Top aide to John Durham resigns from Justice Dept amid probe into origins of Russia investigation
A federal prosecutor who was the top aide to John Durham, the Connecticut U.S. attorney tasked by Attorney General Bill Barr with examining the origins of the investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, has resigned.
The U.S. attorney's office in Connecticut has confirmed Nora Dannehy's resignation from the Justice Department, though the reason for her departure is not yet clear. The Hartford Courant was the first to report that she was leaving the office.
Dannehy had returned to the Connecticut U.S. attorney's office as counselor to Durham in March 2019. Nine years before, she was the acting U.S. attorney for the state, the first woman to have held that job.
Attorney General William Barr selected Durham in May 2019 to probe issues related to the origins of the FBI's Trump-Russia investigation. Durham's probe has taken on a global scale since it began.
Former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith pleaded guilty to making a false statement as part the investigation led by Durham. This is the first criminal case arising from the Durham probe.
CBS News' Clare Hymes contributed to this report.
This is a developing story and will be updated.