflect the substance of the conversation.
In late July 2016, Downer provided the meeting report to the U.S. Embassy in London after hearing Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook claim on CNN that Russia had hacked the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to assist Trump. Downer’s decision to share the report at this time was unusual, given that the meeting had occurred more than two months earlier. While Downer’s motivations remain unclear, his actions inadvertently provided the FBI with the justification it needed to launch the Crossfire Hurricane investigation on July 31, 2016.
Peter Strzok further weaponized the FBI to target Trump campaign
Shortly after the investigation began, FBI investigators Peter Strzok and Joe Pientka traveled to London to interview Downer and Thompson. During these interviews, Downer made it clear to Strzok that Papadopoulos had not claimed any direct contact with the Russians and that the comments attributed to him were vague and open to interpretation. Despite this, Strzok proceeded to expand the investigation, targeting other members of the Trump campaign, including Carter Page, Paul Manafort, and Michael Flynn.
Strzok’s actions have come under particular scrutiny in light of Downer’s recent confirmation of Durham’s account. According to Durham’s report, Strzok privately admitted to Pientka and the FBI’s London representative that there was “nothing to this” but insisted on continuing the investigation. British intelligence officials also expressed skepticism, telling the FBI that they “could not believe the Papadopoulos bar conversation was all there was” and suggesting that the FBI should first speak directly with Papadopoulos.
Downer’s confirmation of Durham’s findings is a significant development in the ongoing debate over the origins of the Russia investigation. It demonstrates that the FBI was aware from the outset that the justification for launching Crossfire Hurricane was based on a flawed and misleading interpretation of the Papadopoulos-Downer meeting. Despite Downer’s clear and consistent statements to the contrary, the FBI chose to proceed with the investigation, setting in motion a chain of events that would have far-reaching consequences for American politics.
Sources include:
Justice.gov [PDF]
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