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To the editor:
It was revealed recently that Special Counsel John Durham, who was appointed in 2019 by Attorney General William Barr, who was ordered by President Donald J. Trump to somehow prove that the FBI's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign was "personally motivated against him (Trump), concluded to the contrary that the "FBI had no choice but to investigate Russia's hacking of Democratic e-mails and planned to share their findings with President Trump."
In the 2019 report by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, which was confirmed by a bi-partisan Senate Intelligence Committee, that "Russia (indeed) tried to swing the 2016 presidential election to Trump," and that the Trump campaign "welcomed and encouraged such Russian interference on his behalf," as more than 140 such contacts were made by Trump officials, in particular Trump adviser Roger Stone and campaign manager Paul Manafort, who were convicted, imprisoned and later pardoned by Trump, as apparently crimes committed on his behalf are seen by the former president as "acceptable and proper."
In addition, it was Trump's Department of Justice which finally closed its investigation into the Clinton Foundation years after prosecutors had determined that no charges would be filed. However, Trump continued to lead his supporters in the chant of "Lock Her Up," referring to his 2016 political presidential rival as Crooked Hillary, as a result of his insistence of alleged "improper relationships Mrs. Clinton might have had with foreign countries while serving as U.S. secretary of state," which was summarily disproven.
These allegations coming from an individual (Trump) who himself refused to divest himself from his private business operations and was not audited by the Internal Revenue Service during his presidency in either 2017 or 2018, which is unprecedented in U.S. history. Obviously, he has something to hide.
Also, another troubling irregularity occurred during the 2016 presidential election, when FBI Director James Comey announced that additional Hillary Clinton e-mails had been discovered, insinuating possible impropriety, with such timing being highly questionable. However, such were proven to be inconsequential, but since the Comey announcement was made approximately one month before the election, it, undeniably, negatively influenced voters against Clinton, as she lost the presidential election, although until the aforementioned revelations, she held a substantial lead in virtually all polling over Trump.
In spite of the aforementioned, Clinton graciously conceded the 2016 presidential election to Trump for "the good of the country."
Sadly, former President Trump has yet to concede his defeat in the 2020 presidential election to President Joe Biden, with absolutely no evidence to support his outrageous and un-American claim that the election was rigged against him.
Trump obviously enjoys portraying himself as a victim, when in truth it is he who often victimized others.
It will be interesting, indeed, to vie how the 2024 presidential election will transpire, with the ego-maniacal Trump again involved.
Richard Hord
Martins Ferry