Deeper Dive: The Clinton Campaign Plan to Tie Trump to Russia
The information comes from six years of reporting on Russia Gate complied from the 50 plus articles in this Substack series titled "Durham Investigation answering the 5Ws and the How questions."
Overview
The “Clinton Campaign Plan,” often referred to as the “Clinton Plan,” is a purported strategy outlined in declassified U.S. intelligence documents alleging that Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign deliberately fabricated ties between Donald Trump and Russia to distract from her private email server scandal. First referenced in early 2016 intelligence memos, the plan was reportedly approved by Clinton in July 2016. It forms a cornerstone of claims that the Russia Hoax originated as Democratic opposition research, later amplified by the FBI and media. The plan’s details emerged prominently in a July 31, 2025, declassified 29-page appendix to Special Counsel John Durham’s 2023 report, released at the request of Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley. This annex, along with related HPSCI findings, details the plan’s evolution, but it has sparked debate over the authenticity of key emails, with some evidence suggesting Russian fabrication.
Origins and Key Dates
Intelligence on the plan surfaced through U.S. intercepts of foreign communications, primarily from Russian sources analyzing U.S. political dynamics:
January 2016: The Obama administration obtained a memorandum describing confidential conversations between DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and figures at George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, including Leonard Benardo (Senior Vice President) and Jeffrey Goldstein. These discussions laid early groundwork for opposition research on Trump’s Russia ties.
March 2016: An additional memorandum outlined a multi-stage proposal to “discredit” Trump via “scandalous revelations” of his business relations with the “Russian Mafia.” It referenced using “special services” (possibly U.S. intelligence or allies like Christopher Steele) to disseminate info through FBI-affiliated channels like CrowdStrike and ThreatConnect to reach U.S. media.
March 31, 2016: FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe briefed high-ranking DOJ officials on the intelligence, but no immediate investigation followed.
July 2016: Additional intel arrived, including purported emails from Benardo detailing plans to “demonize Putin and Trump” for a post-convention media bounce, expecting the FBI to “put more oil into the fire.”
July 27, 2016: A key email allegedly documented Clinton’s approval of the plan during a campaign strategy session, linking Trump to Russian hackers to frame the issue as a domestic U.S. concern rather than foreign interference.
August 3, 2016: CIA Director John Brennan briefed President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, DNI James Clapper, and FBI Director James Comey in the White House Situation Room on the Clinton Plan intelligence, including its potential to mask her email issues.
These dates align with the Steele Dossier’s compilation (June-December 2016), suggesting the plan fed into that effort.
Content of the Plan
The strategy was multi-phased, per the declassified memos:
Distraction Tactic: Link Trump to Russian hackers and interference to shift focus from Clinton’s emails, portraying Russia as the primary threat while downplaying domestic angles.
Media Amplification: Use cutouts like CrowdStrike (DNC server investigators) and ThreatConnect to “supply facts” to media, creating a narrative of Trump-Putin collusion without direct evidence.
Escalation: Post-convention, intensify with “scandalous” leaks on Trump’s “Russian Mafia” ties, expecting U.S. intelligence (FBI/CIA) to bolster the story.
Fallbacks: If evidence was lacking, rely on GRU (Russian military intelligence) or allies to fabricate or leak materials.
The plan explicitly aimed for a “post-convention bounce” by vilifying both Putin and Trump, with Clinton’s approval noted as tying the narrative to her campaign’s legal team (e.g., Perkins Coie).
Involved Parties
Core Clinton/DNC Figures: Hillary Clinton (approver), Robby Mook (campaign manager, testified to her approval in 2022 Sussmann trial), Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and advisors like “Julie” (possibly a redacted Clinton aide).
Intermediaries: Fusion GPS (opposition research firm funded by Clinton/DNC via Perkins Coie); Leonard Benardo and Jeffrey Goldstein (Open Society Foundations); Marc Elias and Michael Sussmann (Perkins Coie lawyers who fed Alfa Bank data to Steele).
Intelligence Ties: Christopher Steele (ex-MI6, dossier author); potential “special services” role for U.S. agencies.
External Support: Julianne Smith (Clinton advisor, implicated in dissemination); foreign elements like Foreign Government-2 (contributing to Clinton via a non-U.S. person in late 2014).
Brennan’s handwritten notes, Comey handwritten notes, Rice’s secret Sit Room meetings) prove Obama knowledge/approval of Clinton plan.
Obama Admin: Obama, Biden, Clapper, Brennan, and Comey (briefed but did not act to probe Clinton).
FBI’s Handling and Failures
The FBI received the intel multiple times but treated it dismissively:
No Predication: Despite March and July 2016 memos, the FBI dismissed it as “not credible” without corroboration steps, per Durham. Instead, it used Steele Dossier material (tied to the plan) for FISA warrants on Carter Page.
Disparate Treatment: The FBI delayed FISA on a Clinton-linked foreign contributor in 2014 (authorizing it only after four months with defensive briefings to Clinton), while rushing Trump probes without basis.
Post-2016 Awareness: By 2017, the FBI had reports the dossier was Russian disinformation but proceeded with Mueller’s investigation. Durham’s team found the FBI ignored exculpatory evidence, including the plan’s origins.
In late 2014, the FBI learned of a foreign government’s plan to influence the election via Clinton contributions but prioritized caution around her.
Authenticity Debate
Durham’s annex provides a “best assessment” from interviewed analysts: The Benardo emails were likely authentic, based on forensic review and patterns in sensitive intel collection. They were seen as a “composite” from Russian hacks of U.S. think tanks (e.g., Open Society, Carnegie Endowment), but not outright fabrications—lending credence to the plan’s existence. CIA’s 2017 assessment viewed the memos as genuine, not Russian plants.
Ties to Steele Dossier and Russia Hoax
The plan directly seeded the dossier: Fusion GPS’s Trump-Russia research (funded by Clinton) incorporated Alfa Bank fabrications (via Sussmann/Elias), routed through Steele. Durham links it to the ICA’s false premises, where Obama directed rushed production post-election despite knowing the intel’s Clinton origins. The HPSCI’s July 2025 report calls this the “manufactured Russia Hoax,” with the plan as the “smoking gun” for conspiracy under 18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 241, and 242.
Implications
If authentic, the plan proves premeditated election interference by Clinton’s team, weaponized by Obama officials—demanding accountability via special counsel. Even if partially Russian-sourced, it highlights FBI biases and disinformation risks. As Grassley noted, it exposes “an attempt to stop President Trump” with FBI complicity. The 2025 declassifications, amid 2024 election echoes, underscore ongoing threats to electoral integrity. 1
References and Citations
All the References and Citations for the information presented in this article are documented in the 50 plus articles under this Substack series titled “Durham Investigation answering the 5Ws and the How questions.” AI assisted in the organization for formatting purposes only.
[Note: This analysis was created by a former Retired DEA Supervisory Special Agent John Seaman with over 30 years’ experience conducting complex conspiracy investigations. Seaman is the co-author of an article Taliban Include Heroin Kingpins in Leadership - by Gretchen Peters and John Seaman - SpyTalk and author of Ideology and Political Correctness Trump Reality and reference in article The secret story of how America lost the drug war with the Taliban - POLITICOPOLITICO]