CIA Director John Ratcliffe warned Sunday that the most significant consequences may still lie ahead for Hillary Clinton, former FBI Director James Comey, and others accused of advancing the discredited Trump-Russia collusion narrative during the 2016 election.
In an appearance on Fox News, Ratcliffe told host Maria Bartiromo that he has submitted new criminal referrals—adding to those previously made by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, including one involving former President Barack Obama. [see video below]
“What I think I hear you saying is, there is still an opportunity for potential indictments, potential prosecutions, accountability from those people who may have lied under oath,” Bartiromo suggested as she tried to elicit names from Ratcliffe about who he believes is criminally liable.
“That’s why I’ve made the referrals I have, DNI Gabbard has made referrals, and we’re gonna continue to share the intelligence that would support the ability of our Department of Justice to… bring fair and just claims against those who have perpetrated this hoax and the American people and this stain on our country,” he said on Sunday.
Ratcliffe’s referral marks at least the third potential investigation tied to newly uncovered documents from the federal government’s long-running “Crossfire Hurricane” probe into allegations that Donald Trump colluded with Russia during the 2016 election. It follows criminal referrals submitted last month by Gabbard, and comes as a task force made up of senior U.S. intelligence officials weighs possible charges against Clinton, Comey, former CIA Director John Brennan, and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.
The documents at the center of the renewed scrutiny were retrieved from a classified annex discovered last month and reportedly indicate that Clinton personally authorized efforts to link Trump to Russia—despite a lack of conclusive evidence—by exploiting the credibility of U.S. intelligence channels.
According to the annex, Special Counsel John Durham determined that Russian hackers had breached email servers belonging to the Open Society Foundations, an organization tied to George Soros and also cited in the Trump-Russia narrative.
One 2016 email from Leonard Benardo, then the foundation’s Eurasia regional director, allegedly reveals that Clinton gave direct approval for the group to promote the unfounded claims against Trump.
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