The decision marks a new legal phase in the long-running controversy over the so-called “Russiagate” allegations that overshadowed much of Trump’s first term in office.

According to CBS News, the grand jury — composed of ordinary citizens — will assess the submitted evidence and determine whether formal charges should be pursued. However, no details have yet been released regarding potential charges or who might be implicated.

Background to the Case

Donald Trump, who defeated Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016, has consistently maintained that accusations of collusion with Russia were politically motivated smears. The U.S. intelligence community and several congressional reports, however, concluded that Russia did interfere in the election to harm Clinton’s campaign and bolster Trump’s chances.

Last month, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard intensified the debate by accusing former President Barack Obama and his security team of orchestrating a “years-long coup” against Trump. Gabbard alleged the Obama administration politicized intelligence regarding Russian interference to create a false narrative linking Trump to Moscow.

Trump responded by accusing Obama of “treason” — a claim dismissed as “bizarre” by Obama’s spokesperson. Democrats, meanwhile, insisted that Gabbard’s claims did not undermine the 2017 intelligence community’s assessment of Russian election interference.

A 2020 bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee report also supported the conclusion that Russia aimed to assist Trump during the 2016 race.

Criminal Investigations and Past Findings

Reports emerged last month via Fox News that former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey were under criminal investigation over their roles in the Russia probe. Both men have denied wrongdoing, accusing Trump and his allies of politicizing the justice system for personal gain.

Trump’s presidency was significantly impacted by a probe from his own Justice Department, led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. While the Mueller investigation found no criminal conspiracy between Trump’s campaign and Russia, it did reveal numerous contacts between Trump associates and Russian individuals. No one was charged with collusion-related crimes.

Declassified Appendix Reignites Debate

The controversy was reignited when the Department of Justice declassified a 29-page appendix from Special Counsel John Durham’s inquiry. The document included a memo from March 2016, allegedly from a U.S. intelligence source, suggesting that Hillary Clinton had approved a plan to associate Trump with Russia in order to distract from her own email controversy.

Durham’s appendix also cited emails believed to be obtained by Russian hackers from an employee of the Open Society Foundations, the philanthropic organization led by billionaire George Soros. One of the emails, apparently from senior VP Leonard Benardo, allegedly discussed a Clinton adviser named Julianna Smith and a strategy to portray Trump and Putin as intertwined political threats.

The email, dated July 26, 2016, reads in part: “Julie says it will be a long-term affair to demonize Putin and Trump… Later the FBI will put more oil into the fire.”

While smear campaigns are not illegal in politics, some Trump supporters argue that the contents, if authentic, raise serious questions about the role of federal investigators. However, Durham’s investigation found no concrete evidence that the FBI conspired in any such scheme.

Benardo denied writing the email, though admitted that parts of it “sounded like something he might have said.” Julianna Smith also denied any memory of receiving such a message.

Durham did not confirm whether the emails were genuine or fabricated by Russian intelligence operatives.

Durham’s Broader Findings

Durham’s full 306-page report, released in 2023, criticized the FBI’s original investigation into Trump’s 2016 campaign, calling it analytically weak and based on raw, unverified intelligence. However, it did not offer definitive proof of a politically motivated conspiracy against Trump.

While U.S. agencies agreed that Russian operations included disinformation campaigns on social media and cyberattacks against Democratic entities, they concluded that the interference likely had limited influence and did not alter the outcome of the 2016 election.