During the special prosecutor John Durham’s congressional testimony, Republicans pointed to the inconclusive findings of the Durham Report as yet another instance of perceived hypocrisy within the Justice Department. They argued that the lack of decisive conclusions from the report further fueled their allegations of bias and inconsistency within the department’s actions.

Special counsel John Durham testified before a House committee regarding his investigation into the FBI’s Trump-Russia probe, which has fueled Republican complaints of a double standard within federal law enforcement agencies. Republicans seized the opportunity to question Durham about what they view as a politically motivated effort to target Trump, citing the recent indictment of the former president and the plea deal for President Joe Biden’s son Hunter as examples. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan highlighted the Crossfire Hurricane investigation and criticized the Justice Department’s actions.

The hearing focused on the Durham report, released last month after four years of examination of the FBI investigation. While the report criticized the FBI and DOJ, it did not recommend new charges and was considered underwhelming by some. Durham emphasized the report’s findings, including violations of law and policy in investigations involving a presidential campaign. He stated that there was no evidence of collusion or conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, and the investigation into Trump lacked a legitimate basis at the time.

Republicans found some vindication in the report but expressed disappointment that it did not meet their expectations. They accused the Justice Department of hypocrisy and called for equal treatment under the law. Democrats argued that the report does not undermine the findings of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and accused Republicans of using the hearing to distract from Trump’s legal troubles. Rep. Jerrold Nadler referred to the report as a “deeply flawed vessel” and criticized the Durham investigation as a “headline generator for MAGA Republicans.”