The Brew: FBI Launches ‘Grand Conspiracy’ Probe into Decade-Long Election-Meddling Allegations

It’s about time!

A Grand Ol’ Time

The FBI, under new Director Kash Patel, has initiated a “grand conspiracy” investigation into alleged actions by the Democratic Party and other Deep State actors spanning a decade, potentially involving a criminal conspiracy to influence the last three presidential elections against Donald Trump. The probe could lead to Attorney General Pam Bondi appointing a special prosecutor to determine whether there was a criminal conspiracy to do so.

The investigation could gain significant momentum if Trump declassifies two highly sensitive classified documents that reportedly point to the origins of the alleged conspiracy in the summer of 2016:

• A classified annex from an investigation the Department of Justice Inspector General conducted on Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server for classified information. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley has long sought this document, which is believed to prove that the FBI ignored credible evidence of Clinton’s potential wrongdoing. Grassley’s 2019 letter to then-Attorney General William Barr noted that the FBI drafted a memorandum in May 2016 stating that access to this classified information was “necessary to complete the investigation” — but the FBI failed to pursue it and cleared Clinton of criminal charges in July 2016.
• Another classified annex of Special Counsel John Durham’s 2022 report on the FBI’s investigation of Trump’s alleged ties to Russia. This evidence, dubbed the “Clinton plan intelligence,” suggests that U.S. intelligence agencies were aware in late July 2016 that Clinton’s campaign had approved a plan to fabricate a narrative linking Trump to Russian interference in order to harm his 2016 election chances. Despite this knowledge, the FBI proceeded with the Crossfire Hurricane probe, relying partly on evidence from Clinton associates, including the discredited Steele dossier.

The investigators are exploring a series of events that Republicans say show a pattern of intentional actions to harm Trump and other GOP candidates. These include:

• The FBI’s decision, announced by then-Director James Comey on July 5, 2016, to clear Clinton of criminal charges for transmitting classified information on a private email server, despite evidence in the classified annex suggesting further investigation was warranted.
• Reports that the FBI received intelligence in August 2020 about a Chinese scheme to create fake mail-in ballots to benefit Joe Biden. The FBI allegedly failed to investigate, recalled the intelligence, and instructed other agencies to destroy it. The five-year statute of limitations for this incident is nearing expiration, complicating potential charges.
• Efforts inspired by the Biden campaign to falsely label Hunter Biden’s laptop as Russian disinformation, despite the FBI possessing the laptop and validating its authenticity years before the 2020 election.
• Congressional whistleblowers in 2023 revealed that the FBI and IRS were obstructed in early probes into Hunter Biden’s tax- and gun-related crimes.
• Allegations that Joe Biden’s apparent mental decline was hidden, leading the Democrats to put Kamala Harris forth as the party’s presidential nominee without any primary votes or debates.
• Actions such as opening the Crossfire Hurricane probe despite knowing Clinton’s campaign was pushing a false Russia narrative, using the uncorroborated Steele dossier in the 2016 intelligence community assessment, obtaining misleading FISA warrants to spy on Trump campaign figures like Carter Page, and raiding Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in 2022 over classified documents, a case later dismissed.

By framing these events as part of an ongoing conspiracy or even a racketeering operation, the investigation could overcome statute of limitations constraints, allowing prosecutors to connect older incidents (like those from 2016) to more recent ones.

.@jsolomonReports tells me the FBI’s “grand conspiracy” probe into potential Democrat/Deep State collusion will only succeed if Trump declassifies 2 major pieces of evidence and Pam Bondi appoints the right special counsel: “They could do this TOMORROW if they chose to.” pic.twitter.com/pSxvueHpYu

— Glenn Beck (@glennbeck) July 14, 2025

If Trump declassifies the evidence, it could provide prosecutors with a clear narrative to present to a grand jury, highlighting two pivotal events that both took place on July 5, 2016: Comey’s decision to clear Clinton and the simultaneous integrtation of the Steele dossier into the FBI’s Russia probe. These events are the “ignition points” of a possible decade-long effort to weaponize the DOJ and intelligence agencies against Trump while shielding Democrats. Clinton, Comey, and Brennan all deny intentional wrongdoing, but this probe will test the sincerity of Democrats’ claims that “nobody is above the law.”

Fire Claims Nine Lives

A tragic fire at an assisted-living facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, claimed nine lives and injured over 30 people Sunday. The facility, located about 50 miles south of Boston, housed approximately 70 elderly residents, many with mobility issues or medical conditions like diabetes, requiring specialized care. Firefighters arrived to find the front of the building engulfed in flames and heavy smoke, prompting a chaotic rescue operation where first responders broke down doors and pulled residents, some in wheelchairs, through small windows due to window air conditioning units obstructing larger ones.

Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon described a harrowing scene, with residents “hanging out of windows” and begging for help. The fire was primarily confined to one wing of the building, but dense smoke spread throughout, likely contributing to the fatalities and injuries.

Our hearts are with the City of Fall River and the families grieving after last night’s terrible fire in an assisted living facility. Thank you to Fall River FD, PD, EMS, EMA, and others who undertook heroic efforts to rescue and treat occupants: https://t.co/dSzWts0C2v pic.twitter.com/1BFFvnvsh7

— Massachusetts Department of Fire Services (@MassDFS) July 14, 2025

Bacon noted that “several” oxygen tanks were on the scene, but said they were “irrelevant to the fire at this time.” The investigation to determine the exact cause and whether the facility adhered to an evacuation plan is ongoing.

Gabriel House opened in 1999 with 100 units for residents aged 55 and older; it is subject to regular health and safety inspections, according to Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan. However, recent inspection details were not disclosed, and though the building’s owner, Dennis Etzkorn, is cooperating with authorities, he has not responded to media inquiries, according to USA Today.

Evacuees were relocated to a local homeless overflow shelter, where city staff are assisting with replacing medications, clothing, and other essentials left behind during the frantic evacuation. Miraculously, medical records were recovered from a room where they were safely stored, and the displaced residents have access to their critical medications.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey expressed her condolences, stating, “The fire at Gabriel House in Fall River is a tragedy. My heart goes out to those who are waking up to the most horrific news imaginable about their loved ones this morning.”

The incident has raised concerns about fire safety in assisted living facilities, particularly regarding evacuation challenges for residents with limited mobility and the potential risks posed by equipment like oxygen tanks. Praise the Lord first responders were able to control the fire before it spread to other areas, but join us in praying for the loss and sorrow so many family members are suffering through after this horrific incident.

AI Rock Band

Over the weekend, the Velvet Sundown, a ’60s-inspired rock band that has rapidly gained popularity with over a million Spotify listeners, revealed it is entirely AI-generated. Just a month ago, its debut album, Floating on Echoes, was released and a song, “Dust on the Wind,” topped Spotify’s “Viral 50” chart in Britain, Norway, and Sweden.

Fans grew suspicious due to the band’s lack of online presence and seemingly AI-generated imagery (e.g., unnatural album cover photos), and generic lyrics.

The Velvet Sundown: it was only a hopeless fancy: This week, a rock band that amassed over 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify revealed itself to be entirely AI-generated.

The band’s members, backstory, and music were all created by artificial intelligence. Their song “Dust… pic.twitter.com/CLYAADL1VK

— Matt | Outlier Ventures (@mattyboomboom) July 14, 2025

The band, which released two albums in June and planned another for July, updated its Spotify bio on Saturday, admitting it’s an AI-driven project meant to explore authorship and music’s future. A Quebec-based web safety expert under the pseudonym Andrew Frelon who briefly posed as the band’s spokesperson later confessed that he was just trying to troll people.

It’s unclear if the band will face Spotify backlash — how do you punish a band that doesn’t really even exist? — while YouTube announced it will cut monetization, including advertisements, for AI-generated content starting today.

Real musicians 1, fake AI 0.

Along The Stream…

Later this morning, John Zmirak asks important questions, “How Tied In Is Pam Bondi to Scientology? What Did She Do for Pfizer?”

In the afternoon, see which “9 Christian Films to Watch with Non-Christians.”

Gayle McQueary is The Stream’s social media specialist. She has a background in production and an opinion on most news headlines.