Information has emerged that a leading prosecutor in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s group advised the FBI against investigating the Clinton Foundation in 2016. This revelation has come forward despite multiple Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) regarding foreign transactions amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The former chief of the DOJ’s Public Integrity Section (PIN), Ray Hulser, who currently serves on Smith’s team prosecuting former President Donald Trump, was identified as the official who “declined prosecution” of the Clinton Foundation in 2016 in Special Counsel John Durham’s report.
The Durham report states that in January 2016, three separate FBI field offices initiated probes into potential criminal conduct linked to the Clinton Foundation. These investigations were grounded on intelligence reports and financial transactions that suggested a scheme of reciprocal benefits. This scheme involved substantial financial contributions to a non-profit overseen by a federal public official, purportedly in exchange for beneficial government actions.
During a meeting in February 2016, Hulser, along with other FBI officials and DOJ representatives, reviewed the evidence and decided to decline prosecution of the Clinton Foundation. Hulser later expressed that he believed the evidence was negligible and downplayed the significance of the financial reporting.
However, the Durham report reveals that the financial reporting described multiple funds transfers, some involving international bank accounts suspected of facilitating bribery or violations involving gratuity. These violations raise questions about the decision to decline prosecution and suggest that there may have been more to the investigation than initially believed.
Furthermore, it has been reported that multiple SARs related to the Clinton Foundation were filed during that time. While banks are required to file SARs, it is up to the Justice Department to determine if any criminality exists. Given the prominence of the Clinton name and the politically exposed nature of the Foundation, it is likely that these accounts were closely monitored.
The decision to discourage and ultimately decline prosecution of the Clinton Foundation investigation has raised concerns about potential political interference. Critics argue that the Obama Justice Department may have intentionally slowed the investigation and discouraged the FBI from pursuing it.
It is worth noting that Hulser’s involvement in the Clinton Foundation investigation has raised eyebrows due to his role in prosecuting former President Trump. Some believe that the decision to appoint a special counsel in Trump’s case was politically motivated, and Hulser’s actions in the Clinton Foundation investigation further support this belief.
The revelations from the Durham report shed new light on the decision-making process and suggest that further scrutiny is needed to ensure that justice is served.
