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DOJ releases Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report on investigation into Trump election interference case

The Justice Department made public Volume I of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s final report on his now-closed investigations into President-elect Donald Trump, days before he is set to be sworn into office. 

Attorney General Merrick Garland released the first volume, which focuses on the election case against Trump, of Smith’s report on Tuesday at midnight after back-and-forth in the federal court system.

An opening letter from Smith to Garland said that it is ‘laughable’ that Trump believes the Biden administration, or other political actors, influenced or directed his decisions as a prosecutor, stating that he was guided by the Principles of Federal Prosecution.

‘Trump’s cases represented ones ‘in which the offense [was] the most flagrant, the public harm the greatest, and the proof the most certain,’’ Smith said, referencing the principles.

In the lengthy report, Smith said his office fully stands behind the decision to bring criminal charges against Trump because he ‘resorted to a series of criminal efforts to retain power’ after he lost the 2020 election.

Smith said in his conclusion that the parties were determining whether any material in the ‘superseding indictment was subject to presidential immunity’ when it became clear that Trump had won the 2024 election. The department then determined the case must be dismissed before he takes office because of how it interprets the Constitution.

‘The Department’s view that the Constitution prohibits the continued indictment and prosecution of a President is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Office stands fully behind,’ the report stated.

In an early Tuesday morning post on Truth Social, Trump called Smith ‘desperate’ and ‘deranged’ for releasing his ‘fake findings’ in the middle of the night.

Garland appointed former Justice Department official Jack Smith as special counsel in November 2022. 

Smith, a former assistant U.S. attorney and chief to the DOJ’s public integrity section, led the investigation into Trump’s retention of classified documents after leaving the White House and whether the former president obstructed the federal government’s investigation into the matter. 

Smith was also tasked with overseeing the investigation into whether Trump or other officials and entities interfered with the peaceful transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election, including the certification of the Electoral College vote on Jan. 6, 2021. 

Smith charged Trump in both cases, but Trump pleaded not guilty.

The classified records case was dismissed in July 2024 by U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida Judge Aileen Cannon, who ruled that Smith was unlawfully appointed as special counsel. 

Smith charged Trump in the U.S. District Court for Washington D.C. in his 2020 election case, but after Trump was elected president, Smith sought to dismiss the case. Judge Tanya Chutkan granted that request. 

This month, though, Cannon temporarily blocked the release of Smith’s final report. A federal appeals court reversed her ruling, allowing the Justice Department to make Smith’s report public. 

In the classified records probe, Smith charged Trump with 37 federal counts including willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and false statements. Trump pleaded not guilty. 

Trump was also charged with an additional three counts as part of a superseding indictment out of the investigation: an additional count of willful retention of national defense information and two additional obstruction counts. 

In the 2020 election case, Smith charged Trump with conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; violation of an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights. Trump pleaded not guilty. 

The cases brought by Smith against Trump never made it to trial in either jurisdiction. 

Despite efforts by Trump attorneys to prevent the report’s release, Attorney General Merrick Garland had maintained that he would make at least one volume of Smith’s report public.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. 

Related Topics

Justice Department
Donald Trump
Politics
Trump Trial

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SEC charges Robinhood with securities violations; brokerage to pay $45 million penalty

The Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday said two related Robinhood broker-dealers agreed to pay $45 million in combined penalties to settle administrative charges that they violated more than 10 separate securities law provisions related to their brokerage operations.

The violations by Robinhood Securities LLC and Robinhood Financial LLC are related to failures to report suspicious trading in a timely manner, failing to implement adequate identity theft protections and failing to adequately address unauthorized access to Robinhood computer systems, the SEC said.

The two Robinhood entities also had longstanding failures to maintain and preserve electronic communications, failed to retain copies of operational databases, and failed to maintain some customer communications as legally required between 2020 and 2021, according to the agency.

The SEC said that Robinhood Securities alone failed for more than five years “to provide complete and accurate securities trading information, known as blue sheet data” to the agency.

According to an SEC order made public Monday, “During the [Electronic Blue Sheets] Relevant Period, in response to requests from the Commission, Robinhood Securities made at least 11,849 EBS submissions to the Commission that contained inaccurate information or omissions, resulting from eleven types of errors.”

“Those errors resulted in the misreporting of EBS data for at least 392 million transactions,” the order said.

Sanjay Wadhwa, the acting director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement, in a statement, said, “It is essential to the Commission’s broader efforts to protect investors and promote the integrity and fairness of our markets that broker-dealers satisfy their legal obligations when carrying out their various market functions.”

“Today’s order finds that two Robinhood firms failed to observe a broad array of significant regulatory requirements, including failing to accurately report trading activity, comply with short sale rules, submit timely suspicious activity reports, maintain books and records, and safeguard customer information,” Wadhwa said.

Robinhood Markets General Counsel Lukas Moskowitz, in a statement, said, “We are pleased to resolve these matters. As the SEC’s order acknowledges, most of these are historical matters that our broker-dealers have previously addressed.”

“We are well-positioned to continue leading the industry in developing the innovative products and services our customers want and need to participate in U.S. and global financial markets,” Moskowitz said. “We look forward to working with the SEC under a new administration.” 

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Comcast and Harris Blitzer to build NBA, NHL stadium in south Philadelphia

Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment announced on Monday a joint venture with Comcast Spectacor to build a new arena in South Philadelphia for the NBA’s 76ers and the NHL’s Flyers.

The deal represents a reversal from previous plans to build an arena in the Center City district of Philadelphia.

Harris Blitzer and Comcast Spectacor have entered into a binding agreement for a 50-50 stake in the project at South Philadelphia’s Sports Complex, which is slated to open in 2031. It will include the revitalization of Market East in Center City, the original proposed location for an arena. In December, the Philadelphia 76ers received approval to build a $1.3 billion arena downtown after more than two years of contentious negotiations.

The deal announced Monday will give Comcast a minority stake in the 76ers and naming rights to the arena. The Philadelphia-based company will also join HBSE’s bid to bring a WNBA team to the Liberty City.

Comcast Spectacor is already majority owner of the Philadelphia Flyers.

“From the start, we envisioned a project that would be transformative for our city and deliver the type of experience our fans deserve,” said HBSE’s Josh Harris, David Blitzer and David Adelman in a statement. “By coming together with [Comcast CEO Brian Roberts] and Comcast, this partnership ensures Philadelphia will have two developments instead of one, creating more jobs and real, sustainable economic opportunity.”

In committing to both investments, the companies say they will create thousands of jobs and generate billions of dollars in economic activity for the region.

“This has the potential to benefit our city for generations to come,” said Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker during a news conference Monday.

Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of CNBC.

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Forget the NFL. Quinn Ewers should take the money and stay in college football

The decision to stay or go can wait until Wednesday. This is now strictly about numbers for Quinn Ewers.

Large, record-setting, seven-figure numbers. 

The day has arrived, everyone, where players can make more money by playing college football than leaving early for the NFL draft.

“Coming up short two years, it’s tough,” Ewers said after the Longhorns lost their College Football Playoff semifinal game at the Cotton Bowl to Ohio State and again ended his season one game short from playing for it all.

Only now there’s a third opportunity right around the corner — and it’s filled with a new team and lots of cash.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

College football players not in the national championship game have until Wednesday to declare for the NFL draft. That means Ewers and his representation have less than 48 hours to find the best deal for an All-American quarterback.

it won’t be that difficult.

Ewers’ time at Texas is done, the Longhorns almost certainly moving on to heralded backup Arch Manning in 2025. But that doesn’t mean Ewers’ options are limited because his draft stock has fallen since the beginning of the season.

Once considered a potential first-round selection, Ewers is now trending as a mid- to late-round selection. That’s where this story begins, and how that type of draft stock fall in previous years would’ve translated to a significant loss of value.

Not anymore. Not in this era of booming NIL deals, and pay for play beginning in the 2025 season.

The first quarterback selected outside the first round in the 2024 draft was Spencer Rattler, who went to the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round. That’s about where Ewers is currently slotted. 

Rattler signed a four-year deal with the Saints for $4.35 million, with an average salary of $1.08 million. Ewers could quadruple that $1.08 number on the open college football market — for one season of work.

Former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck announced late last week he was staying in college — after previously announcing he was entering the NFL draft — and transferring to Miami. A source close to the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations, said Beck’s one-year deal with Miami is for $4 million with incentives.

If Ewers hits the college football open market, there will be multiple blue blood, deep-pocket teams bidding for him, including but not limited to Ohio State, Georgia and Southern California — all of which have the money to make Ewers an offer he can’t refuse. 

And why would he?

Unless you’re a guaranteed first round pick, there’s no benefit in leaving early for the NFL. Especially if you’re an elite quarterback with CFP wins on your resume. 

The old argument that a player is an injury away from the end of his career doesn’t wash anymore, either. He’s an injury away in the NFL, too. 

More to the point: players can get disability insurance policies to protect their future earning ability. Some of those policies can pay as much as $5 million.

Colorado stars Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders last month played in a meaningless bowl game, in part, because they had, according to coach Deion Sanders, the “highest number of (insurance) coverage’ ever for a college football player.

Ewers can get the same thing, and a huge one-year deal. Frankly, it’s fiscally reckless for him to not return to college football in 2025. 

Any way you look at it, Ewers will make more money playing college football in 2025 than playing in the NFL. He’ll also have the ability to choose where he plays, and select a championship-ready team.

He’s sitting on the bench in the NFL, a backup hoping to get a shot. He can do that any season, what’s the rush?

You want an NFL comparison? He’s Mac Jones, but Jones was selected in the first round of the 2021 draft by the New England Patriots, and is now a backup in Jacksonville. 

Jones earned a huge payday with his rookie deal, one that even now can’t be matched in college. But Ewers won’t be a first-round selection, and won’t get that type of money. 

Even if Ewers were a second-round pick — the next best scenario — he’d still make more money in college football. Will Levis was the second player picked in the second round in 2023 by Tennessee Titans, and signed a four-year deal worth $9.5 million — or an average salary of $2.38 million. 

Ewers could nearly double that annual salary in one season of college football. 

By taking that road, Ewers is playing the long game: making more money up front in college football, and working to improve for the 2026 NFL draft (and potentially increasing his rookie NFL contract). It’s the easiest decision since he left Ohio State after his freshman season, with the chance to play for his boyhood dream school Texas waiting in the wings.

This isn’t about love for school or loyalty. Texas has moved on, and so should Ewers. 

He’s a college football mercenary now, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Find another home, bank some legitimate cash and improve your draft stock.

And maybe win a national title in the process. 

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.

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NFL playoff bracket: How things stand after latest wild-card games

The Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders are all on to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. The matchups – along with the schedule, with TV information, dates and times – are all almost set.

On Saturday, the Texans rolled past the Los Angeles Chargers, 32-12, as the Texans defense forced four Justin Herbert interceptions. The Ravens steamrolled the Pittsburgh Steelers, 28-14, and will play the Bills in the next round due to Buffalo’s victory on Sunday.

On Sunday, The Bills bullied their way to a playoff win, taking down the Denver Broncos 31-7. Another entertaining matchup occurred in the City of Brotherly Love when the Eagles outlasted the Green Bay Packers. 22-10.

To cap off the night, the Commander’s magical season continued as they upset the Buccaneers 23-20. Washington has been a source of entertainment for NFL fans all season. Now they’re off to the divisional round to take on arguably the league’s best in Detroit. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels shined in his playoff debut and has a tall task ahead of him next weekend.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Here’s an update on this year’s playoff bracket.

2024-25 NFL playoffs bracket

Here’s how the NFL playoffs bracket looks:

AFC:

The AFC divisional-round matchups are locked in.

No. 4 Houston Texans at No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs
No. 3 Baltimore Ravens at No. 2 Buffalo Bills

NFC:

Here’s how the NFC side of the bracket looks:

No. 6 Washington Commanders at No. 1 Detroit Lions
No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles vs. No. 4 Los Angeles Rams

NFL remaining playoffs schedule (all times ET)

Divisional round

AFC

Saturday, Jan. 18, 4:30 p.m.: No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs vs. No. 4 Houston Texans
Sunday, Jan. 19, 6:30 p.m.: No. 2 Buffalo Bills vs. No. 3 Baltimore Ravens

NFC

Sunday, Jan. 19, 3 p.m.: No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles vs. No. 4 Los Angeles Rams
Saturday, Jan. 18, 8 p.m.: No. 1 Detroit Lions vs. No. 6 Washington Commanders

Conference championships

Sunday, Jan. 26:

NFC championship game: 3 p.m. on Fox
AFC championship game: 6:30 p.m. on CBS

When is Super Bowl 59?

Location: Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
Time: 6:30 p.m.
TV: FOX

Following a bye week for both Super Bowl-bound teams, Super Bowl 59 will kick off on Feb. 9.

How does the NFL playoff bracket work?

The NFL playoff bracket is ever-changing and differs from the static formats common in other leagues. That means that seedings play a significant role in future matchups. Based on seeding, the No. 1 seeded Chiefs and Lions will face off against the worst team, remaining in their conference in the divisional round.

Kansas City and Detroit will also hold home-field advantage throughout their side of the bracket provided they remain in the playoffs. If either team loses, the best remaining team, based on seeding, would gain home-field advantage.

The NFL’s bracket is dynamic, which ensures that regular-season results matter in terms of postseason matchups.

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Barry’s Bootcamp announces new investment as others exit boutique fitness category

As the boutique fitness sector starts to buckle, Barry’s Bootcamp on Monday announced new investment from Princeton Equity Group.

“The reason why this [boutique fitness] works for Barry’s is that our positioning in the marketplace is premium,” said Joey Gonzalez, Barry’s co-CEO, in an interview with CNBC. “We always want to minimize risks to any sort of brand dilution, and we only ever want to elevate the Barry’s experience.”

Gonzalez said this funding round will be focused on investing in client experience and brand positioning in a highly saturated industry. Barry’s offers high-intensity running, lifting and training classes in its trademark red-lit rooms.

Barry’s has 89 studios globally that saw more than 7 million visits in 2024.

Princeton is a franchisor and consumer services-focused private equity firm with $1.2 billion in assets under management. It has invested in other wellness brands such as spa chain Massage Envy and athletic training facility D1 Training.

The size of the investment was not disclosed.

The fresh capital for Barry’s adds to a list of private equity investments dating back nearly two decades from firms including LightBay Capital and North Castle Partners.

Gonzalez said Barry’s will use the investment in part to fund expansion in 12 U.S. cities this year, including Charleston, South Carolina; Hoboken, New Jersey; and Salt Lake City, as well as locations in Madrid, Athens and Dublin.

″[This partnership] is enabling us to consolidate our operations in the UK and Canada,” Gonzalez said. “We will now be overseeing operations in these countries where we can foster a closely knit community and create efficiencies.”

The broader global boutique fitness studio market was valued at nearly $48 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow to $86 billion in 2030, according to estimates from Research and Markets. Still, several high-profile brands have struggled to grow their customer base.

Xponential Fitness, a franchisor of health and wellness brands, divested from two struggling boutique chains — Stride Fitness and Row House — last year.

Jefferies analyst Randal Konik cited industry headwinds including macroeconomic concerns that could cause a pullback in consumer spending, and said fitness has proven to be more need-based with more people prioritizing health and wellness.

“Tailwinds will be the focus on health and wellness coming out of Covid,” Konik said, “as well as a move towards strength training, [which] has lifted demand for all types of fitness classes and gym membership.”

Piper Sandler analyst Korinne Wolfmeyer cited “uncertainty around unit growth” at Xponential as one of the main reasons to stay on the sidelines of the stock.

Gonzalez said his company is bucking the trend.

“I think of Barry’s as one of the originals, and a very back-to-basics approach to fitness with efficacy at the heart,” said Gonzalez. “What Barry’s has really done is stick to our core competency: fitness experience, immersive experience, member experience.”

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Auburn grabs No. 1 spot in men’s basketball poll after Tennessee tumbles

For the first time in over a month, there’s a change at the top of the USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll. It is, however, a classic case of good news and bad news for the new No. 1 team.

Auburn takes over the top spot after surviving an upset bid at South Carolina over the weekend. The Tigers claim 25 of 31 first-place votes this week and holds the top ranking for the first time since January of 2022. Unfortunately they might be without star forward Johni Broome for a stretch due to an ankle injury. It’s the first time Auburn has been No. 1 since Jan. 31, 2022.

The rest of the top five also looks different as former No. 1 Tennessee tumbles thanks to its decisive loss at Florida during the week. Iowa State climbs to No. 2 after rallying for an overtime win at Texas Tech over the weekend. The Cyclones pick up five No. 1 votes and are ranked second for the first time since Dec. 14, 2015. Duke climbs a notch to No. 3, and Florida vaults four places to No. 4 thanks to its big win against the Volunteers. Alabama holds at No. 5. Tennessee, which bounced back to edge Texas on the road on Saturday, does retain a first-place vote but falls to No. 6 overall.

Marquette held serve during the week but gets pushed down a notch to No. 7. Houston gains three positions to move back into the top 10 at No. 8. Kentucky went 1-1 this week and falls two spots to No. 9. Kansas rejoins the top 10 climbing two spots to overtake No. 11 Texas A&M.

Michigan jumps five places to No. 19 to claim week’s biggest mover honors. Georgia debuts in the poll at No. 23, its first Top 25 appearance since March 11, 2003. Baylor also rejoins the rankings at No. 24. Oklahoma and UCLA fall out.

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Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, wife Brittany announce birth of third child

The pair said on Instagram their daughter, Golden Raye Mahomes, was born on Sunday, January 12.

The couple are parents to three-year-old daughter Sterling Skye and a son, Patrick Lavon III, nicknamed ‘Bronze,’ who is 2.

Mahomes said during an interview before the Kansas City Chiefs’ Christmas Day game against the Pittsburgh Steelers that he would try to get the team the No. 1 seed throughout the playoffs so his wife can have the baby during his expected time off.

All things Chiefs: Latest Kansas City Chiefs news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

‘Brittany says I’ve been stressing her out too much this season,’ the three-time Super Bowl winner said. “So I got to try to not put so much stress on her through these football games.”

‘Hopefully God works the right way and we can have that baby on ‘the bye’ week somewhere, and then everything will work out perfectly.”

The Chiefs ended up clinching home-field advantage throughout the postseason with their 29-10 win over Pittsburgh, and they play the Houston Texans at home in the AFC divisional playoff on Saturday.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

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China reportedly building ‘D-Day’-style barges as fears of Taiwan invasion rise

China is reportedly building a series of ‘D-Day style’ barges that could be used to aid an invasion of Taiwan, according to media reports. 

At least three of the new craft have been observed at Guangzhou Shipyard in southern China, according to Naval News.

The barges are inspired by the World War II ‘Mulberry harbours,’ which were portable harbors built for the Allied campaign in Normandy, France, in 1944, The Telegraph reported.

Tensions between China and Taiwan, a key U.S. partner in the Indo-Pacific region, have remained heightened over Beijing’s refusal to recognize the independence of the island nation. 

In its report last week, Naval News said at least three but likely five or more barges were seen in China’s Guangzhou Shipyard. The barges, at over 390 feet, can be used to reach a coastal road or hard surface beyond a beach, the report said. 

In his New Year’s message, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said ‘reunification’ with Taiwan is inevitable.

‘The people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family. No one can sever our family bonds, and no one can stop the historical trend of national reunification,’ he said on CCTV, China’s state broadcaster.

Using barges, Chinese forces could land in areas previously considered unsuitable, including rocky or soft terrain, and beaches where tanks and other heavy equipment can be delivered to firmer ground or a coastal road, the report said. 

‘Any invasion of Taiwan from the mainland would require a large number of ships to transport personnel and equipment across the strait quickly, particularly land assets like armored vehicles,’ Emma Salisbury, a sea power research fellow at the Council on Geostrategy, told Naval News. ‘As preparation for an invasion, or at least to give China the option as leverage, I would expect to see a build-up of construction of ships that could accomplish this transportation.’

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Defense, the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, also in Washington.

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Victims react to new intelligence community report that Havana Syndrome could be caused by a foreign actor

In a major reversal, some U.S. intelligence agencies are now saying a foreign adversary could be behind the mysterious ‘Havana Syndrome’ brain injuries reported by U.S. diplomats and government workers overseas. While the overall assessment from the intelligence community remains, it is ‘very unlikely’ Havana Syndrome could be caused by a foreign actor, two out of seven U.S. intelligence agencies now say it is possible a foreign adversary could have developed a weapon that could cause such brain injuries.

Adam, a former government employee whose identity Fox News agreed to protect, considered to be ‘Patient Zero,’ was first attacked in December 2016 while living in Havana on assignment. Adam experienced multiple attacks and described pressure to the brain that led to vertigo, tinnitus and cognitive impairment.

Adam and other victims have been pressing the U.S. government to find a culprit. He said he is starting to feel hopeful now that two of the seven U.S. intelligence agencies acknowledge a foreign adversary, he says likely Russia, has developed a weapon that could be responsible for the kind of neurological injuries reported by those suffering from Havana Syndrome.

‘This has been an eight-year fight. I don’t know if I would say I feel vindicated yet. We will get there. The truth will come out. And when that’s fully exposed, I think that’s when I will say that I’m vindicated… I’m hoping the new administration can pay that debt and we can hold those responsible that have covered this up and partaken in some egregious behavior, frankly, because we all deserve better. The American people deserve better than to be lied to like this,’ Adam told Fox News.

Adam was one of six Havana Syndrome victims to attend a meeting in the White House situation room on November 18th, 2024. The meeting was designed to provide the incoming administration with a roadmap on Havana Syndrome, also called Anomalous Health Incidents (AHI’s). The three-hour meeting was chaired by NSC Coordinator for Intelligence and Defense Policy Mahar Bitar. The victims say they received a moving apology from the NSC staff on how they were treated by the U.S. Government.

The NSC released a statement following the updated assessment from the intelligence community:

‘Today’s updated Intelligence Community Assessment, which is the product of ongoing analytic efforts and includes a shift in key judgements by some intelligence components, only reinforces why it is vital that the U.S. Government continue critical research, investigate credible incidents, and strengthen efforts to provide timely care and long-term clinical follow-up,’ the statement read.

The NSC will brief the incoming Trump administration on the ‘full scope of ongoing work that should continue,’ the statement continued to say.

Adam said it has long been obvious to the victims that a foreign adversary could be behind the suspected directed energy attacks.  

‘Here’s the piece that, you know, astounds me. Can the CIA not Google? Because if anyone could sit and Google China, neuro-strike weapons, Russia, super weapons, they have been very public in the press that they have directed energy weapons programs that do exactly what they did to us and that they plan on deploying them in conventional warfare,’ Adam said.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released the report and held a background call with reporters on Friday.

The new assessment from the intelligence community said, ‘New reporting led two components to shift their assessments about whether a foreign actor has a capability that could cause biological effects consistent with some of the symptoms reported as possible AHIs. This shift consequently led two IC components to subtly change their overall judgment about whether a foreign actor might have played a role in a small number of events.’

The ODNI official explained the change in assessment of the two intelligence agencies.

‘They judge there is a roughly even chance a foreign actor has developed a novel weapon or prototype device that could have harmed a small, undetermined subset of the U.S. personnel or dependents who reported medical symptoms or sensory phenomena as AHIs,’ the official said.

For both of these components. They have a low confidence in their judgments,’ the official continued to say.

 The Republican-led CIA Subcommittee Chairman Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) released an interim report on the committee’s separate investigation into Havana Syndrome. The report concluded that it is ‘increasingly likely’ that a foreign adversary is responsible for ‘some portion’ of the incidents.

The subcommittee accused the intelligence community of withholding valuable information from them in the interim report.

‘The IC’s inconsistent approach has had detrimental effects on IC personnel, trust in the IC by policymakers, the understanding of the American public, and perceptions of the IC by both foreign allies and adversaries,’ the report said.

Crawford vowed to work with the incoming Trump administration to get answers for affected federal employees and the public.

Attorney Mark Zaid who represents some of the victims said the new assessment indicates, ‘evidence has only moved closer to the Intelligence Community acknowledging the involvement of a foreign adversary, not away.’

Adam hopes the Trump administration will keep pressing for answers on Havana Syndrome and what caused hundreds of workers brain injuries.  

‘Now there is also new information that’s in play, and it’s so irrefutable that even they can’t stand by and watch this cover-up continue… we’re hoping that we’re going to have a more amenable administration that cares about its workforce and cares about the truth,’ Adam said.

Related Topics

National Security
Executive
White House

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