Trump-Era Special Counsel John Durham Calls FBI Russia-Links Probe 'Sobering' In Testimony

Special counsel John Durham, who criticized the FBI’s inquiry into potential connections between Russia and the 2016 presidential campaign of Donald Trump, on Wednesday was grilled by the House Democrats. 

What Happened: Durham testified for over five hours before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday over the details of the 306-page report released last month.

"I want to emphasize in the strongest terms possible that my colleagues and I carried out our work in good faith with integrity and in the spirit of following the facts wherever they lead without fear or favor," Durham testified. 

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"At no time and in no sense did we act with the purpose to further partisan or political ends."

“As we said in the report, our findings were sobering,” Durham said, adding — “I can tell you, having spent 40 years plus as a prosecutor, they were particularly sobering to me.”

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Published on May 15 after a thorough investigation lasting four years, the report found that the FBI should have initiated a preliminary investigation instead of a comprehensive one regarding the relationship between Trump and Russia. Durham also criticized the department for showing a double standard in its examination of foreign interference in Trump’s campaign compared to that of Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate at the time.

Durham’s testimony sparked a heated debate between Democrats and Republicans regarding the special counsel’s investigation. This hearing marked Durham’s second appearance on Capitol Hill this week, as he had previously participated in a closed-door session with the House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday night to address potential revisions to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

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