Newly declassified documents related to Special Counsel John Durham’s investigation indicate that credible foreign sources — allegedly tied to George Soros’ Open Society Foundations — anticipated the FBI would help spread the Trump–Russia collusion narrative before the bureau officially launched its Crossfire Hurricane probe in 2016.
CIA and DOJ’s declassification of the Durham Report Appendix, along with DNI’s efforts, further advances President Trump’s directive for maximum transparency and fulfills Sen. Grassley’s request for disclosure.https://t.co/NTQpgoW9d4 pic.twitter.com/JmXYr7flpg
— CIA (@CIA) July 31, 2025
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The material was released in an appendix to Durham’s final report, which was made public Thursday morning by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley.
WATCH: Chairman @ChuckGrassley drills into the Comey @FBI’s failure to follow up on explosive information in the Durham Annex: “The public’s business ought to be public.” pic.twitter.com/TT4pO4EJnW
— Senate Judiciary Republicans (@SenJudiciaryGOP) July 31, 2025
The appendix, now part of the public record, outlines the extent to which U.S. intelligence agencies were aware of politically motivated efforts to link then-candidate Donald Trump to Russian interference.
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“This political weaponization has caused critical damage to our institutions and is one of the biggest political scandals and cover-ups in American history,” Grassley said.
Fox News Digital reported that the appendix detailed foreign intelligence gathered by U.S. agencies that predicted — in the words of one source — the FBI’s “next move” with “alarming specificity.” That move was the July 31, 2016 launch of the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation.
New: Long awaited John Durham Annex has been declassified.
A lot to unpack.
Focus: Pages 4 and 5.
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Alleges co-oordinattion top DNC leadership, Clinton, outside group(s) to damage candidate Trump, suggests… pic.twitter.com/vaFaJ8MvtE
— Catherine Herridge (@C__Herridge) July 31, 2025
The sources reportedly connected to Soros’ Open Society Foundations had their communications intercepted by Russian intelligence during a 2016 cyberattack.
This is the smoking gun evidence inside Durham annex. If it is authenticated by further investigation it means liberal mega donor George Soros’ team knew the whole Clinton plan for Russiagate hoax four days before FBI opened up probe. And so did Obama, Brennan, and Comey. pic.twitter.com/eN7gJ9h8Ri
— John Solomon (@jsolomonReports) July 31, 2025
Among the messages cited in the appendix were emails allegedly written by Leonard Bernardo, then-regional director for Eurasia at the Open Society Foundations.
“During the first stage of the campaign, due to lack of direct evidence, it was decided to disseminate the necessary information through the FBI-affiliated…technical structures… in particular, the Crowdstrike and ThreatConnect companies,” Bernardo allegedly wrote, according to the appendix.
In another email, Bernardo is said to have referenced a Clinton campaign advisor named Julie, writing: “Julie says it will be a long-term affair to demonize Putin and Trump. Now it is good for a post-convention bounce… Later the FBI will put more oil into the fire.”
The documents also include a message in which Bernardo allegedly wrote: “HRC approved Julie’s idea about Trump and Russian hackers hampering U.S. elections… This should distract people from her own missing email, especially if the affair goes to the Olympic level.”
Durham’s appendix said the emails were likely genuine and that the Clinton campaign appeared to expect intelligence and law enforcement agencies — including the FBI and the vice president’s office — to support the effort to link Trump to Russia.
“The Office’s best assessment is that the … emails that purport to be from Bernardo were ultimately a composite of several emails that were obtained through Russian intelligence hacking of the U.S.-based Think Tanks, including the Open Society Foundations, the Carnegie Endowment, and others,” the appendix states.
Durham further stated it was a “logical deduction” that Julianne Smith was “at minimum, playing a role in the Clinton campaign’s efforts to tie Trump to Russia.”
Grassley criticized what he called the Obama administration’s failure to act on the intelligence.
“Based on the Durham annex, the Obama FBI failed to adequately review and investigate intelligence reports showing the Clinton campaign may have been ginning up the fake Trump-Russia narrative for Clinton’s political gain, which was ultimately done through the Steele Dossier and other means,” Grassley said.
The appendix confirms that the Clinton campaign “might have wanted or expected the FBI or other agencies to aid that effort” by launching a formal investigation.
Durham’s broader report also highlighted the Obama administration’s internal briefings. On July 28, 2016, then-CIA Director John Brennan reportedly briefed President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and other senior officials on intelligence showing that a Clinton campaign foreign policy advisor planned to “vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by the Russian security service.”
Three days later, the FBI opened its Crossfire Hurricane investigation. The CIA shared a Counterintelligence Operational Lead memo with then-FBI Director James Comey and Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok.
That memo referenced Clinton’s approval of a plan involving Trump and Russian hackers and stated: “The following information is provided for the exclusive use of your bureau for background investigative action or lead purposes as appropriate.”
The declassification of the annex was coordinated by Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, CIA Director Tulsi Gabbard, and acting NSA Director William Hartman. Grassley formally released the material to the public.
“This should have been brought to light years ago,” Patel said.
“Today’s declassification and release of documents tied to the Durham report is another step toward that accountability.”
Patel added, “The FBI will continue working tirelessly with our federal partners at DOJ, CIA, and more to uncover the facts that should have been brought to light years ago.”
Ratcliffe described the release as a “bold step forward” that exposed the Trump–Russia narrative as “a coordinated plan to prevent and destroy Donald Trump’s presidency.”
Bondi stated the DOJ and CIA “are committed to truth and transparency and will continue to support good-faith efforts by Congress to hold our government accountable.”
Grassley said the efforts to uncover the truth will continue.
“There’s much work yet to be done.”
🚨🚨 The FBI and the DOJ were ordered by Barack Obama not to arrest Hillary Clinton for espionage in violation of — 18 U.S. Code § 793. In fact, Barack Obama effectively served as Hillary Clinton’s personal lawyer.
CIA John Ratcliffe: “Lisa Page confirmed to me under oath that… pic.twitter.com/1K6G272S2v
— JOSH DUNLAP (@JDunlap1974) July 31, 2025