WASHINGTON — The spouse of a former Justice Division official gave “demonstrably false” testimony to Congress about her involvement in drafting and disseminating since-debunked dossiers about Donald Trump’s purported collusion with Russia in 2016, in accordance with a bombshell trove of inside FBI data launched Wednesday by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).
Nellie Ohr labored for analysis agency Fusion GPS when it was employed within the lead-up to the 2016 election to dig up filth on the Trump marketing campaign’s alleged hyperlinks to Russian organized crime — however later advised a Home panel she had no data of the DOJ’s parallel investigation into the matter.
Proof assembled by the FBI signifies that Ohr helped compile two dossiers — tincluding the infamous file pushed by former MI6 agent Christopher Steele — that helped launch the bureau’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation.
The Fusion GPS analysis repeated errors or included data much like these found later within the Steele file.
Ohr additionally despatched emails — a few of which she later deleted — on to DOJ prosecutors, not all of whom she admitted to interacting with in subsequent congressional testimony.
Ohr’s husband Bruce, then a deputy affiliate lawyer common, additionally obtained emails in addition to a thumb drive from Nellie containing Fusion GPS analysis that was handed on to the FBI.
The couple additionally personally met Steele on the Mayflower Lodge in Washington on July 30, 2016, and mentioned allegations — later relayed to the bureau — that Trump marketing campaign aide Carter Web page had met with Russian officers and that Kremlin intelligence had the Republican candidate “over a barrel.”
Whereas the Ohrs invoked spousal privilege earlier than Congress on the query of whether or not they mentioned the Trump-Russia probe, the declassified FBI recordsdata put out by Grassley reveal the bureau decided there was “little distinction” between the couple’s skilled and private lives.
“There’s possible trigger to consider that Bruce and Nellie did talk with one another about their respective exercise in furtherance of the Russia-collusion investigations and/or narrative,” the 43-page FBI doc written in September of 2019 states.
The data had been compiled in response to a legal referral made that 12 months by then-Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) that claimed Nellie Ohr knowingly gave false testimony about her involvement with the collusion investigation to the Home Judiciary and Oversight Committees in October 2018.
The Justice Division by no means prosecuted Ohr. In November 2019, the division did safe the conviction of Trump ally Roger Stone for mendacity to congressional investigators amid their probe.
“Ohr by no means suffered penalties for advancing the phony Trump-Russia narrative and trying to cowl up her involvement within the hoax,” Grassley mentioned in a press release. “But repeatedly, the American justice system has been weaponized towards President Trump and his associates with reckless abandon.”
“The DOJ’s inaction on Nellie Ohr’s legal referral — regardless of the clearly incriminating proof supplied within the FBI’s personal evaluation — undermines public belief within the rule of legislation,” he added.
Grassley additionally thanked FBI Director Kash Patel, Lawyer Common Pam Bondi and Deputy Lawyer Common Todd Blanche for declassifying the bureau’s inside investigative findings.
Bruce Ohr was demoted twice and resigned from his DOJ function earlier than he might be fired in October 2020, following a disciplinary referral about his conduct from Inspector Common Michael Horowitz.
The Publish reached out to Nellie and Bruce Ohr for remark.
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