Washington, D.C. — Attorney General Pam Bondi has requested that federal prosecutors launch a grand jury inquiry into whether officials from the Obama administration engaged in criminal behavior surrounding their evaluations of Russian activities during the 2016 election, according to a senior official in the Trump administration.

This directive follows a statement made by National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard, who alleged at a recent White House briefing that prominent Obama-era officials participated in what she termed a “treasonous conspiracy” against then-President Donald Trump. Gabbard also announced plans to submit criminal referrals to the Justice Department related to these claims.

Critics of the administration, including a former senior Justice Department official, have labeled this move as a “dangerous political stunt.” They point out that numerous investigations, including those led by individuals from the Republican Party, have uncovered no evidence of wrongdoing by the previous administration. One such official noted that the basis for the grand jury inquiry lacks both logic and rationale.

The official indicated that while an official letter from Bondi instructs a federal prosecutor to begin the grand jury proceedings, specifics remain unclear. The document does not disclose which individuals are being investigated, the nature of potential charges, or the timeline for when the grand jury will commence its work.

A spokesperson for the Justice Department refrained from commenting on the inquiry. Meanwhile, some Democratic lawmakers have suggested that the administration is seeking to draw attention away from the unfolding Jeffrey Epstein case, amidst growing criticisms regarding its handling of sensitive documents related to the matter.

Former President Trump, Bondi, and FBI Director Kash Patel have faced backlash from conservative media for their management of the Epstein investigation. This situation has intensified calls for greater transparency surrounding related documents.

A bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee report from 2020 contradicted assertions that the Obama administration conspired against Trump, affirming that Russia indeed interfered in the election to support Trump’s candidacy. This review was approved by then-Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida, who served as acting chair of the committee at the time.

The move to initiate a grand jury investigation is part of a broader strategy by the Trump administration to reinterpret the events of the 2016 election while simultaneously targeting those deemed responsible for undermining Trump’s initial term in office. Democratic leaders and former officials have criticized this as an attempt to distort historical narratives regarding Russian interference.

Throughout Trump’s presidency, he and his supporters have maintained that intelligence agencies overstated Russian involvement in the 2016 election in a bid to weaken his administration. Trump has attributed motives of sabotage to former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan, accusing them of misconduct without substantiation.

While multiple investigations, including one led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, confirmed Russian interference, they failed to establish that Trump or his campaign colluded with Russian operatives. Conversely, the special counsel appointed during Trump’s presidency, John Durham, found no basis for claims of conspiracy among Obama administration officials related to the intelligence assessments.

Trump frequently portrayed former President Barack Obama and his associates in a negative light, even staging visuals of them in prison attire while calling for their imprisonment, further complicating the political landscape as investigations proceed.