A newly declassified appendix to Special Counsel John Durham’s landmark 2023 report has sent shockwaves through Washington, with the clearest evidence yet that Hillary Clinton allegedly approved a plan to promote the false Trump-Russia collusion narrative — and then misled federal investigators about her role.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley released the explosive annex Thursday, confirming what President Donald J. Trump and his allies have said for years: the Clinton campaign — not the Kremlin — manufactured the so-called “collusion” scandal, weaponizing the FBI and intelligence agencies against Trump’s 2016 presidential bid.

According to The Federalist, the annex includes intelligence that strongly suggests the Clinton campaign pushed the Trump-Russia narrative to distract from her own email scandal, with cooperation — or at the very least, complicity — from figures within the Obama administration.

The annex features two Russian intelligence memos that reportedly implicate former President Barack Obama and expose private communications from Clinton's inner circle. These documents outline a plan allegedly approved by Clinton herself to smear Donald Trump as compromised by Russia — a narrative that would dominate headlines and damage the credibility of Trump’s campaign just as Clinton faced backlash over her deleted emails and unsecured server.

One email dated July 25, 2016, from Leonard Benardo of George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, reportedly celebrated the political potential of the DNC hacking narrative and said “politicization is on the table.” Benardo allegedly noted that Clinton foreign policy adviser Julianne Smith was formulating a strategy to “demonize Putin and Trump.”

“Now it is good for a post-convention bounce,” Benardo wrote, referring to the DNC Convention. “Later the FBI will put more oil into the fire.”

In a follow-up just two days later, Benardo reportedly wrote that Clinton had “approved” an “idea about Trump and Russian hackers hampering U.S. elections,” adding, “That should distract people from her own missing email, especially if the affair goes to the Olympic level.”

While some intelligence officials cautioned that these communications could have been altered, others concluded they were likely authentic. Benardo himself denied authoring the emails but admitted that parts of the language — especially a line lamenting “ghastly” U.S.-Russia relations — sounded like something he’d write.

The annex concludes that the emails were “ultimately a composite” of genuine communications obtained through Russian hacking of various U.S. think tanks. In short, the emails weren’t entirely fabricated — and the core content likely reflects real conversations inside Clintonworld.

The findings directly contradict statements made to the FBI by Hillary Clinton and key campaign figures, including John Podesta and Jake Sullivan — the latter of whom now serves as National Security Advisor in the Biden administration.

Clinton dismissed the July 2016 intelligence as “Russian disinformation.” Podesta told agents the idea was “ridiculous,” and Sullivan claimed to have no knowledge of such a plan. However, Sullivan did acknowledge the campaign's focus on Trump-Russia talking points, even though he claimed he couldn’t recall anyone outlining a coordinated strategy.

Yet, according to the annex, internal communications from Julianne Smith point to “an effort or plan in late July 2016 to encourage scrutiny of Trump’s purported ties to Russia,” and suggest the Clinton campaign may have “wanted or expected the FBI or other agencies to aid that effort” by launching a formal investigation — i.e., “put more oil into the fire.”

That’s exactly what happened.

Even more damning, the CIA reportedly sent an “investigative referral” memo to the FBI highlighting the alleged Clinton campaign plan. That memo was never acted upon meaningfully by FBI leadership, even as the Bureau launched a sweeping and unprecedented counterintelligence probe into the Trump campaign — based on rumors and unverified claims from Clinton-aligned sources.

This revelation comes as President Trump’s second-term administration continues to root out corruption, expose political weaponization of federal agencies, and demand accountability for the Deep State operatives who spent years trying to destroy his presidency under false pretenses.