Des Moines Sun

Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, appeared on Newsmax’s “Saturday Agenda” with Rob Astorino to discuss his role in declassifying and releasing the previously classified appendix—known as the Durham annex—to John Durham’s 2023 Special Counsel report.

The released annex details a reported plan by Hillary Clinton’s campaign to falsely link then-candidate Donald Trump to Russia. It also outlines the FBI’s lack of thorough investigation into intelligence that suggested the Clinton campaign fabricated the allegations of Russian collusion.

Grassley stated, “It was an effort to stop Trump's first campaign. When that didn't stop it, it was an effort to ruin his presidency or get him out of office before the first four years were up, and then afterwards, like Jack Smith was trying to do, to put him in prison and all that stuff. It's all anti-Trump, and he's lived through it all and won an outstanding election, putting up with all that stuff …

“They were building a case within the FBI that didn't have any basis, through an Assistant Special Agent by the name of Thibault, to build a case so that Jack Smith would have something to try and [so that] there was a reason to try it. And it was based upon just made-up information. So, it's all Russia, Russia, Russia for the last 10 years, you can say. And it's a terrible thing.”

Regarding how the annex came to light, Grassley explained: “The Durham annex, which was found by the FBI in a burn bag in a secret room that Patel didn't know anything about until he got to the FBI directorship… So, let's just simply say that there was conspiracy way back then, in ‘15-‘16, between Clinton, between George Soros and between the DNC to find a narrative to ruin Trump. And thank God that didn't happen.

“And it also has this element of it, that the FBI knew about it and didn't do anything about it. And that's what's exposed in this Durham annex …

“It's all an effort, and it continued from not beating him in the campaign to his first presidency… They tried to ruin him politically. They tried to ruin him professionally. They tried to ruin him economically and… all adding up to a political ruination. Didn't happen.”

On pursuing justice following these revelations Grassley said: “The next step is in addition to what Pam Bondi and FBI Director Patel did to declassify all this stuff so [that] I can talk to you now about it. They're in charge of seeing whether or not crime has been committed and whether or not there needs to be prosecution. And, of course, it will be up to a judge and jury to see if there's any punishment.

“I would imagine a lot of these people are hiring lawyers now here in this town and trying to protect themselves. And you saw Clapper and Brennan have an op-ed in the New York Times this week where they were trying to cover their rear end in this whole process. And so don't you see that there's a lot of people in this town that are probably pretty afraid? And they ought to be afraid.”

Grassley emphasized transparency as key for public trust: “The public's business ought to be public, and transparency brings accountability. And then in turn we want make sure that the FBI will not be weaponized against a president of United States — whether it's Trump or somebody else. In this case it was Trump — that never happens again because the FBI should not have political element in it.

“They should only be investigating crime and protecting people of this country. They shouldn't be trying help some other political party stop somebody from being president or ruining their presidency.”

Addressing why these issues remain relevant today Grassley added: “If people want know why we're talking about this history we just got information backs up what we've been suspicious last 10 years now fills lot blanks... when information is burn bag secret room at FBI then you know big attempt cover up.

“And public's business ought public... we got stop covering up... we got stop weaponization FBI against political opponents.”