Thank broadband support cspan as a Public Service along with these other television providers. Giving you a front row seat to democracy. Next the Justice Department former special counsel jon durham testifies before the House Judiciary Committee on his investigation of the fbi probe into alleged connections between the 2016 trump President Campaign and russian operatives. Mr. Durhams testimony follows the release of his final report should categorize the basis for the investigation as quote seriously flawed. [background noises] [background noises] s may have come to order that objects in the chair is authorized to declare recess at any time for the welcome it at todays hearing on the report of the special counsel jon durham. The chair now recognize a judgment from alabama to leaders in the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the 19th of america. And to the republic for which it stands one nation under god indivisible with liberty and justice for all. If chair is recognized for an Opening Statement three years ago and 11 months joint 24, 2010 bob miller sat in this room in that chair and told this committee no none. What did the democrats say . We dont care. We are going to keep going after President Trump in fact they did not even wait one day for the next day the phone call between President Trump and president zelenskyy became the basis for their impeachment. Republican said maybe, maybe instead of the never ending attacks on President Trump, maybe the country would be better off if we figured out how the whole false trump should narrative started. After two andnd half years of te Mueller Investigation , lawyers, 40 agents, 30 million they found nothing, maybe we should figure out how the whole lie started . Thats exactly what mr. Durham has done. In his report he tells how the dossier was funded pretty told us to funded it. Bigger the fbi was to use it. How they put the dossier in a fisa draft application just two days after receiving it. He told us that not one, not one single substantive allegation in the dossier was ever corroborated. Never validated. Yet it was used, is to spy on an american Citizen Associated with the president ial campaign. He told us there is no proper predicate for opening the crust barricade investigation and maybe most importantly, he told us the fbi, the preeminent Law Enforcement agency in the world failed. Failed in its fundamental mission of adherence rule of law. And unfortunately i think once again the democrats will say we dont care. It does not matter. We are never going to stop going after President Trump. In fact, eight days ago we saw how far they are willing to go. With the indictment of President Trump. But frankly this should not insurprise us. They told us their objective. It was an agent on the case of crossfire hurricane you told us what their objective was. We already text message were he said dont worry, we will stop trump. It started with the crossfire hurricane investigation. Mr. Dershowitz and his told us how wrong thatha was. Now we have an indictment of a formerta president whos winning in every single pole by hisdu opponents Justice Department. In between those two events with the Mueller Investigation, we had impeachment. We had 51 former intel officials falsely tell us the biden laptop was russia disinformation. We had a raid on President Trumps home and of course and got alvins ridiculous case in newfa york. Seven years, nothing has changed. Dont believe me . We interviewed steven former head of the Washington Field office in the trump class in a document case began. He told the committee, interviewed just two weeks ago two weekste ago today he told te committee that when he asked the department of justice why aew certain note u. S. Attorney assigned to the Trump Classified document case . Headquarters said because we are running it. He suggested the mammy field office to the rate sent in the washington from the Washington Field office to mimic about the Miami Field Office do it headquarters said no he suggested there should not be a raid anddo said that she contine to work with President Trumps lawyers. Once again headquarters said no. He even said how about when we get there, when we arrive at president p trumps home we then call his lawyer and we do the search together . Again headquarters saidt no. Another interesting fact a lawyer turned down his request happens to be the same person who is alleged to have pressured the attorney representing a trump employee about a judgeship. Nothing has changed and frankly they are never going to stop at seven years of attacking trump a scary enough. But what is more frightening from anyone of us could be next. In fact it has already started. Parents at School Board Meetings are terrorists. Prolife catholics are extremists even journalists are not safe. Federal trade commission, 13 letters one at g twitter sitting who are the journalist you are talking to . Think about that thinning for people personally to come and testify in front of this committee. While they in front of this Committee Democrats are asking them to reveal their sources. I think First Amendment principles. One of them while hes sitting at that table testifying to the Judiciary Committee the irs is knocking on his door. Parents, catholics, journalists, guess who gets it the worst . Just a guess at the worst . Whistleblowers. If you dare come forward and Tell Congress what was going on, look out. They will come for you but theyll take your clearance for theyll take your paper theyll even take your kids close just ask Garrett Oboyle testified in front of this committee as well. Over the next few hours were in on how the facts and details about the whole false trump russian narrative the crossfire hurricane investigation. And hopefully hopefully will help change things at the department of justice. But regardless of what the Biden Administration and the Justice Department do i know republicans in the house are committed to doing. We will work to dramatically change the fisa law and we will do everything we can and the appropriations process to stop the federal government from going after the American People. Now it recognize the Ranking Member for an Opening Statement. But thank you, mr. Chairman. Oniz june 8, a grand jury mammy indicted former President Trump on 37 counts related to hisis mishandling of extraordinarily Sensitive National security information. Including information regarding defense and weapons capabilities for both United States and foreign countries. Denies itsna Nuclear Programs potential vulnerabilities of the United States and its allies to military attack, and plans to possible retaliation in response to foreign attack. According to the indictment the unauthorized disclosure these classified documents could put at risk the National Security of the United States, foreign relations, the safety of the United States military, and Human Resources the continued viability of sensitive intelligence collection methods. And indeed the indictment goes on to describe how the former president made such on authorizednd disclosures. Even if you believe, is chairman jordan claims, that President Trump has committed no crime surely you can agree it is dangerous and profoundly irresponsible to have taken these documents from the white house and left them unsecure in maralago. Dont take just my word for it. Trump secretary of defense mike jett mark esper said the former president handling of misinformation with u. S. Service members lives interNational Security at risk. Trump handpicked attorney general bill barr with whom i agree on very little hit the nail on the head when he described the former presents legal troubles as quote entirely of his own making. No right to these documents. The government tried for over a year quietly with respect to get them back he jerked them around. We face a subpoena he did not raise any legal arguments. He engaged in deceitful conduct is a clear crime those allegations are true. The former president could have it any time simply return the documents and avoidede prosecution. House republicans do not want to t that. Ut any of they seem incapable of assigning any Agency Responsibility to donald trump problems that are trumps and trumpst alone. Instead republicans have planned this hearing and constructed an entire post narrative around the work of special counsel jerome in an effort to distract the former president s legal troubles and mislead the American Public. To be clear the germ report is by itself a deeply flawed vessel. After four years thousands of employee hours and more than six and half Million Dollars in taxpayer dollars special counsel durham did not uncover in any wrongdoing or what did not already found in 2019. He brought just two cases to trial and loss in both. Both defendants were acquitted in mere hours. A single conviction of special counsel durham attained single charge of lying to the fbi. Case developed and handed to him by the Inspector General one resolved by a quick plea bargain. Report itself outlined some fairly glaring investigative missteps. Neveri apparently it looked at a thumb drive and key oevidence related to allegatios of contact between the Trump Campaign and the russian government by a russian cell phone. Report the fbi ever examine questionable computer contacts between the Trump Organization and alphabeta, were the largest banks in russia. The report fails to recommend ax single remedial measure the Justice Department or the fbi might take to address certain process relateded concerned. Largely because d. O. J. And fbi have already implemented the changes recommended by the Inspector General three and half yearsoc ago. Now i understand that like the former president , many maga republicans have a lot riding on the durhamth investigation. I understand they might bew disappointed with where it landed. That is no excuse for making things up. Firstly germ report unequivocally concludes the fbi not only had the evidence to open an investigation into russian interference in the 2016 election, but actually had an affirmative obligation to investigate ties between the russian government and the Trump Campaign. It is simply not true some republicans have claimed the germ report suggests this should not have been investigation. Affirmative obligation, those were mr. Germs words not mine. Secondly germ report shows the fbi began its investigation went aid to the Trump Campaign disclosed may 2016 the campaign new russia had thousands of emails thats would embarrass Hillary Clinton. The aide bragged about it in a bar and a strained diplomatic over there mark reported in the investigation began. It simply not true is the most extreme voices in this room have claimed the investigation was somehow launched by the Clinton Campaign. That is a particular Conspiracy Theory thats off for several months. Nor is it true the fbi was posted truck from the beginning for example the germ report tells us the fbi encouraged the confidential human source to infiltrate the Clinton Campaign not the Trump Campaign and take steps to entrap unsuccessfully aide to secretary clinton. The stories right there pages 74 and 75 of the report. I suspect we will not hear word about it from House Republicans today because it does not fit the megan ericag narrative. Finally nothing in the germ report disputes essential findings of special Counsel Robert Mueller namely russia interfered in 2016 election it did so to help donald trump in the Trump Campaign welcome to this interference. The last point is important because it tells us how mr. Germ became special counsel the first place. It goes to the heart of the fully false narrative of maga victimhood. The day special counsel mueller began his work donald trump and his political allies railed against the imagine conspiracy against the former president. The russia investigation was a set up. It was ahi witchhunt, obama did it. We need to investigate the investigators. Then came the muellerrm report. The Mueller Report was delivered to attorney general barr on friday march 22, 2019. The next monday mr. Durham was in barrs office, a week later a collie emailed mr. Germ to ask about quote the project that durham and barb are working on. But we on this committee are fighting to get access to the Mueller Report mr. Durham was already working on investigation to undercut its central findings. A few weeks later Trump Administration announced mr. Germs investigation into the investigators. By august 2019 mr. Germ attorney general barr on a plane to europe jointly cutting down nonexistent evidence of Donald Trumps deep state conspiracy theories. If the duo ever found evidence proving donald trump was rightne all along, that evidence certainly never made it into the germ report. It has been alleged however they found evidence implicating the former president certain financial crimes during their trip. Incidentally that information to is missing for mr. Germs final pages. We did not donald trump evidence state conspiracy, is to germ gate in the next best thing. A public narrative with Hillary Clinton as the villain. Over the ensuing years mrs. Germ conducted a flimsy story but on shaking inferences and dog whistles far right conspiracy theories. He lost both times he took the case to trial by prolong its investigation durham was able to keep Donald Trumps talking points in the news long after trump left office. The approach d. O. J. Norms protecting the reputation of the agency and the cavalier disregard for the privacy and reputational rights of others mr. Germs investigation operated as headline generator for maga republicans. This for your investigation, mrd respected general conclusion the fbi was warranted in opening a full investigation and a violation of d. O. J. Rules protecting investigations from appearances of political bias. Mr. Germ similar at fighting guidelines designed to protect third parties from reputational injury when he is the two indictments to accuse the Clinton Campaign of a vast conspiracy to tightrope to russia. At the end of the date mr. Germ germ never found what he was lookingmp for. You cannot dispute a single conclusion in the Mueller Report. You cannot prove a magnificent state conspiracy he cannot say the fbi investigation into the Trump Campaign many ties to russia never should have happened. And again i could see why this to be disappointing to some. Instead of owning up to his failure, germ report doubles out on theories that lost spectacularly before to unanimous juries. The report references classified material for likelyfo disinformation though at a series of accusations and is a former resident perceived enemies. By presenting the socalled findings in this way, republican bogeyman and hiding Inconvenient Truth in footnotes the germ report gives donald trump won last talking point. Does not have to be this way. Maybe hard to remember at the outset of the germ investigation mr. Germ was a wellrespected career prosecutor with a solid reputation the attorney general was supposed to point special counsel to prevent the appearance of a criminal investigation. Mr. Germ could have will lift up expectation. Instead what we got was a political exercise that operating with ethical ambiguity and existing to protect perpetuate donald trump synthetic claims. Investigations failed in its political objectives but did real damage to a department that is still recovering from the excesses of the trumpms administration. And despite mr. Germs best efforts a reckoning is well underway. Do not be misled present donald trump is not a victim. He did this to himself. For all its flaws the germ report does not show anyone else is responsible for the president s legal woes. Past, present, future. Anyone who t