The Open LedgerA citizen’s reference · checked October 15, 2026

R-37C Official findingOfficial findings

Reviews of the FBI’s Russia inquiry

Evidence grade C: A special counsel, Congress, an inspector general or a high court found it; never tried to a verdict on him.

What happened

On December 9, 2019, Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz found the FBI had an “authorized purpose” to open its Russia investigation and did not find “documentary or testimonial evidence that political bias or improper motivation influenced the decisions” to open it, but identified 17 “significant errors or omissions” in surveillance applications for adviser Carter Page. On May 15, 2023, Special Counsel John Durham concluded that the FBI opened a full investigation based on “raw, unanalyzed, and uncorroborated intelligence.”

Where it stands

Closed. Durham recommended no new charges or sweeping changes. One FBI lawyer, Kevin Clinesmith, pleaded guilty to altering an email; two people Durham charged were acquitted by juries.

His response

He has said Durham was exposing “the crime of the century” and says the reviews show he was the target of a politically driven investigation.

Sources

  1. CNN, May 15, 2023cnn.comhttps://www.cnn.com/2023/05/15/politics/john-durham-report-fbi-trump-released/index.html #122
  2. DOJ Inspector General, Dec. 9, 2019oig.justice.govhttps://oig.justice.gov/reports/review-four-fisa-applications-and-other-aspects-fbis-crossfire-hurricane-investigation #138
  3. NBC News, Dec. 9, 2019 (full IG report)nbcnews.comhttps://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/read-full-text-doj-ig-michael-horowitz-s-report-origins-n1098431 #231

Status checked October 15, 2026. Court cases move; before relying on a pending matter, open the source for later developments.