Intelligence Community / Envato Market
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – The Justice Department has issued a fresh round of subpoenas in a Florida-based investigation examining the origins and conduct of the federal government’s 2016 Russia inquiry — a probe that shadowed President Donald Trump for years and fueled deep divisions across the nation.
According to individuals familiar with the matter, the latest subpoenas expand upon an earlier wave sent in November. Investigators are now seeking documents covering the years since the January 2017 release of the Obama-era intelligence community assessment that concluded Russia sought to influence the election in Trump’s favor.
The investigation appears to focus in part on former intelligence and law enforcement officials involved in drafting that assessment, including former CIA Director John Brennan. Brennan’s attorneys have acknowledged he has been informed he is a target but argue there is no “legally justifiable basis” for the probe.
President Trump has long criticized the Russia investigation as politically motivated, particularly objecting to the inclusion of the controversial “Steele dossier” — opposition research funded by Democrats and compiled by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele. The dossier contained unverified claims about Trump and was later widely discredited, yet portions of it were referenced in a classified annex of the intelligence assessment.
A declassified CIA tradecraft review released last July under Director John Ratcliffe found “multiple procedural anomalies” in the drafting of the assessment and questioned decisions made at the time, including references to the Steele dossier. While the review did not dispute that Russia interfered in the election, it raised concerns about analytical standards and internal processes.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation previously determined that Russia engaged in election interference through cyber operations and disinformation campaigns, but it did not establish that the Trump campaign conspired with Moscow. Despite that conclusion, the Russia narrative dominated Trump’s presidency and led to years of investigations and political fallout.
The Florida-based inquiry signals continued efforts by the Trump administration to scrutinize how the Russia investigation was launched and whether officials abused their authority. It remains unclear whether the probe will result in criminal charges, but for many supporters of the president, it represents a long-awaited review of decisions that reshaped American politics and trust in federal institutions.
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