DNI Ratcliffe: There ‘Should Be’ More Indictments Coming From Durham Investigation

Then-Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) speaks to media while other impeachment defense team advisers look on, at the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 27, 2020. Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times

Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said on Oct. 19 that he believes U.S. Attorney John Durham’s investigation into the origin of the Russia probe “should” result in more indictments, based on the intelligence he has access to.

“It resulted in an indictment. I think there will be more indictments,” Ratcliffe told Maria Bartiromo, the host of Fox Business’ “Mornings with Maria.” “Based on the intelligence that I have access to, I certainly believe that there should be.”

Bartiromo was asking Ratcliffe about documents that his office declassified earlier this month relating to the FBI investigation of the Trump campaign over alleged collusion with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election. That probe, which evolved into former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, yielded no evidence of collusion or cooperation between Russia and the Trump campaign.

As part of that investigation, the FBI sent spies to target members of the campaign and obtained intrusive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants against former campaign adviser Carter Page. In obtaining the warrants, the bureau used an unverified dossier compiled by a former British spy who was ultimately paid by the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign.

Durham was appointed in early 2019 to investigate the origins of the FBI’s probe of the Trump 2016 presidential campaign and to assess whether the surveillance of Page was free of improper motive. The probe was designated a formal criminal investigation later in 2019.

Kevin Clinesmith, a former FBI attorney, pleaded guilty in August to altering an email to make a false statement about Page’s status as a CIA source. An FBI special agent relied on the altered email to obtain a surveillance warrant in the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.

Apart from Clinesmith’s plea, Durham’s work has largely been behind-the-scenes, which has left people speculating about his progress and whether accountability will be achieved.

Responding to a question about Durham’s timeline and accountability, Ratcliffe said that “prosecutors shouldn’t be looking at election calendars.” He said he believes Durham is trying to carry out a “fair administration of justice.”

He added that some of the documents that “underscore the abuses of power are just coming to light.”

“I mean I just declassified some of them and that has been a process that’s been in the works,” he said.

Earlier this month, Ratcliffe said he had handed over almost 1,000 pages of materials to the Justice Department (DOJ) in support of Durham’s investigation.

“At my direction, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has now provided almost 1,000 pages of materials to the Department of Justice in response to Mr. Durham’s document requests,” Ratcliffe said in a statement.

“I will continue to ensure the Intelligence Community’s responsiveness to the DOJ’s requests.”

A day earlier, Ratcliffe declassified a pair of documents detailing a U.S. intelligence intercept of a Russian intelligence product that claimed Trump’s 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton, had approved a plan on July 26, 2016, to smear Trump by linking his campaign to an alleged hack of the Democratic National Committee by Russians.

Ivan Pentchoukov and Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.