Newly Released Memo Suggests Obama-Era Officials Knew Russia Didn’t Alter 2016 Election Outcome
Recent developments tied to the long-running investigation into alleged ties between Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia are raising serious questions about the conduct and coordination of top Obama-era officials.
A newly declassified memo, released Friday by Director of Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, indicates U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Russia did not meaningfully impact the outcome of the 2016 election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
Paul Sperry, an investigative reporter with Real Clear Investigations, shared on X (formerly Twitter) that internal communications—including emails and texts—suggest collaboration between the Obama administration and Clinton campaign operatives. These messages reportedly point to a coordinated effort in mid-2016 to dig up damaging material linking Trump to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“DEVELOPING: I’m hearing there are messages showing Clinton campaign aides were working directly with officials in the Obama White House, the State Department, the National Security Council, and the intelligence community to frame Trump with Russia allegations,” Sperry posted.
The memo, dated 2016, clearly informed then-President Barack Obama that there was no evidence suggesting foreign actors had interfered with voting systems or influenced vote tallies in any significant way. While there were concerns about potential cyber intrusions—such as an attempted breach in Illinois—the memo states these did not affect the integrity of voting or alter results in any state.
“The cyber activity targeted systems unrelated to actual vote casting, making it extremely unlikely any outcome was affected,” the document notes. It further asserts that criminal efforts fell short of the scope needed to meaningfully impact the election.
The release of these findings is being seen by some as a major vindication for Trump, who has long contended that the Russia-collusion narrative was a politically motivated smear campaign. His supporters argue the investigation—code-named Crossfire Hurricane—was used to delegitimize his presidency from the outset.
Attention is now shifting to the officials involved in launching and promoting the Russia narrative. Reports suggest that federal investigators are reviewing the roles of former CIA Director John Brennan, former FBI Director James Comey, and others. There are concerns Brennan may have misled Congress about the use of the now-debunked Steele dossier, which falsely alleged links between Trump and Russian operatives.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe stated that Brennan may have deliberately withheld important details from other agencies and pushed for including the dossier in official intelligence assessments—despite its credibility being in serious doubt.
A 200-page congressional report has reportedly been compiled following classified discussions between DOJ and intelligence officials. More materials from the Crossfire Hurricane probe, as well as from special counsel John Durham’s investigation, may soon be declassified. Durham’s 2023 report concluded there was no substantial evidence of Trump–Russia collusion.
The memo disclosed by Gabbard appears to be the first step in a broader transparency effort. Officials are also looking into whether Brennan may have committed perjury in his congressional testimony—though legal consequences could hinge on statutes of limitations or potential conspiracy charges.
“This wasn’t just about foreign interference,” said one intelligence source. “This was a domestic operation designed to undermine Trump before he took office. Obama and Clinton were involved in planning it; the FBI and CIA made it happen.”
