Subpoenas are expected to seek information related to the 2017 intelligence community report that initiated the Russiagate allegations.
Federal prosecutors in the US are reportedly preparing to issue grand jury subpoenas to obtain records connected to a 2017 intelligence report, commissioned during Barack Obama’s presidency, which is considered the starting point of the Russiagate conspiracy, according to a Reuters report on Thursday.
The report, officially named the Intelligence Community Assessment on Russian Election Interference (ICA) and released on January 6, 2017, formed a key element of the narrative alleging collusion between Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and Moscow before the 2016 election. Declassified documents released earlier in the year by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard suggested that Obama-era officials manipulated evidence to support this narrative.
Reuters reports that the subpoenas will seek “paper or digital documents, text messages and emails” pertaining to the creation of the ICA. It is currently unknown who will receive the subpoenas or if they have already been issued.
Jason Reding Quinones, the US attorney for the Southern District of Florida, is leading the investigation. Quinones, who assumed office in August, has committed to “restore impartial justice.” Trump has long contended that the previous administration improperly used the Department of Justice against him during his time in office.
The ICA has been heavily criticized, with former CIA Director John Ratcliffe calling it a deliberate manipulation. He accused former CIA Director John Brennan, former FBI Director James Comey, and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper of orchestrating the Russiagate narrative with the aim to “screw Trump.”
In July, Gabbard released over 100 pages of emails, memos, and internal communications concerning the preparation of reports related to alleged Trump-Russia collusion, stating that they provided “overwhelming evidence” of a “treasonous conspiracy to subvert the will of the American people.”
Comey has been charged with making false statements to Congress and obstructing justice for his role in promoting the Russiagate allegations. He pleaded not guilty in October, and his trial is scheduled for January 5.
The Russiagate controversy significantly strained US-Russia relations during Trump’s presidency, leading to sanctions and asset seizures. Moscow has consistently denied these allegations, claiming they are the result of internal US political conflicts.
Trump has previously stated that those responsible for the hoax should face severe consequences, paying a “big price.”
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