Durham probe: 46 Republican senators urge DOJ to remain independent

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Durham report alleges claims against Clinton campaign lawyer Sussmann

Fox News correspondent David Spunt has the latest on allegations against Michael Sussmann on 'Special Report.'

Special Counsel John Durham must have prosecutorial independence and all the resources necessary to complete his investigation into the origins of the Russia probe, GOP senators said Wednesday in a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., authored the letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland that was signed by 45 other GOP senators, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. The senators call on Garland to provide assurances that Durham's work can continue, especially after a new court filing revealed Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign allegedly paid a technology company to mine data in an attempt to establish an "inference" and "narrative" tying then-presidential candidate Trump to Russia. 

CLINTON CAMPAIGN PAID TO 'INFILTRATE' TRUMP TOWER, WHITE HOUSE SERVERS TO LINK TRUMP TO RUSSIA, DURHAM FINDS

"Special Counsel Durham continues to uncover alarming information related to the origins of the FBI investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections," the senators wrote to Garland. 

U.S. Attorney John Durham outside federal court in New Haven, Connecticut. (Bob MacDonnell/Hartford Courant/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

"Those findings include the highly concerning, and potentially criminal, manipulation and exploitation of federal law enforcement resources to target American citizens, including a presidential candidate, based upon fabricated evidence that had been procured and disseminated by individuals closely connected with a rival political campaign," the senators continued. 

Scott has previously demanded accountability from Clinton’s campaign for allegedly spying on Trump. 

Sen. Rick Scott speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill on May 26, 2021. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

"They spied, and they lied," Scott said Tuesday at the Capitol. "We need accountability. We need accountability for the Clinton campaign."

SENATOR CALLS FOR HILLARY CLINTON ACCOUNTABILITY: 'THEY SPIED AND THEY LIED'

Durham revealed in a court filing on Feb. 11 that techies working for the Clinton campaign were mining internet servers and data at the White House and Trump Tower for the purpose of gathering derogatory information about Trump. They were trying to establish an "inference" and "narrative" about Trump and Russia, the court filing said.

For her part, Clinton has said the latest Durham filing is a "fake scandal" drummed up by Fox News and Trump.

"Trump & Fox are desperately spinning up a fake scandal to distract from his real ones," Clinton tweeted Wednesday. "So it’s a day that ends in Y."

HILLARY CLINTON REACTS TO DURHAM FILING, SAYS TRUMP, FOX NEWS 'DESPERATELY SPINNING UP A FAKE SCANDAL'

"The more his misdeeds are exposed, the more they lie," Clinton tweeted, linking out to a piece published in Vanity Fair. "For those interested in reality, here's a good debunking of their latest nonsense."

Former Attorney General Bill Barr appointed then-U.S. Attorney from Connecticut John Durham in 2019 to investigate the origins of the FBI’s original Russia probe, or Crossfire Hurricane, which began in July 2016, through the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller in May 2017, shortly after Mueller completed his years-long investigation into whether his campaign colluded or coordinated with the Russians to influence the 2016 presidential election.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller speaks at the Department of Justice about the Russia investigation on May 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

Mueller found that Russians indeed interfered in the 2016 presidential election through a disinformation social media campaign and by hacking Democratic and Clinton campaign emails and publicly disseminating those materials through WikiLeaks. Mueller’s 448-page report identified links between Russians and Trump associates but ultimately did not establish that the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.

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Garland had previously said that Durham’s work will continue. In an October congressional hearing, Garland told lawmakers that Durham is "still in action" investigating the origins of the Trump-Russia probe. 

"There will be no political or otherwise undue interference with Mr. Durham’s investigation," Garland said at an Oct. 27 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. 

Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.