WASHINGTON, D.C. (LOOTPRESS) – U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has ordered federal prosecutors to begin a grand jury investigation into whether officials from the Obama administration committed federal crimes in their handling of Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, according to a senior Trump administration official.
The directive, outlined in a letter signed by Bondi, instructs a federal prosecutor to present evidence to a grand jury. However, the letter reportedly does not specify potential charges, targets of the investigation, or the grand jury’s location. There is no set timeline for when proceedings will begin, and they could take months to start. Fox News was the first to report on Bondi’s action.
The move follows statements made last month by National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard, who claimed during a White House press conference that Obama-era officials engaged in a “treasonous conspiracy” against President Donald Trump. Gabbard announced she had submitted criminal referrals to the Department of Justice.
Critics quickly denounced the investigation. A former senior Justice Department official called it a “dangerous political stunt,” while a former national security official noted that previous bipartisan reviews—including Republican-led efforts—found no criminal conduct.
“There’s no logical, rational basis for this,” said the national security official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Democratic lawmakers accused the Trump administration of using the investigation as a political distraction, particularly from the ongoing controversy surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein case. Meanwhile, some conservative media voices have criticized Trump, Bondi, and FBI Director Kash Patel, urging them to release more information related to both the Russia investigation and the Epstein matter.
A 2020 bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee report, supported by then-acting Chair Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), found no evidence of a conspiracy by the Obama administration against Trump. The committee concluded that while there was no collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia, there was clear evidence of Russian interference in the election.
“These actions appear to be part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to reframe the narrative around the 2016 election,” said one Democratic staffer. “It’s not about justice—it’s about vengeance.”
Former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan, who were involved in the initial investigations into Russia’s activities, have repeatedly denied wrongdoing. A lawyer for Comey declined to comment, and Brennan has not responded publicly to the grand jury news.
Past investigations, including a probe by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, confirmed that Russia worked to undermine Hillary Clinton’s campaign in 2016. Mueller’s investigation did not find sufficient evidence to charge anyone from Trump’s team with conspiracy. Later, a separate probe led by Special Counsel John Durham—appointed by Trump—also failed to uncover a criminal conspiracy by Obama-era intelligence officials.
Despite the findings, Trump and his supporters have continued to claim that federal agencies tried to sabotage his presidency. Trump has repeatedly called for the prosecution of Obama, Comey, Brennan, and others. Recently, he shared an AI-generated video on social media depicting Obama being arrested in the Oval Office.
The Justice Department has not commented on Bondi’s directive or the pending grand jury proceedings.
