Key takeaways from John Durham’s first public testimony on Trump-Russia report:

John Durham Testifies on Impact of Bias on Crossfire Hurricane

John Durham, in his first public testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, discussed the impact of bias on the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. He emphasized that there was no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion and rejected calls to defund the FBI.

Durham’s May Report Reveals FBI’s Improper Basis for Investigation

Durham’s report, released in May, revealed that the FBI had no proper basis for launching the 2016 election inquiry into collusion claims. The report also exposed Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) wrongdoing related to the FBI’s reliance on the discredited dossier by Christopher Steele, a British ex-spy funded by Democrats. This flawed FISA surveillance targeted Trump campaign associate Carter Page.

Furthermore, the report concluded that Hillary Clinton’s campaign played a significant role in pushing collusion claims to the media and the FBI.

Bias Within the FBI Poses National Security Challenge

Durham highlighted the issue of bias within the FBI, stating that it poses a national security challenge. He argued that the Crossfire Hurricane team exhibited confirmation bias, but did not explicitly label it as political bias. Durham emphasized that these issues, including lack of investigative discipline and failure to take logical steps, are relevant to national security interests and could erode public faith in the justice system.

Strzok’s Personal Bias and the Difficulty of Proving Political Bias

During the testimony, Durham acknowledged that some individuals, like Peter Strzok, expressed personal bias against President Trump. However, he stated that determining whether it was political bias or personal bias is challenging without access to their emails. Strzok’s text messages with former FBI lawyer Lisa Page indicated a clear bias against Trump, but Durham left it to others to decide whether it was political or personal bias.

Durham Rejects Calls to Defund the FBI

Despite criticism and calls from some Republicans to defund the FBI, Durham firmly rejected this idea. He argued that less drastic measures were needed to address the issues within the bureau, such as increased oversight. Durham emphasized that defunding the cornerstone law enforcement entities would not be in the best interest of national security.

No Evidence of Collusion Between Trump and Russia

Durham’s report and testimony made it clear that there was no evidence of collusion between Trump and Russia during the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. The Mueller report also did not establish any criminal collusion. Durham rejected all collusion claims made by House Democrats, including those by Adam Schiff, Jerry Nadler, and Eric Swalwell.

Overall, Durham’s testimony shed light on the impact of bias, the need for reform within the FBI, and the lack of evidence supporting collusion claims.