“On September 10, Nora Dannehy resigned as the deputy to John Durham, the federal prosecutor investigating the government’s probe into the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election. Dannehy left her post and the Justice Department in part because of Attorney General William Barr’s pressure on Durham to release a report on his investigation’s findings before Election Day, according to a person familiar with her thinking. Trump had long been hoping a report out this fall would damage Democrats, including Joe Biden, and help him win reelection… Durham and Dannehy were also troubled that Barr had purposely misrepresented their work in numerous public comments. According to two sources familiar with the probe, there has been no evidence found to support Barr’s claims that Trump was targeted by politically biased Obama officials to prevent his election. There ‘was no evidence … not even remotely … indicating Obama or Biden did anything wrong,’ as one person put it.”

“Shortly after the resignation of his prized deputy and with the election looming on the horizon, Durham phoned Barr. He forcefully told the attorney general that his office would not be releasing a report or taking any other significant public actions before Election Day, according to a person with knowledge of the phone call. Dannehy’s resignation constituted an implied but unspoken threat to Barr that Durham or others on his team might resign if the attorney general attempted to force the issue, according to a person familiar with Durham’s thinking. After hearing from Durham in September, Barr informed the president and allies that there would be no October surprise, causing Trump to lash out” – New York Magazine.