WASHINGTON – Two senior Senate Republicans, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and John Cornyn of Texas, have formally urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to appoint a special counsel. Their demand centers on an investigation into whether the Obama administration manipulated national security intelligence to influence the 2016 presidential election in favor of Hillary Clinton. This push comes amidst new declassified intelligence that challenges previous narratives surrounding Russian interference.
The call for a special counsel follows recent declassifications by Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard. Gabbard's released evidence reportedly demonstrates that former President Barack Obama and his national security staff manipulated intelligence community information. The alleged manipulation aimed to insinuate that Russia was attempting to aid then-candidate Donald Trump in the 2016 election.
Senator Cornyn, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, stated that "appointing an independent special counsel would do the country a tremendous service." He added, "With every piece of information that gets released, it becomes more evident that the entire Russia collusion hoax was created by the Obama Administration to subvert the will of the American people." The senators argue that these claims are serious enough to warrant an independent investigation.
The allegations suggest a "treasonous conspiracy," according to DNI Tulsi Gabbard, as quoted in the original tweet. Senator Cornyn further characterized the alleged actions as a "clear abuse of power." These strong accusations underscore the gravity with which the Republican senators view the newly revealed information.
Conversely, the Obama camp has dismissed these claims, with a spokesperson stating that such accusations are "nonsense." While intelligence reviews have previously concluded that Russia did seek to influence the 2016 contest, the new declassified information focuses on the alleged internal manipulation of intelligence by the Obama administration. The ongoing debate highlights deep partisan divisions regarding the origins and handling of information related to the 2016 election.