If Democrats and the Deep State thought President Donald Trump would go away quietly after the November election, they got a rude awakening on Friday.
Trump announced that the investigation into the origins of the FBI’s probe into the 2016 election has been given even greater power.
In the search for the truth, the special counsel now has the authority to use classified information indefinitely. That’s according to a memorandum issued by President Donald Trump.
Outgoing Attorney General William Barr named U.S. attorney John Durham as a special counsel in the investigation into the origins of the FBI’s probe of the 2016 election that targeted the then-Republican presidential campaign’s members with wiretaps and paid informants.
Durham was already leading an investigation, but the appointment makes it more difficult for the new attorney general to close it. The FBI’s probe later morphed into former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of possible Trump-Russia cooperation, but after two years found no evidence of collusion.
The ongoing Durham investigation followed Trump’s repeated calls to “investigate the investigators.” In May 2019, Trump directed U.S. intelligence officials to assist in that review and gave the attorney general permission to declassify or downgrade information or intelligence that relates to his review.
Trump’s memo came Tuesday as he continues to propel his claims that the Russia investigation that shadowed his presidency was a “witch hunt.” It’s the latest example of efforts by Trump officials to use the final days of his administration to essentially box in Joe Biden by enacting new rules, regulations, and orders designed to cement the president’s legacy.
Barr earlier told The Associated Press that he was naming Durham as special counsel in what turned out to be one of his final moves as attorney general. His deputy Jeffrey Rosen is taking over on Thursday. The move added a wrinkle for whomever Biden nominates as attorney general, especially because Democrats have dismissed Durham’s probe.
Also on Tuesday, Trump appointed Ezra Cohen, of the District of Columbia, to chair the Public Interest Declassification Board. Cohen, a Trump supporter, currently is acting undersecretary of defense for intelligence. Trump had previously said he would soon declassify “everything.”
The board advises the president about issues pertaining to national classification and declassification policy. Created by Congress, the board is tasked with promoting robust public access to materials that document U.S. national security decisions and activities.
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The Associated Press contributed to this article