5 findings of the Durham Report: No criminal misconduct, 'confirmation bias'
2. Crossfire Hurricane investigators ignored information that did not advance the Trump-Russia collusion narrative
Durham elaborated on FBI investigators' confirmation bias at the Center of Crossfire Hurricane, adding: “Throughout the duration of Crossfire Hurricane, facts and circumstances that were inconsistent with the premise that Trump and/or persons associated with the Trump campaign were involved in a collusive or conspiratorial relationship with the Russian government were ignored or simply assessed away.”
“From even before the opening of Crossfire Hurricane, some of those most directly involved in the subsequent investigation had (i) expressed their open disdain for Trump, (ii) asked about when they would open an investigation on Trump, and (iii) asserted that they would prevent Trump from becoming president.”
Durham outlined examples of “information that was simply ignored or in some fashion rationalized away,” including “significant exculpatory information provided by [Trump campaign staffers] Carter Page, George Papadopoulous, and Trump Senior Foreign Policy Advisor-1 during recorded conversations with FBI [confidential human sources].”
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The report also stated that “the FBI failed to pursue investigative leads that were inconsistent with their theory of the case,” specifically by declining to accept Page’s offer to conduct an interview with then-FBI Director James Comey and instead electing to pursue FISA surveillance of the campaign staffer.
Durham also addressed investigators’ actions related to comments made by Papadopoulous to Australian diplomats implying that “the Trump team had received some kind of suggestion from Russia that it could assist [the campaign] with the anonymous release of information during the campaign that would be damaging to Mrs Clinton (and President Obama).”
The report highlighted investigators’ failure to consider that “the Australian diplomats told Crossfire Hurricane investigators that Papadopoulous never stated that he had any direct contact with the Russians nor did he provide any explicit information about an offer of assistance.”
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
