John, we wanted to remind you about a news story that flew under the radar this summer and let you know what CREW is doing about it.

In 2019, former Attorney General Bill Barr reportedly shut down a DOJ investigation into whether Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign sought an illegal $10 million contribution from the Egyptian government.

And because the investigation was closed—apparently by Trump political appointees—we still don’t know whether Donald Trump illegally accepted or sought out campaign contributions from Egypt’s government.

John, the American people deserve to know whether the Egyptian government attempted to influence American leaders and elections.

That’s why CREW filed a records request to uncover all records related to the investigation that Bill Barr allegedly closed regarding a $10 million cash withdrawal from the National Bank of Egypt and its relation to intelligence indicating that Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi sought to give $10 million to the Trump campaign in 2016.

Here’s what the Washington Post reported:

Just five days before Trump became president in 2017, a Cairo bank manager received an unusual letter from an organization tied to Egyptian intelligence requesting nearly $10 million be “kindly” withdrawn in cash. The money *was* withdrawn—reportedly in bags weighing 200 pounds and making up a huge chunk of Egypt's reserves of US dollars.

Federal investigators learned of the withdrawal in 2019, and that discovery intensified an ongoing criminal investigation which has classified U.S. intelligence that indicated Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi sought to give Trump a $10 million to boost his 2016 campaign.

That would ​​violate federal law that bans U.S. candidates from taking foreign funds.

But after learning of the withdrawal, federal investigators and FBI agents were blocked by top Justice Department officials from obtaining bank records they believed might hold critical evidence. Trump’s then-attorney general argued that the lack of evidence meant they needed to close the case.

We’ve requested *all* DOJ records about the case because the American people deserve to know if the Egyptian government interfered in our elections—and if Trump or any of his allies broke the law.

John, we won’t stop until the truth comes out.

Thank you,

CREW HQ