In a heated exchange on Wednesday, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) tore into Special Counsel John Durham, going as far as to suggest the prosecutor was engaging in a “cover-up” of the Russia investigation.
Durham was appearing before the House Judiciary Committee to testify about his report, which heavily criticized the FBI‘s probe into alleged links between Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and Russia.
When Gaetz was called to question the witness, the congressman focused on areas of great interest to Republicans that Durham’s years-long inquiry apparently failed to resolve.
.@RepMattGaetz accuses former Special Counsel John Durham as being part of a "cover-up" regarding the FBI's investigation. Mr. Durham responded, calling the accusation "offensive." pic.twitter.com/N6f5UiYO0P
— CSPAN (@cspan) June 21, 2023
Gaetz inquired about Joseph Mifsud, a mysterious professor whose alleged talk of Russia having “dirt” on Trump’s 2016 rival Hillary Clinton to Trump campaign adviser George Papadopolous kicked off a series of events that led to the FBI’s investigation, codenamed Crossfire Hurricane. Special counsel Robert Mueller said Mifsud was a London-based professor with “connections to Russia,” but some GOP investigators suspect him of being tied to Western intelligence.
Durham said his team struggled to track down Mifsud for an interview. Though Durham said he obtained some phones, he noted Mifsud’s lawyer in Europe claimed to not know where his client was located. “We pursued the facts as best we could with the tools that we had,” Durham said.
Gaetz also pressed Durham on phones used by members of Mueller’s team being wiped. Durham said he did not investigate that issue because it was outside his scope, an assertion that Gaetz argued was untrue. Durham was similarly tight-lipped about a reported government investigator sent by the FBI to make contact with Papadopolous.
“We get after it was put in motion, the FBI did a bunch of wrong and corrupt things. Totally understand. We’re trying to deal with that. But when you are part of the cover-up, Mr. Durham, then it makes our job harder,” Gaetz said.
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“I mean if that’s your thought, there’s no way of dissuading from that,” Durham replied. “I can tell you that it’s offensive and the people who worked on this investigation spent their lives trying to protect the people in this country and pursued within the law to pursue what it is we were authorized to do.”
The clash continued as Gaetz faulted Durham for not being more zealous in charging people. He specifically name-dropped former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who played a central role in the Russia investigation.
Gaetz also said Kevin Clinesmith, the former FBI lawyer who pleaded guilty to falsifying a document used to justify FISA surveillance on onetime Trump campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page, is already back to practicing law in Washington, D.C.
“The punishment was insufficient,” Gaetz said.
After making references to the Washington Generals, the exhibition basketball team that Gaetz said “basically gets paid to show up and lose” to the Harlem Globetrotters, the congressman criticized Durham for the “omissions” in his report and the overall “lack of work” by the special counsel.
“And for the people, like the chairman [Jim Jordan], who put trust in you, I think you let them down,” Gaetz said. “I think you let the country down. And you are one of the barriers to the true accountability that we need.”