US ATTORNEY GENERAL Pam Bondi has ordered federal prosecutors to open grand jury proceedings into allegations of a so-called ‘Russiagate’ conspiracy, claims long pushed by Donald Trump that his political enemies fabricated ties between his 2016 campaign and Russia.

Bondi has directed an unnamed federal prosecutor to present evidence to a grand jury, following a criminal referral made last month by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

The US Justice Department has not commented on the proceedings, and it remains unclear what charges, if any, might be levied against former officials. 

Gabbard has alleged multiple times that Obama led 'Russiagate'. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Gabbard’s referral was based on over 100 pages of declassified files she claims show evidence of a “treasonous conspiracy” and a “years-long coup” against Trump, allegedly orchestrated by officials in Barack Obama’s administration.

The documents include internal emails, excerpts from intelligence briefings, and meeting notes from 2016, which Gabbard claims reveal manipulation of intelligence assessments about Russian interference in the presidential election.

Russia did interfere in the 2016 US presidential election – this has been confirmed by multiple US intelligence agencies, bipartisan Congressional investigations, and the Special Counsel investigation led by Robert Mueller.

However, investigations found no evidence of criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, though there were multiple contacts.

Democrats have dismissed Gabbard’s claims of a “coup” against Trump as politically motivated.

They point to a bipartisan 2020 Senate Intelligence Committee report, as well as a 2017 US intelligence assessment, which both concluded that Russia sought to damage Hillary Clinton’s campaign and assist Trump, though neither found evidence that vote outcomes were affected.

Among the declassified materials is a March 2016 memo, cited in a separate report by Special Counsel John Durham, alleging that Hillary Clinton approved a plan to smear Trump as a Russian asset.

The files also include a disputed email exchange involving an aide to Clinton and a senior official at George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, referring to a plan to “demonise Putin and Trump.”

Durham, however, did not establish that the FBI conspired in such a scheme and made no determination on the authenticity of the emails.

Fox News have reported that former CIA Director John Brennan and ex-FBI Director James Comey will be under criminal investigation in relation to the Trump-Russia probe.

Both have denied wrongdoing, accusing Trump of abusing the justice system for political retaliation.

Trump, who has repeatedly called the Obama-era investigation a “hoax,” reacted to Bondi’s move by claiming on social media that “the TRUTH always wins out.”

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He previously accused Obama of “treason” without providing evidence, an allegation the former president’s spokesman called “bizarre” and “ridiculous.”