Fact check: Did Barack Obama have a role in the Russia investigation during the 2017 election?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, Barack Obama's administration did have a role in the Russia investigation during 2017, though the nature and intent of this involvement is heavily disputed. The sources reveal that recently declassified documents by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard show the Obama administration was actively engaged in shaping intelligence assessments about Russian interference in the 2016 election ^{[1] [2]}.

Key findings include:

• The Obama administration held meetings in the White House Situation Room to discuss Russia and tasked intelligence community leaders to create new assessments on Russian influence ^[3]
• Intelligence officials initially assessed that Russia was "probably not trying" to influence the election, but this assessment changed after meetings with Obama's national security team ^[3]
• Gabbard has threatened to refer Obama administration officials to the Justice Department for prosecution over their handling of the 2016 election intelligence assessment ^[2]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks crucial context about the significant disagreement over the legitimacy and motivations behind Obama's involvement. The analyses present two starkly different interpretations:

Critical perspective: Sources suggest the Obama administration "manufactured and politicized intelligence" to create a narrative about Russian interference, potentially to undermine Trump's presidency rather than conduct a genuine investigation ^[1]. This viewpoint frames Obama's role as part of a "years-long coup" against President Trump ^[1].

Contradictory evidence: However, one source notes that other reviews, including a bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee report, did not discover such issues and supported the intelligence community's assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 US election ^[2]. This suggests that multiple independent investigations validated the original Russian interference findings.

Political beneficiaries: The current narrative being pushed by Tulsi Gabbard and supported by certain sources would benefit those seeking to delegitimize previous investigations into Russian interference and potentially shield individuals who may have been implicated in those investigations.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question contains a factual error - it asks about Obama's role in the Russia investigation during the "2017 election," but there was no presidential election in 2017. The question likely refers to the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, which continued into 2017 and beyond.

Additionally, the question's framing is potentially misleading as it doesn't acknowledge the fundamental dispute about whether Obama's involvement constituted legitimate national security work or improper political interference. The sources show this remains a highly contested issue with evidence supporting both interpretations, yet the question presents it as a simple factual matter that can be definitively answered.