The Russia hoax was Hillary’s plan and the Obama-Biden White House was briefed on it.

The CIA in 2016 asked the FBI to investigate whether the Clinton campaign had approved a plan to distract from Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s email troubles by “stirring up a scandal” claiming Russian interference, according to new information declassified Tuesday.

Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, in a letter to Congress, said the referral went to then-FBI Director James Comey and Deputy Assistant Director of Counterintelligence Peter Strzok.

The referral was based on information American intelligence gleaned from Russian intelligence alleging that Mrs. Clinton “had approved a campaign plan to stir up a scandal against U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump by tying him to Putin and the Russians’ hacking of the Democratic National Committee.”

The intelligence community did not take a position on the accuracy of the claims about Mrs. Clinton, but Mr. Ratcliffe said former CIA Director John Brennan briefed President Obama on the claims in late July 2016.

According to Mr. Brennan’s handwritten notes, Mr. Ratcliffe said, the former director talked about the “alleged approval by Hillary Clinton on July 26, 2016 of a proposal from one of her foreign policy advisors to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by Russian security services.”

Mr. Ratcliffe does not say in the letter what became of the referral, though he said he would provide a classified briefing with more information to lawmakers.

Mr. Comey is slated to testify to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, and Chairman Lindsey Graham said the fired FBI chief will have to answer questions about the revelation.

This is a developing story.

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