John Durham‘s special counsel investigation has hindered Congress as lawmakers seek to root out FBI misconduct and examine the shady business dealings of Hunter Biden, according to Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI).
Blame was cast during a recent interview on Newsmax in which Johnson vented about a dearth of successful prosecutions in Durham’s endeavor, which appears to be wrapping up as the prosecutor takes the alleged main source for a now-infamous dossier alleging ties between former President Donald Trump and Russia to court this month. The senator said he was unsatisfied, noting the lack of a conviction against lawyer Michael Sussmann, who was acquitted in May.
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“Our efforts in terms of investigating Hunter Biden, and corruption within the FBI was certainly hampered because we had an active criminal investigation under John Durham,” Johnson said.
This tracks with what Johnson said in April about congressional investigators being “denied access” to information during Durham’s inquiry and calling it a “problem.” But more information has trickled out in court.
In one significant court filing last month, Durham alleged Igor Danchenko, the Russian-born lawyer charged with five counts of making false statements tied to what he told the FBI about the dossier, was a paid confidential human source for the FBI. This led Johnson and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to request all FBI and Justice Department records related to government payments to Danchenko, counterintelligence concerns he posed, and the FBI’s decision to rely on him. The Virginia trial of Danchenko, who has pleaded not guilty, is scheduled to begin on Oct 11.
The Newsmax interview with Johnson began with hosts Sean Spicer, Trump’s first White House press secretary, and Lyndsay Keith, discussing dozens of FBI whistleblowers that Republican lawmakers say have come forward to them in recent months to raise allegations of politicization in the bureau. One of those lawmakers is Johnson, who has also investigated Hunter Biden, the adult son of President Joe Biden, and raised concerns about influence peddling.
Although Johnson suggested Durham’s investigation, which is looking for misconduct in the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation and has secured one conviction so far, poses a roadblock for congressional oversight, Republicans are gearing up for a wider investigation into the allegations of FBI malfeasance if they win control of at least one chamber in the November midterm elections.
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As for Durham, Johnson said “at a minimum” he hopes whatever report the special counsel submits by the end of his investigation to Attorney General Merrick Garland is made public.
“The American public deserves to know the truth of the corruption that was occurring within the Department of Justice and the FBI,” Johnson said.
