“The Most Serious Allegation of a Bribe in White House History”: Bill Barr’s Decision to Halt Probe into Egyptian Funds for Trump Campaign
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Last week, a bombshell report from the Washington Post revealed that former Attorney General Bill Barr shut down an investigation into whether the Egyptian government illegally funneled $10 million to former President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign.
On Monday, Carol Leonnig, one of the reporters who broke the story, took to Twitter to highlight the significance of this revelation. According to Leonnig, the investigation into Trump’s potential acceptance of illicit funds from Egypt represents “the most serious allegation of a bribe in White House history.”
Leonnig detailed three key aspects that underscore the gravity of the situation:
- Intelligence Source and Credibility: The investigation was initiated based on what Leonnig described as “jaw-dropping” CIA intelligence. This intelligence indicated that in 2016, Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi sought to illegally inject $10 million into Trump’s campaign. The lead came from a reliable CIA informant and was corroborated by other U.S. intelligence operations.
- Financial Evidence: Investigators discovered a significant financial transaction that supported the intelligence. In January 2017, there was a $10 million cash withdrawal from a key Egyptian spy agency account, which seemed to validate the initial intel.
- Covert Operations: The Post’s report highlighted that an organization linked to Egypt’s intelligence services instructed the state-run bank to withdraw $10 million in cash. The money was then reportedly stuffed into two large bags and taken out of the bank.
The Washington Post further elaborated that federal investigators learned about this withdrawal early in 2019. This discovery intensified a secret criminal investigation that had been initiated two years prior, based on classified U.S. intelligence.
Moreover, the Department of Justice was probing whether Trump was aware of the potential reimbursement from Egypt. This line of inquiry was crucial in understanding if this knowledge influenced Trump’s decision to spend $10 million of his own money during the final weeks of his 2016 campaign.
These revelations, if substantiated, paint a disturbing picture of potential foreign interference and illegal campaign financing at the highest levels of the U.S. government. The implications are profound, raising questions about the integrity of the electoral process and the extent of foreign influence in American politics. The decision by Barr to halt this investigation adds another layer of complexity and controversy to an already explosive story.
