In a surprising turn of events, the US Justice Department has set up a special team to look into some serious claims about the Obama administration's actions during the 2016 election. This investigation is focused on whether Obama and his team used false information to suggest that Russia meddled in the election to help Donald Trump win.

The idea for this investigation came after a bunch of secret documents were made public by the director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard. Two Republican senators, Lindsey Graham and John Cornyn, have asked the Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to appoint a special counsel to look into what they call a "clear abuse of power" by the Obama administration.

Gabbard has some strong words to say about this. She claims that Obama and his team created a "years long coup" against Trump. She says they made up intelligence to show that Trump's campaign worked with Russia, which led to a lot of investigations. Gabbard even thinks that criminal charges should be pressed, including against Obama himself. Trump seems to agree with her and has said that her findings show "irrefutable proof" of treason.

Bondi has said that the Justice Department will work closely with Gabbard to investigate these claims fully. However, there might be some legal hurdles. Last year, the Supreme Court ruled that presidents have broad immunity from criminal prosecution for acts done while in office. This could make it hard to prosecute Obama, even if the investigation finds something.

Several other people from the Obama administration could also be looked into. These include former intelligence and security officials like James Clapper, John Brennan, James Comey, and Susan Rice. Some of them have already been investigated or referred for criminal charges.

During his first term, Trump accepted the FBI's findings that Russia tried to interfere in the 2016 election. But Gabbard has now released a declassified report that suggests Russia's goal was to undermine faith in the US electoral process, not to help Trump. The report says that Vladimir Putin did not plan to leak the most damaging material about Clinton until after the election.

However, not everyone is on board with Gabbard's claims. Some intelligence veterans have criticized her efforts, saying that the Trump administration is politicizing the intelligence community. They argue that while every administration tries to do this, the current one is taking it to a new level.

OBAMA ADMINISTRATION

Unraveling the 2016 Election: A New Investigation Takes Shape

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