EXCLUSIVEFBI declassifies secret document revealing dramatic development in hunt for origins of Trump Russia probe
A contractor has been accused of making false claims to Congress about the origins of the probe into claims Donald Trump colluded with Russia in the 2016 election.
Nellie Ohr, who worked for strategic intelligence group Fusion GPS, was accused of falsely testifying to Congress in a newly declassified FBI document from 2019.
The allegation, obtained by the Daily Mail, reveals the bureau's Office Federal Public Corruption squad in Washington was tasked with reviewing a Congressional Criminal Referral accusing Ohr of obstructing an investigation and providing Congress with demonstrably false information.
The document outlines evidence against Ohr and indicates that it is up to the Department of Justice as to whether it might lead to a viable charge.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley responded to the document’s release with a strongly-worded statement.
'By lying to Congress, Nellie Ohr showed contempt for congressional oversight and the American people,' he told the Daily Mail.
A Congressional criminal referral accused Ohr for falsely testifying that she did not have any knowledge of an ongoing investigation of President Trump's connections to Russia and she denied sharing her research on Russia with individuals outside of Fusion GPS.
Fusion GPS was hired by the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton during the 2016 campaign to connect Trump to Russian organized crime and government interests.
This led to to the infamous 'Steele Dossier', compiled by Christopher Steele, that was ultimately shared by the Clinton campaign to Obama administration officials and a select list of journalists. The dossier became a crucial component in the FBI's covert 'Crossfire Hurricane' investigation into supposed Trump links with Russia.
Fusion GPS contractor Nellie Ohr (C) arrives for a closed-door interview with investigators from the House Judiciary and Oversight committees in the Rayburn House Office
New evidence surrounding Fusion GPS contractor Nellie Ohr was declassified
The new document provides details of her testimony that could serve as evidence to charge Ohr with a crime, such as lying to Congress or obstructing a congressional investigation.
Grassley criticized the FBI and Department of Justice for failing to hold Ohr accountable.
'[T]he FBI and DOJ’s failure to hold Ohr accountable for appearing to commit multiple felonies and its obstructive conduct against agents that sought additional information reveals the agencies’ deeply disturbing political bias,' Grassley added.
'Ohr never suffered consequences for advancing the phony Trump-Russia narrative and attempting to cover up her involvement in the hoax.'
Grassley's longstanding efforts to provide transparency in the Crossfire Hurricane investigation of Trump is bearing additional fruit, as he is now working with Trump's appointees at the FBI and the Justice Department to expose allegedly questionable behavior from the Obama and Biden administrations.
'The DOJ’s inaction on Nellie Ohr’s criminal referral – despite the obviously incriminating evidence provided in the FBI’s own analysis – undermines public trust in the rule of law,' he wrote. 'I applaud Director Patel, Attorney General Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Blanche for cooperating with my request to declassify this information, which is in the public’s interest, and chart a new course for transparency and accountability at the FBI and DOJ.'
According to the FBI analysis, Ohr testified she 'would not have any knowledge of what [was] going on in an ongoing investigation' at DOJ and would not 'have any knowledge of the Department of Justice’s investigations on Russia.' She also denied she shared her research with her husband, DOJ attorney Bruce Ohr, and Christopher Steele.
The investigation revealed that Ohr provided a thumb drive of all her Fusion GPS research to her husband Bruce Ohr, who worked as the Associate Deputy Attorney General at the time of the case and that she was aware of the ongoing effort by the Justice Department to investigate.
As a couple, according to the FBI document, Bruce and Nellie Ohr routinely traveled together and associated with similar sources, as she conducted her work with FusionGPS while her husband continued his work at the Justice Department.
As a former CIA analyst, Nellie Ohr was heavily engaged in investigating Carter Page, Michael Flynn, and Paul Manafort's engagements and travel with Russia and communications with Russian officials.
The investigation revealed that Nellie Ohr also sent her husband Bruce multiple emails with attached documents of her research, who then forwarded the information to the Justice Department.
Attorney General Pam Bondi meets with Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Sen. Chuck Grassley
FBI Director Kash Patel
The FBI document provides that in In one July 6, 2016 email, Nellie Ohr emailed her husband an article about Trump's connections to Russia and bolded the following sentence for emphasis.
'If Putin wanted to concoct the ideal candidate to service his purposes, his laboratory creation would look like Donald Trump,' it read.
Nellie Ohr also testified she purchased a Ham radio and took classes to obtain a license to operate it for 'emergency communications' that were 'well before' taking a job at Fusion GPS, but subsequent research revealed it took place during her employment, according to the document.
Her husband Bruce Ohr was heavily involved with the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation that focused on Trump's connections to Russia.
The document reveals that Ohr also communicated with three DOJ Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Section (OCDETF) prosecutors on the case.
Another email revealed that DOJ prosecutors reached out to Nellie Ohr via her husband Bruce to see if his wife would be interested in participating in an interview on the subject and to affirm there would be no conflict of interest between the two parties.
Bruce Ohr forwarded the request to his wife that read, 'Hi honey! I trust you are okay with this? Love, B.'
'Sure!' she replied in an email and then added another email that read, 'Cool.'
A handful of emails show that Nellie Ohr worked in close contact with the Department of Justice to provide them information about Trump and Russia, according to the FBI document.
In an April 11, 2016 email, Nellie Ohr revealed she had communicated with DOJ prosecutors.
'I enjoyed talking with them and am thinking about potential future conversations,' she wrote.
