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What is 'Crossfire Hurricane' Russia investigation? Trump orders FBI to declassify documents
Donald Trump has signed a memorandum directing the declassification of FBI files connected to the probe into his 2016 campaign’s potential ties to Russia.
President Donald Trump has signed a memorandum directing the declassification of FBI files connected to the investigation into his 2016 campaign’s potential ties to Russia. According to White House staff secretary Will Scharf, the memorandum calls for the declassification of “all files related to Crossfire Hurricane investigation,” The Hill reported.
“We believe that it’s long past time for the American people to have a full and complete understanding of what exactly is in those files,” Scharf said.
Meanwhile, Trump said while signing the memo, “This was total weaponization. It’s a disgrace…but now you’ll be able to see for yourselves.”
What is the 'Crossfire Hurricane' Russia investigation?
Back in July 2016, the FBI opened the Crossfire Hurricane investigation into whether members of Trump’s campaign were coordinating with Russian officials. The probe eventually preceded the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller.
For years, Trump and his allies have expressed their doubt on the legitimacy of the FBI’s investigation into his campaign. They have argued that it was a politically motivated probe.
Ultimately, Mueller did not establish that Trump or his campaign members coordinated or conspired with Moscow in an attempt to affect the 2016 presidential election. However, he and his team did not reach a conclusion on whether the president obstructed justice.
Trump has now said in a statement released by the White House, “I have determined that all of the materials referenced in the Presidential Memorandum of January 19, 2021 (Declassification of Certain Materials Related to the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane Investigation), are no longer classified.”
He added, “My decision to declassify the materials described above does not extend to materials that must be protected from disclosure pursuant to orders of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and does not require the disclosure of certain personally identifiable information or any other materials that must be protected from disclosure under applicable law.”
