Key takeaways:
- Attorney General William Barr has granted special counsel status to John Durham, the prosecutor he appointed to investigate the origins of the Russia investigation.
- Durham’s report concluded that the Justice Department and FBI had “failed to uphold their important mission of strict fidelity to the law” in their investigation.
- Barr appointed Durham as a special counsel in October under the same federal statute that governed special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into the Russia probe.
Attorney General William Barr has granted special counsel status to John Durham, the prosecutor he appointed to investigate the origins of the Russia investigation. The Justice Department released Durham’s report on Monday, which found that senior FBI personnel had displayed a “serious lack of analytical rigor” in their investigation into the 2016 presidential election.
Durham’s report concluded that the Justice Department and FBI had “failed to uphold their important mission of strict fidelity to the law” in their investigation. However, much of the information disclosed in the report had already been made public.
Barr appointed Durham as a special counsel in October under the same federal statute that governed special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into the Russia probe. This gives Durham the authority to complete his work without being easily fired.
Durham’s investigation began four years ago and has been the subject of much speculation. His report is likely to be the last major report from the Trump-era Justice Department. It remains to be seen what impact the report will have on the ongoing debate over the FBI’s handling of the Russia investigation.
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