THE UNRAVELING: Declassified documents expose Russiagate as a manufactured scandal
By willowt // 2025-09-18
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  • Newly declassified documents reveal a coordinated effort between government officials and media to promote the false Trump-Russia collusion narrative.
  • The released annex from the Durham Report details how the Hillary Clinton campaign approved a plan to smear Donald Trump with Russian allegations.
  • FBI memos show close relationships between officials like Adam Schiff and James Comey and reporters who published Pulitzer-winning stories later debunked.
  • Investigations into the classified leaks were hampered by procedural failures and claims of congressional immunity, resulting in zero prosecutions.
  • A senior intelligence whistleblower alleges being pressured to endorse the false Intelligence Community Assessment on Russian interference.
In a revelation that vindicates years of conservative claims, a trove of recently declassified documents has laid bare the extensive collusion between elements of the Obama-era government and compliant media outlets to fabricate and propagate the narrative of Trump-Russia collusion. The release, spearheaded by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, centers on an annex to Special Counsel John Durham’s 2023 report and internal FBI memos. These documents collectively paint a picture of a politically motivated operation, initiated by the Clinton campaign and executed by high-level intelligence and congressional figures, which leveraged classified information and a credulous press to undermine a sitting president from his first day in office.

The Clinton campaign’s “approved plan”

The most damning evidence comes from the declassified annex to the Durham Report. It reveals that the entire scandal originated not from intelligence findings but from a political opposition strategy. A now-declassified memo states that the Hillary Clinton campaign “approved a plan proposed by one of her foreign policy advisors ... to ‘smear Donald Trump by magnifying the scandal tied to the intrusion by the Russian special services in the pre-election process to benefit the Republican candidate.'” This plan, as documented by Durham, was “ultimately done through the Steele Dossier and other means.” Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed the documents show “possible coordination between the Clinton campaign and the Obama administration to interfere with the 2016 presidential election.” Former CIA Director John Ratcliffe stated the information proves there was “a coordinated plan to prevent and destroy Donald Trump’s presidency.” Sen. Grassley labeled the scheme “one of the biggest political scandals and cover-ups in American history,” criticizing the FBI for failing to adequately investigate the intelligence it received about the Clinton campaign’s activities.

The media’s complicit role

Simultaneously, declassified FBI investigative memos detail how this manufactured narrative was laundered to the public through a cozy relationship between leakers and reporters. The documents show that selected journalists, including the Washington Post’s Ellen Nakashima and the New York Times’ Michael Schmidt, were the beneficiaries of a systematic campaign to leak classified and often misleading information. According to the memos, then-Congressman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) allegedly played a key role. An FBI informant, a longtime Democratic staffer on the House Intelligence Committee identified as Robert Minehart, testified that in a February 2017 meeting, “SCHIFF stated that the group would leak classified information which was derogatory to President of the United States Donald J. Trump.” The goal, the informant said, was to “topple the administration.” The memos allege that Schiff’s staff, including Rheanne Wirkkala, used “read rooms” at intelligence agencies to gather material for leaks, sometimes funneling it through cut-outs like spouses to avoid detection. Wirkkala’s husband, a reporter, was allegedly used to broker information to Nakashima. Similarly, the documents describe a “cozy relationship” between the Times’ Schmidt and Daniel Richman, a close friend of former FBI Director James Comey, who acted as a conduit for Comey to leak classified memos to the press.

A whistleblower’s battle for truth

Adding a critical layer to the scandal, DNI Tulsi Gabbard released the firsthand account of a senior intelligence community whistleblower who fought for six years to expose the manipulation of intelligence. This official detailed being pressured by a supervisor to endorse the January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) on Russian interference—which they knew was based on discredited information—with the implied promise of a promotion for compliance. “I could not concur in good conscience based on information available” that Russia preferred Trump, the whistleblower stated. The account highlights flawed practices, such as selectively using Russian media to support the Trump-Russia theory while ignoring negative coverage of Trump from allied nations' media. Despite reporting these concerns to over a dozen government offices, including the IC Inspector General and Special Counsel Durham, the whistleblower’s attempts were ignored until now.

Ineffective investigations and institutional failure

Perhaps most alarming is the evidence that investigations into these illegal leaks were systematically botched. A review found that despite at least seven leak probes, not a single prosecution for espionage or mishandling secrets occurred. Investigators failed to seize key evidence like encrypted messages from phones, limited their search parameters to exclude crucial time periods, and—most strikingly—never sought the communication records of the members of Congress under suspicion, Reps. Schiff and Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.). The probe was reportedly hamstrung by a novel legal claim from a House lawyer that congressional aides had immunity from prosecution under the Constitution’s “speech or debate clause,” leading investigators to apply “filter procedures” that protected key suspects. This ensured that the full truth would remain buried for years.

A scandal finally exposed

The cumulative weight of these declassified documents is immense. They confirm that the Russiagate narrative was a political fabrication, weaponized by partisans within the government and amplified by a willing media apparatus. The subsequent investigations were not a pursuit of justice but a cover-up that protected the perpetrators. For the American public, these revelations are a stark lesson in how powerful institutions can be manipulated to subvert democracy and attack political opponents. The long-delayed pursuit of accountability and transparency, now underway, is essential to restoring trust and ensuring such a deep-state orchestrated coup attempt can never happen again. Sources for this article include: TheNationalPulse.com TheEpochTimes.com HighlandCountryPress.com
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