Fact Check: Hillary Clinton directly connected to the Russian hoax

Fact Check: "Hillary Clinton directly connected to the Russian hoax"

What We Know

The claim that "Hillary Clinton is directly connected to the Russian hoax" is rooted in a narrative promoted by various political figures, including former President Donald Trump. This narrative suggests that Clinton and her associates orchestrated a conspiracy to falsely accuse Trump of collusion with Russia during the 2016 presidential election. However, official investigations, including the Mueller report, have not substantiated these claims.

The Mueller investigation concluded that while Russia did interfere in the 2016 election and had links to the Trump campaign, there was insufficient evidence to establish that Trump or his associates conspired with Russia to influence the election (source-2). The investigation identified numerous contacts between Trump associates and Russian officials but did not find evidence of criminal conspiracy (source-3).

Additionally, the narrative that Clinton was involved in a "hoax" has been characterized as a conspiracy theory, often promoted by Trump and his allies to undermine the legitimacy of the investigations into Russian interference (source-2).

Analysis

The claim lacks credible evidence and is primarily supported by partisan sources that have a vested interest in discrediting Clinton and the investigations into Russian interference. For instance, the assertion that Clinton personally approved plans to link Trump to Russia has been cited in various opinion pieces but lacks substantiation from independent investigations (source-4).

Moreover, the narrative has been criticized as a "counter-narrative" created to delegitimize the findings of the Mueller investigation, which documented Russian interference and connections to the Trump campaign. The investigation's findings are supported by bipartisan reports, including one from the Senate Intelligence Committee, which confirmed that Russia sought to aid Trump's campaign (source-3).

While there have been legal actions involving Clinton, such as a lawsuit filed by Trump alleging conspiracy, these claims have not been upheld by evidence from credible investigations (source-3).

Conclusion

The claim that "Hillary Clinton is directly connected to the Russian hoax" is False. The narrative is primarily driven by partisan interests and lacks substantial evidence. Investigations into Russian interference have consistently found that while there were numerous contacts between Trump associates and Russian officials, there was no evidence of a conspiracy involving Clinton or her campaign. The claims appear to be part of a broader effort to discredit legitimate investigations into foreign interference in U.S. elections.

Sources

1. GANG THAT INVENTED THE RUSSIA HOAX IS BEHIND ...
2. Russia investigation origins conspiracy theory
3. Donald Trump sues Hillary Clinton over Russian collusion ...
4. Hillary Clinton personally approved plan to share Trump ...
5. Hillary Clinton's Russia Collusion Scheme
6. Russian Collusion: It Was Hillary Clinton All Along
7. FEC fines Hillary Clinton campaign and DNC over Trump ...
8. Inside the Clinton dossier and the con behind the Russiagate ...