By Sarah N. Lynch and Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed federal prosecutors to launch a grand jury probe into allegations that members of Democratic former President Barack Obama’s administration manufactured intelligence on Russia’s interference in the 2016 elections, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday.
The Justice Department said late last month it was forming a strike force to assess claims made by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard about “alleged weaponization of the U.S. intelligence community.”
Republican U.S. President Donald Trump has leaped on comments from Gabbard in which she threatened to refer Obama administration officials to the Justice Department for prosecution over an intelligence assessment of Russian interference.
Fox News first reported that Bondi personally ordered an unnamed federal prosecutor to initiate legal proceedings and the prosecutor is expected to present department evidence to a grand jury, which could consider an indictment if the Justice Department pursued a criminal case. The report cited a letter from Bondi and a source. A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment.
Last month, Trump accused Obama of treason, alleging, without providing evidence, that the Democrat led an effort to falsely tie him to Russia and undermine his 2016 presidential campaign. Trump won the 2016 election against Democrat Hillary Clinton.
A spokesperson for Obama had denounced Trump’s claims, saying “these bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.”
Gabbard had declassified documents and said the information she released showed a “treasonous conspiracy” in 2016 by top Obama officials to undermine Trump, claims that Democrats called false and politically motivated.
An assessment by the U.S. intelligence community published in January 2017 concluded that Russia, using social media disinformation, hacking, and Russian bot farms, sought to damage Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and bolster Trump, who won that election.
The assessment determined the actual impact was likely limited and showed no evidence that Moscow’s efforts actually changed voting outcomes. Russia has denied it attempted to interfere in U.S. elections.
(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch and Kanishka Singh in Washington; editing by Stephen Coates)
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