Chris Lange, FISM News
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A top FBI official admitted that she had not read the Durham report during testimony before the House Committee on Homeland Security Tuesday.
FBI Deputy Assistant Director of Counterintelligence Jill Murphy made the stunning revelation during questioning from Rep. August Pfluger (R-Tenn.), chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence Committee.
The hearing centered around information and intelligence gathering to counter U.S. security threats, particularly from China. When it was Murphy’s turn to testify, however, Republicans used the opportunity to grill her about Special Counsel John Durham’s May 15 report on his investigation into how the FBI handled the Trump-Russia collusion allegations.
When Pfluger began to question Murphy about the report, she stated: “I have not read that report, sir.”
A lengthy pause followed, after which Plfuger said: “I’m honestly speechless at this point in time. I’m not sure what to think of this as someone who has spent an entire career in counterintelligence.”
The FBI's Deputy Assistant Director of Counterintelligence tells @HomelandGOP:
"I have not read the Durham report." pic.twitter.com/3EOlLHVpPG
— Rep. August Pfluger (@RepPfluger) May 23, 2023
Pfluger proceeded to inform Murphy of the report’s findings and asked if it concerned her that the FBI had worked with uncorroborated evidence in its Trump-Russia probe.
“So again, sir, I haven’t read the Durham report. So I’m not sure, you know, I have no knowledge of—” she responded, trailing off.
When pressed on why she hadn’t read it, Murphy said: “I just haven’t had time.”
“I would highly recommend reading that because we spent four years discussing that,” Pfluger continued, adding, “It’s very disappointing to hear this.”
Durham’s 305-page report included a scathing indictment of the Bureau’s actions throughout the Trump investigation. The FBI probe was “seriously deficient,” Durham wrote, particularly in terms of agents’ reliance on uncorroborated evidence against the former president. Durham also noted in the report that the bureau “ignored or simply assessed away” evidence that could exonerate Trump, which he attributed to “confirmation bias,” resulting in “severe reputational harm” to the agency.
‘I’M JUST WITHOUT WORDS’
Later on in Tuesday’s hearing, Murphy told Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.) that she hadn’t even been briefed on the report.
“Why is that not a matter of such import that you would want urgently to understand what the special counsel concluded about the work of the counterintelligence division? In such a grave case?” Bishop asked.
“Sir, if you’d like a brief on the Durham report from the counterintelligence division, I’m happy to take that back,” Murphy replied.
“Wow, that sounds almost contemptuous,” Bishop shot back.
He later added, “I’m just without words, that the FBI is unconcerned,” and asked Murphy if she had any plans to read the report.
“I do intend to read it,” she replied.
DEMOCRAT ACCUSES REPUBLICANS OF UNDERMINING FBI CREDIBILITY TO PROTECT TRUMP
Speaking between Pfluger and Bishop, Rep. Daniel Goldman (D-N.Y.) used his time to point out a litany of what he said were flaws in Durham’s conclusions. He then proceeded to accuse his Republican colleagues of engaging in a politically motivated attack on the FBI’s credibility.
“And why are they trying to diminish and undermine the FBI at Donald Trump’s direction and behest? Because the FBI is investigating Donald Trump,” Goldman said.
“And the problem they have is that the FBI is doing its job in investigating their dear leader, Donald Trump,” he continued, adding that “if you can undermine the investigator, if you can undermine independent journalists doing investigative reporting, then you can undermine our entire system of democracy.”
The FBI released a statement on Monday acknowledging “missteps” in the Trump-Russia probe.
“FBI leadership already implemented dozens of corrective actions, which have now been in place for some time. Had those reforms been in place in 2016, the missteps identified in the report could have been prevented,” it read.
This article was partially informed by The Hill and The Washington Examiner reports.