At a hearing, Republican members of Congress criticized Jill Murphy, FBI Deputy Assistant Director of Counterintelligence, for admitting that she had not seen special counsel John Durham’s report on the FBI’s investigation into accusations of Russian collusion in the 2016 election on behalf of former President Donald Trump.
Murphy informed August Pfluger, the House Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence Homeland Security Subcommittee Chairman, at a hearing on Tuesday that she had not read the Durham report.
Pfluger said he was speechless and remarked that he wasn’t sure what to make of this as a person who spent his career in counterintelligence.
To answer Pfluger’s question, Murphy said that she simply did not have the time read it.
The Durham report was released on May 15, revealing that the FBI did not have confirmed information or evidence when it launched a probe into Trump’s 2016 campaign.
Plfuger recommended that Murphy read it. He said there had been a four-year period addressing the uncorroborated evidence. The Durham Report specifically details the result of that. It is disappointing to hear this.
Reports show Peter Strzok, the FBI Deputy Assistant Director for Counterintelligence, was mentioned more than 100 times in the 316-page report.
Strzok, dismissed in 2018 over subversive, anti-Trump text messages, was in charge of the now-debunked Crossfire Hurricane investigation into claims that Trump’s 2016 election victory was aided by collusion with Russia.
Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) opened the meeting by questioning Murphy on her thoughts on FBI agents who believe they were discriminated against for whistleblowing on biases at the agency. The session was supposed to concentrate on dangers from the Chinese Communist Party.
Murphy expressed pride for working for the FBI and satisfaction in living in a nation with whistleblower protection legislation.
Crane remarked that he hoped that somewhere inside, she felt disgusted and embarrassed by what the FBI has been doing. Crane asked Murphy whether she felt “torn” between her pledge to defend the American people and her devotion to the agency.
She answered, ‘Not in the least.’
