FIRST ON FOX: Special Counsel John Durham found that the Department of
Justice and FBI "failed to uphold their mission of strict fidelity to
the law" when it launched the Trump-Russia investigation.

Fox News Digital obtained Durham�s report Monday afternoon after his
years-long investigation into the origins of the FBI�s original
investigation, known as "Crossfire Hurricane." That investigation
looked into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to
influence the 2016 presidential election.

Durham gave his final report to the Justice Department, which released
it Monday afternoon. The report spans more than 300 pages.

"Based on the review of Crossfire Hurricane and related intelligence
activities, we conclude that the Department and the FBI failed to
uphold their mission of strict fidelity to the law in connection with
certain events and activities described in this report," the report
said.

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Durham said his investigation also revealed that "senior FBI personnel
displayed a serious lack of analytical rigor towards the information
that they received, especially information received from politically-
affiliated persons and entities."

"This information in part triggered and sustained Crossfire Hurricane
and contributed to the subsequent need for Special Counsel Mueller�s
investigation," the report said. "In particular, there was significant
reliance on investigative leads provided or funded (directly or
indirectly) by Trump's political opponents."

"The Department did not adequately examine or question these materials
and the motivations of those providing them, even when at about the
same time the Director of the FBI and others learned of significant and
potentially contrary intelligence," the report said.

Durham is referring to past FBI leadership in his report � specifically
former FBI Director James Comey and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew
McCabe.

Reacting to the report, the FBI said in a statement: "The conduct in
2016 and 2017 that Special Counsel Durham examined was the reason that
current FBI leadership already implemented dozens of corrective
actions, which have now been in place for some time. Had those reforms
been in place in 2016, the missteps identified in the report could have
been prevented. This report reinforces the importance of ensuring the
FBI continues to do its work with the rigor, objectivity, and
professionalism the American people deserve and rightly expect."

Still, Durham said there is a "continuing need for the FBI and the
Department to recognize that lack of analytical rigor, apparent
confirmation bias, and an over-willigness to rely on information from
individuals connected to political opponents caused investigators to
fail to adequately consider alternative hypotheses and to act without
appropriate objectivity or restraint in pursuing allegations of
collusion or conspiracy between a U.S. political campaign and a foreign
power."

"Although recognizing that in hindsight much is clearer, much of this
also seems to have been clear at the time," Durham's report said. "We
therefore believe it is important to examine past conduct to identify
shortcomings and improve how the government carries out its most
sensitive functions."

Special Counsel Robert Mueller completed his investigation into a
possible Trump-Russia connection in April 2019, which yielded no
evidence of criminal conspiracy or coordination between the Trump
campaign and Russia to influence the 2016 election.

Durham indicted three people as part of his investigation: former
Clinton attorney Michael Sussmann in September 2021, Igor Danchenko in
November 2021 and Kevin Clinesmith in August 2020.

Sussmann and Danchenko were found to be not guilty. Clinesmith pleaded
guilty and served community service time.

The report said Clinesmith "committed a criminal offense by fabricating
language in an email that was material to the FBI obtaining a FISA
surveillance order."

"In other instances, FBI personnel working on that same FISA
application displayed, at best, a cavalier attitude towards accuracy
and completeness," it said.

"FBI personnel also repeatedly disregarded important requirements when
they continued to seek renewals of that FISA surveillance while
acknowledging � both then and in hindsight � that they did not
genuinely believe there was probable cause to believe that the target
was knowingly engaged in clandestine intelligence activities on behalf
of a foreign power, or knowingly helping another person in such
activities," the report continued. "And certain personnel disregarded
significant exculpatory information that should have prompted
investigative restraint and re-examination."

Durham's report "does not recommend any wholesale changes in the
guidelines and policies that the Department and the FBI now have in
place to ensure proper

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Let's go Brandon!