Newly released documents and communications are renewing scrutiny of the 2016 Trump-Russia investigation, with allegations of coordination between the Obama administration and Hillary Clinton’s campaign team.
According to a declassified intelligence memo released Friday by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. officials in 2016 concluded that Russian actors did not alter the outcome of the presidential election, despite cyber-related attempts against voter infrastructure.
The memo, delivered to then-President Barack Obama, stated:
“Russian and criminal actors did not impact recent US election results by conducting malicious cyber activities against election infrastructure.”
While the document acknowledges limited cyber targeting of some state systems, it concludes those efforts did not compromise any voting results.
Reporter: Internal Communications Suggest Coordination
Journalist Paul Sperry, a senior reporter at Real Clear Investigations, posted on X that sources informed him of emails and text messages suggesting direct coordination between Clinton campaign aides and senior Obama administration officials, including individuals within the White House, State Department, and intelligence community.
“I’m told there are texts/emails indicating Hillary Clinton campaign aides directly coordinated with the Obama White House, NSC, State Dept and Intelligence Community officials in efforts to dig up dirt tying Donald Trump to Vladimir Putin in July 2016,” Sperry wrote.
These claims are unconfirmed and continue to develop.
Federal Investigation Activity
Officials are reportedly reviewing whether key intelligence leaders—including former CIA Director John Brennan, former FBI Director James Comey, and former DNI James Clapper—acted outside standard protocol in the early stages of the Russia probe.
According to CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Brennan promoted the inclusion of the Steele dossier, a now-discredited opposition research document, in internal intelligence assessments. Ratcliffe also said Brennan kept certain information from other agencies during the process.
A congressional audit totaling over 200 pages has been compiled and is under review. Discussions are underway over whether to declassify additional materials, including meeting notes and transcripts from Special Counsel John Durham’s investigation, which concluded in 2023 that no evidence supported claims of Trump-Russia collusion.
Legal Implications Under Review
Officials are also examining whether former intelligence officials made false statements under oath during congressional testimony. While statutes of limitation for perjury may have lapsed, sources have suggested that conspiracy-related charges may still be viable.
A senior official familiar with the investigation told reporters:
“This appears to have involved extensive coordination at multiple levels in 2016. That’s what we’re now examining further.”
Gabbard’s Statement
Gabbard, in her announcement, said the declassified documents have been referred to the Department of Justice for review and potential further action.
“These documents detail actions by senior officials in 2016 that warrant serious examination,” she said.
