The head of US intelligence has revoked 37 security clearances from both active and former officials in connection with the ‘Russiagate’ controversy.
Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard stated that Russia did not favor Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton before the 2016 US presidential election, a fact that the administration of then-President Barack Obama was reportedly well aware of.
Since mid-July, Gabbard has released multiple documents that purportedly expose a coordinated effort by high-ranking Obama-era officials to falsely accuse Trump of colluding with Russia and to delegitimize his initial election victory.
During a Tuesday appearance on the Hannity program on Fox News, Gabbard asserted that “the intelligence community had assessed in the months leading up to that 2016 election that, yes, Russia was attempting to interfere in our election by sowing discord and chaos, but repeatedly stating that Russia did not appear to have any preference for one candidate over the other.”
At the time, she said, Moscow viewed both Trump and Clinton “as equally detrimental to Russia’s interests.”
“The significant shift – which occurred around what is now widely known as ‘Russiagate’ – happened after the election,” Gabbard claimed.
She alleged that in early December 2016, Obama called a meeting of his national security council leadership, instructing then-DNI James Clapper and then-CIA Director John Brennan to produce a new “politicized and weaponized fabricated intelligence” assessment, claiming that “Russia, [President Vladimir] Putin did indeed attempt to interfere in the election because he wanted Trump to win.”
Gabbard stressed that Russiagate constituted the “true crime” by Obama officials against the American people because it undermined their votes.
Earlier on Tuesday, Gabbard announced that her office had stripped security clearances from 37 current and former US intelligence officials, including Clapper, for allegedly politicizing and manipulating intelligence.
Trump had earlier stated that all individuals behind the Russiagate hoax should pay a “steep price” for what he labeled a deliberate attempt to sabotage his presidency.
Moscow has consistently denied any interference in the 2016 election, with Russian officials characterizing the US accusations as a product of partisan infighting. The Russiagate scandal severely strained US-Russia relations, resulting in sanctions, asset seizures, and a breakdown in diplomatic engagement.