Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
Newly released documents cite coordination in 2016 to promote Trump–Russia allegations through media and intelligence channels
A declassified annex to the U.S. Department of Justice’s 2023 Special Counsel report reveals intelligence from 2016 that links senior officials at George Soros’s Open Society Foundations with the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee.
The documents include emails attributed to Leonard Benardo and Jeffrey Goldstein of the foundation discussing a plan to associate Donald Trump’s presidential bid with Russia.
One memo states former President Clinton approved the strategy, and a plan to leak unverified claims to media via cybersecurity firms tied to intelligence sources.
The annex indicates that the FBI investigated these leads but found the intelligence could not be verified.
Analysts called the emails “likely authentic,” though possibly composite, having originated from Russian hacking of think‑tank communications.
Despite internal concerns, some law‑enforcement leaders declined to act on the intelligence, partly due to credibility doubts.
Meanwhile, U.S. agencies separately confirmed Russian state efforts did interfere in the 2016 election to support Trump’s campaign.
Intelligence records further suggest that then‑President Obama and Attorney General Loretta Lynch applied administrative pressure to minimise fallout from Clinton’s email controversy.
Publicly released annex material describes discussions aimed at using Trump–Russia allegations to divert attention from internal controversies.
The Open Society Foundations have issued denials, describing the allegations as dangerous disinformation tied to foreign influence campaigns.
Records highlight long-standing scrutiny of the foundation’s funding and global influence, including recent probes in India regarding financial compliance.
Despite controversy, the organization remains active in human rights, democracy and development work across multiple regions, including a multiyear commitment to green jobs and environmental defenders with significant grant allocations.
George Soros, the Hungarian‑American investor and philanthropist behind the foundation, has donated tens of billions to civil society initiatives worldwide since the late 1970s.
His philanthropic work includes support for democratic institutions, academic programmes, and human rights advocacy across Europe, Africa, Latin America, and Asia‑Pacific.
The documents include emails attributed to Leonard Benardo and Jeffrey Goldstein of the foundation discussing a plan to associate Donald Trump’s presidential bid with Russia.
One memo states former President Clinton approved the strategy, and a plan to leak unverified claims to media via cybersecurity firms tied to intelligence sources.
The annex indicates that the FBI investigated these leads but found the intelligence could not be verified.
Analysts called the emails “likely authentic,” though possibly composite, having originated from Russian hacking of think‑tank communications.
Despite internal concerns, some law‑enforcement leaders declined to act on the intelligence, partly due to credibility doubts.
Meanwhile, U.S. agencies separately confirmed Russian state efforts did interfere in the 2016 election to support Trump’s campaign.
Intelligence records further suggest that then‑President Obama and Attorney General Loretta Lynch applied administrative pressure to minimise fallout from Clinton’s email controversy.
Publicly released annex material describes discussions aimed at using Trump–Russia allegations to divert attention from internal controversies.
The Open Society Foundations have issued denials, describing the allegations as dangerous disinformation tied to foreign influence campaigns.
Records highlight long-standing scrutiny of the foundation’s funding and global influence, including recent probes in India regarding financial compliance.
Despite controversy, the organization remains active in human rights, democracy and development work across multiple regions, including a multiyear commitment to green jobs and environmental defenders with significant grant allocations.
George Soros, the Hungarian‑American investor and philanthropist behind the foundation, has donated tens of billions to civil society initiatives worldwide since the late 1970s.
His philanthropic work includes support for democratic institutions, academic programmes, and human rights advocacy across Europe, Africa, Latin America, and Asia‑Pacific.
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