The period from 2020 to 2022 saw the continuation and conclusion of several significant investigations and reviews concerning the alleged interference by [[Russia]] in the 2016 [[United States presidential election]] and the [[Trump administration]]'s connections to Russia. While many key reports and investigative actions, such as the [[Mueller Report]] and the initial [[Inspector General of the Department of Justice]] (DOJ IG) findings, predated 2020, this timeframe was characterized by the ongoing work of [[Special Counsel John Durham]], the release of the final volume of the [[United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence]]'s investigation, and subsequent legal proceedings stemming from earlier inquiries.
Background
Following the conclusion of the [[Special Counsel investigation (2017–2019)|Mueller investigation]] in March 2019, which found insufficient evidence to establish a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia but detailed numerous instances of potential obstruction of justice by [[Donald Trump]], further inquiries continued. These included an internal DOJ review led by [[John Durham]] into the origins and conduct of the federal investigation into Russian interference, known as [[Crossfire Hurricane]]. Congressional committees also continued their oversight roles and investigations.Key Developments and Investigations (2020–2022)
John Durham Special Counsel Investigation
- May 2019: [[Attorney General William Barr]] appointed [[United States Attorney|U.S. Attorney]] John Durham to investigate the origins of the FBI's [[Crossfire Hurricane]] investigation.
- October 2020: Barr formally designated Durham as a [[Special Counsel]] to ensure his work could continue across administrations, granting him broad authority to investigate "any matters that arose from the Special Counsel's investigation of allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election."
- September 2021: Durham's office indicted [[Michael Sussmann]], a cybersecurity lawyer, on a charge of making a false statement to the FBI in September 2016. Sussmann was accused of misleading the FBI about his clients when he provided information alleging a secret communication channel between the [[Trump Organization]] and [[Alfa-Bank]], a Russian bank.
- November 2021: Durham's office indicted [[Igor Danchenko]], a Russian analyst who was the primary sub-source for the [[Steele dossier]], on five counts of making false statements to the FBI. The indictment alleged Danchenko lied about the sources of information he provided to [[Christopher Steele]].
- May 2022: Michael Sussmann's trial concluded with his acquittal by a jury in Washington, D.C.
- October 2022: Igor Danchenko's trial concluded with his acquittal by a jury in Alexandria, Virginia.
- Beyond 2022: While the indictments and trials largely concluded by the end of 2022, the Special Counsel's final report on the investigation's findings was released in May 2023.
Senate Intelligence Committee Report
- August 2020: The [[United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence]] released the fifth and final volume of its bipartisan report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. This volume, titled "Russian Active Measures Campaigns and Interference in the 2016 U.S. Election," detailed the committee's findings on Russian efforts to influence the election, including contacts between the Trump campaign and Russian individuals, and laid out their conclusions regarding the intelligence community's assessment. The report largely affirmed the intelligence community's findings that Russia interfered to help Donald Trump, and it detailed extensive contacts between Trump campaign officials and Russian operatives.
Declassification Efforts and Related Actions
- 2020: Under the Trump administration, particularly through [[Director of National Intelligence]] [[John Ratcliffe]], various documents related to the origins of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation were declassified. These declassifications were often presented by the administration as evidence of misconduct or politically motivated actions by U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies, although critics argued they were selectively released to support a particular narrative.