Special Counsel John Durham's long-awaited investigative report on the origins of the FBI's anti-Trump probes in 2016-2017 was finally released this week, but the White House would rather not talk about the rather damning findings.

Instead, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre condescendingly deferred a question about the report to the Department of Justice and then abruptly ended a press briefing after another dodge when asked a follow-up question, RedState reported.

That response quite obviously runs counter to the Biden administration's oft-repeated assertion that it is the most transparent and honest and ethical administration in American history.

Damning revelations in Durham's report

In Special Counsel Durham's 316-page report, it was determined that the FBI and DOJ had grossly violated their ethical standards and investigative protocols to open up a probe into then-candidate Donald Trump and his campaign with no real basis aside from uncorroborated allegations, some of which were instantly known to be false.

It was also revealed that the entire scheme was concocted by 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's campaign in order to deliberately and falsely smear Trump as being connected to Russia and distract attention away from her own scandalous affairs -- a fact that the FBI was aware of but proceeded to investigate anyway.

Tellingly, the Durham report also exposed how senior White House officials at that time, including President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, were briefed on the Clinton plan and supported the effort to malign Trump with false allegations of Russian collusion and other supposed wrongdoing.

Jean-Pierre dodges questions on Durham report

Near what would turn out to be the sudden end of Tuesday's press briefing, a reporter asked press secretary Jean-Pierre for the reaction of the White House to "Special Counsel Durham's report on how the FBI handled the Trump-Russia probe?" to which she replied, "I would leave it to the Department of Justice to speak to."

Undeterred, the reporter continued, "So the President talks often about how he wants the DOJ and FBI to remain independent and, you know, above the fray. That report seems to reflect the opposite. Is -- does he agree with Special Counsel Durham that there needs to be wholesale changes at the FBI?"

Growing impatient, Jean-Pierre reiterated, "Again, that is with the Department of Justice. That’s not something that I’m going to speak from the podium."

"As you just stated in your question, we believe in an independent Department of Justice," she added with a smirk as she closed her binder. "That’s what the President said when he was running. And that is what he -- the President has said the last two years."

And with that, Jean-Pierre walked away from the podium and brought the briefing to an end.

Reporter: "Any reaction to the Durham Report?"

Jean-Pierre: "I would leave it to the DOJ"

Reporter: "Biden always talks about how he wants the DOJ to remain independent but this report reflects the opposite."

Jean-Pierre: "That is with the DOJ. That's not something I'm going… pic.twitter.com/UVlLm2fVyL

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 16, 2023

"Par for the course" with this White House

RedState noted that this particular episode was emblematic of the apparent condescension and "utter disdain" that Jean-Pierre -- to say nothing of President Biden himself -- often displays toward members of the media who ask legitimate questions that they'd prefer not to answer.

As it is, the reporter was correct that Durham's report exposed how the FBI and DOJ, far from being "independent" and "above the fray," was in actuality "weaponized and politicized" for blatantly partisan purposes and with no basis, and hopefully members of the White House press corps will continue to pry on this matter in future press briefings until Jean-Pierre, or Biden himself, can acknowledge that what occurred was wrong and condemnable.