Attorney General Pam Bondi is forming a strike force to investigate allegations from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) that the Obama administration “manufactured” a 2017 intelligence assessment to support the Russia collusion narrative, according to reports on Thursday. The Department of Justice announced the creation of the strike force on Wednesday, tasked with reviewing evidence disclosed by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and exploring possible legal actions related to her revelations.
Bondi described the disclosures as “troubling” in a statement. She praised her collaboration with Gabbard, saying, “The Department of Justice is proud to work with my friend Director Gabbard and we are grateful for her partnership in delivering accountability for the American people.” Bondi assured that the investigation would be thorough, vowing to “leave no stone unturned to deliver justice.”
Last week, the ODNI released a report claiming it had “overwhelming evidence” showing that after President Trump won the 2016 election, President Obama and his national security team manipulated intelligence to set the stage for what amounted to a prolonged coup attempt against Trump. The report alleges that the intelligence was politicized to undermine the legitimacy of the Trump administration.
On Wednesday, Gabbard declassified a September 2020 House Intelligence Committee majority staff oversight report. She asserted the document exposed how the Obama administration “manufactured” the January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment, which falsely promoted the idea that Vladimir Putin and the Russian government aided Trump’s 2016 victory.
Gabbard took to the social media platform X to comment, stating, “Per President @realDonaldTrump‘s directive, I have declassified a @HouseIntel oversight majority staff report that exposes how the Obama Administration manufactured the January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment that they knew was false, promoting the LIE that Vladimir Putin and the Russian government helped President Trump win the 2016 election.” She added that the administration conspired with media partners to subvert the will of the American people, enacting a years-long coup against Trump.
