by Eric Lendrum
One of the claims made by Special Counsel John Durham in his official report is that the FBI dropped at least four criminal investigations into Bill and Hillary Clinton just before the 2016 election.
According to the New York Post, the FBI had previously been investigating attempts by multiple foreign nations and other foreign entities to influence the Clinton family through donations to their non-profit, the Clinton Foundation, as well as donations to Hillary’s failed 2016 presidential campaign.
Three of the four investigations, all launched in early 2016, were investigating whether or not the Clinton Foundation had become a hub of “criminal activity.” These probes originated out of the field offices in Washington D.C., New York City, and Little Rock, Arkansas. The investigative efforts included audits into the allegedly charitable foundation.
Durham’s report states that two of the investigations, in Little Rock and New York, were looking into claims that a commercial industry had “likely engaged a federal public official in a flow of benefits scheme, namely, large monetary contributions were made to a non-profit, under both direct and indirect control of the federal public official, in exchange for favorable government action and/or influence.”
Meanwhile, the probe out of D.C. was examining claims that the Clintons had taken millions of dollars in donations from foreign governments and Russian companies, an influence campaign dating back to Hillary’s tenure as Secretary of State during Barack Obama’s first term in office.
The fourth probe was investigating claims from a “well-placed” source that Hillary was continuing to accept such illegal donations through her presidential campaign.
“Beginning in late 2014, before Clinton formally declared her presidential candidacy, the FBI learned from a well-placed [source] that a foreign government was planning to send an individual to contribute to Clinton’s anticipated presidential campaign,” the report states, “as a way to gain influence with Clinton should she win the presidency.”
But at least one unnamed FBI agent told Durham during his investigation that “everyone was ‘super more careful,’” due to being “scared with the big name [Clinton]” involved.
“They were pretty ‘tippy-toeing’ around her because there was a chance she would be the next President,” the report details.
The probes were ultimately dropped in late 2016, before the November election in which Donald Trump defeated Clinton in a historic upset. Durham’s report claims that several of the prematurely-ended probes were shut down at the request of senior FBI officials with close ties to the Clinton family.
Meanwhile, a spokesman from the Clinton Foundation released a statement denying any wrongdoing, and falsely declaring that the Durham report “emphasized what’s been clear for many years – there’s never been any wrongdoing by the Clinton Foundation.”
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Eric Lendrum reports for American Greatness.
Photo “Hillary Rodham Clinton and Bill Clinton” by Hillary Clinton.