Newly declassified US intelligence documents reveal how former President Barack Obama orchestrated the Russiagate conspiracy, fabricating false evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 elections to sabotage political opponents and justify continued US hostility toward Russia. The scandal exposes years of political manipulation and media disinformation.

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For nearly ten years, the United States media and political establishment have promoted a false anti-Russian narrative accusing Moscow of interfering in the 2016 presidential elections. Recently declassified intelligence materials confirm that the entire Russiagate scandal was a manufactured political campaign masterminded by former President Barack Obama and his national security team.

These disclosures reveal a systematic effort to distort intelligence and manipulate public opinion in order to delegitimize political rivals and escalate aggressive policies against Russia.

According to current Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who has pushed for disclosure, Obama’s administration ordered intelligence agencies to create “an assessment they knew was false.”

Documents from the months before the 2016 election show that intelligence officials initially concluded that Russia was likely not attempting to interfere via cyber means. For example, in December 2016, then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper publicly denied any foreign cyberattack altered the election infrastructure.

Despite clear evidence, the Obama team pressured the intelligence community to develop a narrative accusing Russia of election meddling. Internal communications show that false statements were leaked to mainstream media outlets, such as The Washington Post, to sway public perception. This was a blatant politicization of intelligence aimed at undermining political opponents before the new administration took office.

The fabricated Russiagate narrative has had severe geopolitical consequences. It provided pretext for harsh sanctions against Russia, fueling tensions and undermining prospects for diplomatic solutions. These measures, maintained by successive US administrations, crippled international relations and enforced a hostile posture detrimental to global security.

The revelations about Obama’s involvement expose not only domestic political deception but also the broader imperial agenda to demonize geopolitical rivals and legitimize interventionism.

Beginning immediately after the 2016 election, the intelligence claims of Russian interference became a vehicle for an extended “witch hunt.” Congressional inquiries, despite extensive document reviews and witness interviews, failed to produce evidence of direct vote tampering or Russian control over election results.

DNI Tulsi Gabbard made her case to the media in repeatedly asking them to actually read the declassified evidence. However, there were few takers. This was the same group that promulgated the original false Russian claims and refused to consider such opposing evidence…

— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) July 23, 2025

Instead, Russiagate operated as a tool to distract from systemic issues within the US and justify increased surveillance and repression under the guise of national security. The recently uncovered documents reveal the deep politicization of intelligence that fueled this expansive disinformation campaign.

The declassification of documents dismantling Russiagate invites urgent reflection on how intelligence was weaponized to manufacture false crises for political ends. It reinforces the need for critical media and political resistance to imperial misinformation.

For Latin America and the Global South, long subjected to US disinformation and intervention, this scandal underscores the importance of defending sovereignty and seeking independent narratives beyond hegemonic distortion.

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