The Trump administration previously alleged a top-level conspiracy to smear the president as a Moscow stooge

US Attorney General Pam Bondi has ordered a grand jury to examine the origins of the "Russiagate" affair, media outlets reported on Monday. The move follows the release of newly declassified intelligence suggesting that senior US officials may have manipulated intelligence to support unsubstantiated claims of Russian collusion with Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has referred the materials to a grand jury to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to support criminal charges, several media outlets reported, citing sources familiar with the proceedings. The DOJ declined to comment on the matter.

Since mid-July, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has declassified several documents which she claims show that top officials under then-President Barack Obama worked with intelligence agency heads to discredit Trump and undermine his first presidency even before he took office.

Among those named in the allegations are former FBI Director James Comey, former CIA Director John Brennan, and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. Gabbard alleges they manipulated intelligence assessments to portray Trump as the preferred candidate of the Russian government.

READ MORE: Russiagate, revenge, and the rotten core of US power

Moscow has consistently denied interfering in the 2016 election, with Russian officials characterizing the US accusations as a product of partisan infighting. While Special Counsel Robert Mueller led a sweeping probe into alleged Russian interference, his 2019 report did not result in any charges supporting the claim that Trump had conspired with Moscow.

(RT.com)