Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and CIA Director John Brennan testify before the Senate (Select) Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill Jan. 10, 2017. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
"I never saw any direct empirical evidence that the Trump campaign or someone in it was plotting/conspiring with the Russians to meddle with the election," Clapper testified in 2017. "That’s not to say that there weren’t concerns about the evidence we were seeing, anecdotal evidence.... But I do not recall any instance where I had direct evidence."
Lynch also said she did "not recall that being briefed up to me."
"I can't say that it existed or not," Lynch said, referring to evidence of collusion, conspiracy or coordination.
But Clapper and Lynch, and Vice President Joe Biden, were present in the Oval Office on July 28, 2016, when Brennan briefed Obama and Comey on intelligence he’d received from one of Hillary Clinton's campaign foreign policy advisors "to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by the Russian security service."
KEY PLAYERS IN ORIGINS OF TRUMP-RUSSIA PROBE
"We’re getting additional insight into Russian activities from (REDACTED)," Brennan’s handwritten notes, exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital in October 2020, read. "CITE (summarizing) alleged approved by Hillary Clinton a proposal from one of her foreign policy advisers to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by the Russian security service."
Obama national security adviser Susan Rice was asked in an interview with the House Intelligence Committee whether she had or saw any evidence of collusion or conspiracy. (Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The FBI did not open an investigation into the matter, and instead, continued with its counterintelligence investigation into whether candidate Trump and members of his campaign were colluding or coordinating with Russia to influence the 2016 campaign.
Days after the Brennan meeting to brief Obama, Biden, Comey, Clapper and Lynch on July 31, 2016, the FBI opened the original Trump–Russia investigation, which was referred to inside the bureau as "Crossfire Hurricane."
Meanwhile, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power, according to the transcript of her interview to the House Intelligence Committee, was asked whether she had or saw any evidence of collusion or conspiracy.
Power replied: "I am not in possession of anything – I am not in possession and didn’t read or absorb information that came from out of the intelligence community."
When asked again, she said: "I am not."
Obama national security advisor Susan Rice was asked the same question.
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton debates Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at Washington University on October 2016 in St Louis. (Rick Wilking-Pool/Getty Images)
"Despite these objections, Brennan showed a preference for narrative consistency over analytical soundness," the new CIA review stated. "When confronted with specific flaws in the Dossier by the two mission center leaders – one with extensive operational experience and the other with a strong analytic background – he appeared more swayed by the Dossier's general conformity with existing theories than by legitimate tradecraft concerns."
The review added: "Brennan ultimately formalized his position in writing, stating that ‘my bottomline is that I believe that the information warrants inclusion in the report.’"
But Brennan testified the opposite before the House Judiciary Committee in May 2023.
"The CIA was very much opposed to having any reference or inclusion of the Steele dossier in the Intelligence Community Assessment," Brennan testified before the committee, according to the transcript of his deposition reviewed by Fox News Digital. "And so they sent over a copy of the dossier to say that this was going to be separate from the rest of that assessment."
CIA officials at the time of its creation pushed back against the FBI, which sought to include the dossier, arguing that the dossier should not be included in the assessment, and casting it as simply "internet rumor."
Ultimately, Steele’s reporting was not included in the body of the final ICA prepared for then-President Barack Obama, but instead detailed in this footnote, "largely at the insistence of FBI’s senior leadership," according to a review by the Justice Department inspector general, and later, the Senate Intelligence Committee.
FBI Director Kash Patel declassified an FBI reporting document containing the allegations. (J. Scott Applewhite/The Associated Press)
"The FBI source caveated that, although similar to previously provided reporting in terms of content, the source was unable to vouch for the additional information's sourcing and accuracy," the annex states. "Hence this information is not included in this product."
Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz also reviewed the inclusion of Steele’s reporting in the ICA during his review of alleged misconduct related to FISA.
TRUMP SAYS BRENNAN, COMEY 'CROOKED AS HELL' AMID FBI PROBE, MAY HAVE TO 'PAY THE PRICE'
His report, released in late 2019, found that there were "significant inaccuracies and omissions" in FISA warrants for former Trump campaign aide Page. Those warrants relied heavily on Steele’s reporting, despite the FBI not having had specific information corroborating allegations against Page that were included in Steele’s reporting.
Ratcliffe referred evidence of wrongdoing by Brennan to FBI Director Kash Patel for potential prosecution, DOJ sources told Fox News Digital.
The sources said the referral was received and told Fox News Digital that a criminal investigation into Brennan was opened and is underway. DOJ sources declined to provide further details. It is unclear, at this point, if the investigation spans beyond his alleged false statements to Congress.
As for Comey, DOJ sources told Fox News Digital that an investigation into the former director is underway, but could not share details of what specifically is being probed.
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The full scope of the criminal investigations into Brennan and Comey is unclear, but two sources described the FBI's view of the duo's interactions as a "conspiracy," which could open up a wide range of potential prosecutorial options.
The FBI and CIA declined to comment.
Neither Brennan nor Comey immediately responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Brooke Singman is a political correspondent and reporter for Fox News Digital, Fox News Channel and FOX Business.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/obama-officials-admitted-had-no-empirical-evidence-trump-russia-collusion-house-intel-transcripts