Election security

How John Brennan, James Clapper, and Adam Schiff did the heavy lifting for Russia

The Justice Department has released special counsel Robert Mueller’s report after an investigation that took nearly two years to complete.

In a press conference on Thursday, Attorney General William Barr said, "The Special Counsel’s report states that his 'investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.'”

Many of President Trump’s critics had alleged for years that Trump's 2016 campaign colluded with the Russian government, most notably two Obama administration officials: former CIA Director John Brennan and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.

In March 2018, Brennan said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that the Russians possibly "have something" damaging on Trump as justification for why the president was conducting himself a certain way with respect to dealing with Russia.

In June 2017, Clapper said the Watergate scandal "pales" in comparison to the investigation into Trump's 2016 campaign.

House Democrats such as Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., made the same allegations in an interview with CNN, saying in December 2017, "We do know this: The Russians offered help, the campaign accepted help. The Russians gave help, and the president made full use of that help. And that is pretty damning whether it is proof beyond a reasonable doubt of conspiracy or not."