FBI Unit Leading Mar-a-Lago Probe Earlier Ran Discredited Trump-Russia Investigation

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Theย FBIย division overseeing the investigation of former President Trumpโ€™s handling of classified material at his Mar-a-Lago residence is also a focus of Special Counsel John Durhamโ€™s investigation of the bureauโ€™s alleged abuses of power and political bias during its years-longย Russiagateย probe of Trump.

The FBIโ€™s nine-hour, 30-agent raid of the former presidentโ€™s Florida estate is part of a counterintelligence case run out of Washingtonโ€”not Miami, as has been widely reportedโ€”according to FBI case documents and sources with knowledge of the matter. The bureauโ€™s counterintelligence division led the 2016โ€“2017 Russia โ€œcollusionโ€ investigation of Trump, codenamed โ€œCrossfire Hurricane.โ€

Although the former head of Crossfire Hurricane, Peter Strzok, was fired after the disclosure of his vitriolic anti-Trump tweets, several members of his team remain working in the counterintelligence unit, the sources say, even though they are under active investigation by both Durham and the bureauโ€™s disciplinary arm, the Office of Professional Responsibility. The FBI declined to respond to questions about any role they may be taking in the Mar-a-Lago case.

In addition, a key member of the Crossfire teamโ€”Supervisory Intelligence Analyst Brian Autenโ€”has continued to be involved in politically sensitive investigations, including the ongoing federal probe of potentially incriminating content found on the abandoned laptop of President Bidenโ€™s son Hunter Biden, according to recent correspondence between the Senate Judiciary Committee and FBI Director Christopher Wray. FBI whistleblowers have alleged that Auten tried to falsely discredit derogatory evidence against Hunter Biden during the 2020 campaign by labeling it Russian โ€œdisinformation,โ€ an assessment that caused investigative activity to cease.

Auten has been allowed to work on sensitive cases even though he has been under internal investigationย since 2019, when Justice Departmentย Inspector General Michael Horowitz referred him for disciplinary review for hisย role in vetting a Hillary Clinton campaign-funded dossier used by the FBI toย obtain a series of wiretap warrants to spyย on former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. Horowitz singledย outย Auten forย cutting a number of cornersย in the verification process and even allowing information he knew to beย incorrect slip into warrant affidavitsย and mislead the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court.

Byย Paul Sperry

Read Full Article on RealClearInvestigations.com

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