Republicans Vow Accountability for FBI Politicization Detailed in Durham Report as Democrats Mostly Mum

Special counsel John Durham arrives at federal court in Washington on May 18, 2022. Teng Chen for The Epoch Times

House Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner (R-Ohio) is calling for Congress to enact “new guardrails” to prevent a recurrence of the “serious errors and shortcomings” described in the Durham report’s analysis of the FBI’s highly politicized investigation of allegations that Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign colluded with the Russian government.

“The Durham Report underscores what former Chairman Devin Nunes and Republican members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence have been saying for years: There were serious errors and shortcomings with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s probe into the alleged connections between the Russian government and the Trump campaign during the 2016 presidential election,” Turner said in a statement to The Epoch Times.

“The report confirms that FBI personnel repeatedly disregarded critical protections established to protect the American people from unlawful surveillance,“ he said. ”Such actions should never have occurred, and it is essential that Congress codifies clear guardrails that prevent future FBI abuses and restores the public’s trust in our law enforcement institutions.”

Democrats Mostly Silent

Congressional Democrats were mostly quiet in the wake of the May 15 release of special counsel John Durham’s long-awaited report on the conduct of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI in probing the Trump–Russia allegations during and in the years following the 2016 election.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) condemned Durham for revealing “little new substantive information” on the FBI’s politicized activities.

“The Durham Report offers no meaningful recommendations on how the FBI can improve the application of its considerable surveillance authorities in its investigations,” Durbin said in a statement following the release of the report, which was nearly four years in the making.

“Donald Trump once predicted that special counsel Durham would uncover the ‘crime of the century,'” Durbin said. “Instead, we were given a report that cost taxpayers more than $6.5 million over four years, just for it to reiterate the conclusions of the IG’s 2019 report.

The Illinois Democrat, who is the Senate majority whip, was referring to DOJ Inspector General (IG) Michael Horowitz’s 2019 report on several of the same issues covered by the Durham investigation.

But Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the ranking Republican on the Senate judiciary panel, scoffed at Durbin’s assessment, telling Fox News that Durbin “is completely, absolutely wrong.”

“The IG said there was reason to open the [FBI] investigation. The Durham Report said there was no corroborating evidence to suggest the Trump team colluded with the Russians in any fashion.”

Graham, who preceded Durbin as chairman of the committee, commented in a May 15 statement that “not only could the FBI not verify the Steele Dossier—the essential foundation for surveillance warrants—they ignored exculpatory evidence and illegally altered evidence to continue the investigation. The facts confirm that the investigation was launched and continued as part of a political agenda.

“Sadly, this report—that shines a bright light on problems at the FBI and DOJ—reinforces the narrative that the Rule of Law in America is subservient to political outcomes. It is a very dangerous development and moment in American history.”

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) speaks during Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee to serve as an associate justice on the Supreme Court, in Washington on Sept. 4, 2018. Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times

Graham called on Durbin “to quickly hold a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the Durham Report to fulfill the committee’s oversight obligations.” A Durbin spokesman didn’t respond by press time to a request by The Epoch Times’ for comment on Graham’s call for a hearing.

Other congressional Democrats maintained a studied silence about the report, with neither Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) nor House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) issuing statements.

Republicans Fume

Republicans on both sides of Capitol Hill, however, were outraged by Durham’s findings.

Calling it “one of the dirtiest smears in American history,” Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), former chairman and currently a senior member of the Senate Judiciary panel, denounced the government’s political manipulation of evidence, as described in the report.

“The baseless and politically motivated Russia collusion lie robbed the American people of three years and tens of millions in taxpayer dollars. This lie, perpetrated by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and [former Secretary of State Hillary] Clinton’s campaign, was aided and abetted by senior FBI and DOJ officials who, at best, consciously avoided their duty of due diligence and, at worst, knowingly and willingly participated in one of the dirtiest smears in American history,” Grassley said in a statement.

“The Durham report validates the concerns I’ve raised since we first learned of the bogus investigation in 2017,“ he added. ”The FBI allowed itself to be hijacked and weaponized by political actors to target a political rival during a presidential election and administration. Restoring its integrity, if that’s even possible, will take humility, transparency, and accountability.”

Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) speaks in Washington on March 22, 2022. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

The Iowa Republican joined House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) in demanding the FBI provide them a copy of an internal bureau document that an FBI whistleblower told them details a bribery scheme involving then-Vice President Joe Biden.

Comer’s panel has subpoenaed the document, an FD-1023 statement describing the information that was given to the government.

“The FBI can start today by cooperating with a congressional subpoena about its handling of another politically sensitive matter involving then-Vice President Biden. We know the FBI relied on unverified claims to relentlessly target a Republican president. What did the FBI do to investigate claims involving a Democrat president? It’s time for the FBI to cooperate and show its work to the American people,” Grassley said in his comments on the Durham report.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said the report details conduct at the highest levels of the FBI that is “serious and unforgivable,” and he called for more rigorous congressional oversight of the bureau.

“The Durham Report details serious and unforgivable breaches by federal law enforcement. Relying on altered documents and partisan opposition research is an extreme abuse of power. There is no justification for using national security tools designed to keep America safe for partisan political gain,” Rubio said in a statement.

“Those responsible need to be held accountable, not just for meddling in the presidential election but also for the damage done to our institutions. America and its institutions are weaker today because of their actions, and it will take years for the FBI and others to rebuild that trust. Rigorous oversight of the FBI’s intelligence activities must be a top priority for the congressional intelligence committees.”

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said there must be accountability for officials at DOJ and the FBI named for misconduct in the report.

“As a former U.S. attorney, I know that justice, equality, and impartiality are the bedrock of our legal system. Special counsel Durham’s report shows just how miserably the DOJ and FBI failed in upholding those values when they launched this investigation into former President Trump without predication,” he said.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) makes a point to delegates during the evening session of the Republican National Convention at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland on July 18, 2016. Dominick Reuter/AFP via Getty Images

“It’s shameful that a select group of individuals—through this irresponsible and deceitful probe—have risked the reputation of some of our most crucial federal agencies, whose rank and file members serve our nation with integrity. To ensure Americans can maintain faith in our legal system, those responsible for this miscarriage of justice must be held accountable,” he said.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) promised House action to ensure the actions detailed in the Durham report aren’t repeated.

“The Durham report confirms what most Americans knew all along: The Trump–Russia investigation was nothing more than a political witch hunt. Whether you’re a Democrat, Republican, or independent, every American should be outraged that leaders at the FBI and DOJ—two incredibly powerful agencies—abused their authority by using the federal government as a weapon to try and take down a political opponent,” he said.

“While I’m glad this report debunks yet another false narrative pushed by the Left and liberal media, the House will conduct vigorous oversight and do everything within its power to ensure this never happens again.”