The Department Justice is opening a criminal investigation into its own Russia probe. A new report from The New York Times said officials have shifted the Russia investigation overseen by Attorney General Barr from an “administrative review” into a criminal investigation.
The move gives U.S. attorney John Durham the power to subpoena for witness testimony and documents. DOJ rules state that a criminal inquiry can only be undertaken after finding a “reasonable indication” of wrongdoing. The intent of the investigation will be to uncover the origin of the Russia probe, but it is not clear what potential crime Durham is investigating or what prompted the inquiry.
This comes after Special Counsel Robert Mueller III closed the official investigation months ago.
This story is developing, please check back later for more details.
AP Source: DOJ Review of Russia Probe Now a Criminal Inquiry
The person who confirmed the criminal investigation was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
It is not clear what potential crimes are being investigated, but the designation as a formal criminal investigation gives prosecutors the ability to issue subpoenas, potentially empanel a grand jury and compel witnesses to give testimony and bring federal criminal charges.
The Justice Department had previously considered it to be an administrative review, and Attorney General William Barr appointed John Durham, the U.S. attorney in Connecticut, to lead the inquiry into the origins of special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election. It’s not clear when Durham’s inquiry shifted to a criminal investigation.
Durham is examining what led the U.S. to open a counterintelligence investigation into the Trump campaign and the roles that various countries played in the U.S. probe. He is also investigating whether the surveillance methods and intelligence gathering methods used during the investigation were legal and appropriate.
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