A bombshell declassified appendix to John Durham’s report, released January 30, 2025, by the Senate Judiciary Committee, exposes ties between George Soros’s Open Society Foundations and the origins of the Trump-Russia collusion narrative. Credible foreign sources reportedly predicted the FBI’s role in pushing this narrative before the bureau’s Crossfire Hurricane probe even began. The revelation raises serious questions about political manipulation within federal agencies.
According to Fox News, the appendix suggests the Clinton campaign orchestrated a plan to link Donald Trump to Russia, expecting the FBI and other agencies to amplify it. This declassified document, released under the leadership of Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, suggests a coordinated effort to influence public opinion. It’s a stark reminder of how political agendas can infiltrate law enforcement.
Russian hackers reportedly breached Open Society Foundations’ emails in 2016, revealing communications allegedly from Leonard Benardo, the group’s Eurasia regional director. FBI personnel interviewed by Durham’s team believed these emails were "likely authentic." The hacked correspondence suggests a deliberate strategy to exploit federal resources for political gain.
Benardo’s emails, as cited in the appendix, suggest the Clinton campaign planned to use technical firms like Crowdstrike and ThreatConnect to spread the Trump-Russia narrative. “Due to lack of direct evidence, it was decided to disseminate the necessary information through the FBI-affiliated…technical structures,” Benardo allegedly wrote. This tactic smells of backroom deals to weaponize unverified claims.
The emails further reveal the campaign’s intent to make Russia a domestic issue, distracting from Hillary Clinton’s email scandal. Benardo reportedly noted, “HRC approved Julie’s idea about Trump and Russian hackers hampering U.S. elections.” Such scheming undermines trust in our electoral process.
Benardo’s correspondence chillingly predicted the FBI would “put more oil into the fire” post-convention. This foresight suggests a troubling coziness between political operatives and federal agencies. It’s a gut punch to those who expect impartiality from the FBI.
The FBI launched its Crossfire Hurricane probe on July 31, 2016, targeting alleged Trump-Russia ties. Durham’s report criticizes the bureau for failing to scrutinize intelligence about the Clinton campaign’s role. “The FBI failed to adequately consider and incorporate the Clinton Plan intelligence,” Durham noted, pointing to a lapse in critical judgment.
Had the FBI treated Crossfire Hurricane as an assessment rather than a full investigation, Durham argued, it might have viewed the Clinton plan with more skepticism. This oversight allowed a politically charged narrative to fester unchecked. It’s a textbook case of institutional bias run amok.
In 2020, former CIA Director John Brennan briefed President Obama, Vice President Biden, and other officials on July 28, 2016, about the Clinton campaign’s plan to tie Trump to Russia. The CIA later sent a lead to FBI Director James Comey and Peter Strzok on August 3, 2016, referencing Clinton’s approval of the scheme. Yet, the FBI’s response remained curiously tepid.
The declassification, spearheaded by CIA Director John Ratcliffe, FBI Director Kash Patel, and others, aims to restore transparency. “The American people deserve the full, unfiltered truth about the Russia collusion hoax,” Patel said. His words resonate with those fed up with government obfuscation.
Chairman Grassley called it “one of the biggest political scandals and cover-ups in American history.” His indignation reflects a conservative frustration with elites manipulating public trust. Yet, the outrage must be tempered with a commitment to facts over hyperbole.
Open Society Foundations pushed back, calling the accusations “an outrageous falsehood” rooted in Russian disinformation. “The Durham report found no wrongdoing by our staff,” their spokesperson claimed. This defense, while predictable, sidesteps the troubling implications of the hacked emails.
Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who took over Crossfire Hurricane, concluded in March 2019 that no evidence supported a Trump-Russia conspiracy. Durham’s investigation, bolstered by over 1,000 documents from Ratcliffe in 2020, avoided an interim report to steer clear of politicization charges. Still, the delay left many conservatives feeling justice was stalled.
Attorney General Pam Bondi emphasized the Justice Department’s commitment to “truth and transparency.” Her stance aligns with a conservative push for accountability without veering into vengeance. It’s a fine line, but one worth walking.
The Durham appendix paints a damning picture of political gamesmanship infecting federal agencies. While the Open Society Foundations’ role remains contentious, the declassified evidence demands a reckoning. Conservatives will see this as vindication, but all Americans should demand better from their institutions.
