John Durham to testify to Congress after scathing report
- Durham will testify about his report into Trump’s alleged ties to Russia
- Report criticizes FBI for "extremely troublesome" investigation failures
- Turner seeks Durham's recommendations for changes based on his report
Testing on staging11
WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — Trump-era special counsel John Durham is scheduled to testify before Congress twice this week, just over one month after he released a scathing report on the investigation into former President Trump’s alleged ties to Russia.
Durham was appointed to investigate how the FBI launched a probe into Trump’s 2016 campaign and possible contact with Russia.
On Tuesday, he’s set to appear before the House Intelligence Committee to discuss his recent investigation, which lawmakers hope will shed light on government misconduct. It will take place behind closed doors.
It comes as some Republicans continue to accuse the federal government of weaponizing the FBI.
Durham’s 300-page report, which was the culmination of a roughly four-year investigation, criticizes the FBI for “extremely troublesome” failures in its investigation. It found that authorities didn’t have sufficient evidence to open the case.
Durham harshly criticized the FBI for rushing to investigate Trump based on what he called “raw, unanalyzed and uncorroborated intelligence,” and for failing to live up to the agency’s standards.
House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner said he wants to hear more about changes Durham thinks should be made in light of his report.
“The Durham Report’s findings are very troubling. The FBI went to great lengths to find evidence supporting their narrative while ignoring key facts,” Turner tweeted on Monday.
During the release of the report, the FBI responded, stating the report focused on prior leadership and that the agency has made a number of changes in recent years, including improving the accuracy of surveillance applications for investigations.
“Had those reforms been in place in 2016, the missteps identified in the report could have been prevented,” the FBI wrote in a statement.
On Wednesday, Durham will testify before the House Judiciary Committee. Led by Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the committee is expected to examine the origins of the report.