US Attorney General Orders Grand Jury Probe Into Obama Administration Over 2016 Election Claims.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi has instructed federal prosecutors to initiate a grand jury investigation into allegations that officials from former President Barack Obama’s administration fabricated intelligence regarding Russia’s interference in the 2016 US presidential election, according to a source familiar with the matter. The directive, issued on Monday, marks a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s efforts to scrutinise the actions of Obama-era officials.
The investigation stems from claims by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who recently declassified documents that she alleges reveal a “treasonous conspiracy” by Obama administration officials to undermine Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Gabbard’s accusations centre on the assertion that intelligence was manipulated to falsely link Trump to Russian efforts to influence the election. A 2017 US intelligence assessment concluded that Russia used social media disinformation, hacking, and bot farms to damage Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton’s campaign while bolstering Trump’s, though it found no evidence that these efforts altered the election’s outcome.
Bondi’s order follows a criminal referral from Gabbard, prompting the Justice Department to form a “strike force” last month to assess these claims. The grand jury, which can issue subpoenas and gather testimony, will examine whether Obama administration officials committed federal crimes in their handling of intelligence related to Russia’s 2016 election activities. While no specific charges or targets have been publicly named, the probe could potentially lead to indictments if the Justice Department pursues a criminal case.
Democrats have dismissed the allegations as politically motivated, arguing that Gabbard’s declassified documents do not undermine the intelligence community’s findings. A spokesperson for Obama called the claims “ridiculous” and a “weak attempt at distraction.” Previous investigations, including a 2020 bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee review and a three-year probe by Special Counsel John Durham, found no evidence of a criminal conspiracy by Obama officials to fabricate intelligence. Durham’s investigation, which concluded in 2023, identified flaws in the FBI’s handling of the Trump-Russia probe but did not substantiate claims of orchestrated misconduct.
The move comes amid broader controversy, with some Democrats suggesting the investigation is an attempt to divert attention from the Trump administration’s handling of other high-profile cases, such as the Jeffrey Epstein files. Trump has publicly supported the probe, stating on Truth Social that “the TRUTH always wins out” and reiterating unproven allegations of treason against Obama. Russia has consistently denied interfering in US elections.
The grand jury investigation is likely to reignite debates over the 2016 election, a period marked by intense scrutiny of Russian meddling and its impact on American democracy. As the probe unfolds, it will test the boundaries of political accountability and the use of federal resources to revisit one of the most contentious chapters in recent US political history.
