Russiagate special counsel John Durham is in the homestretch. After the indictment was handed up Thursday, Sussmann resigned from Perkins Coie in order to focus on his legal defense, a spokesperson for the firm said in a statement. NEWS UPDATE. However, after the Biden administration took office, Attorney General Merrick Garland reserved the right to overrule Durhams major decisions. The Debrief with Tim Carney: Who will take the blame for all the COVID lockdowns? 2021 4:58 PM ET. Tape Case", "U.S. Attorney For Connecticut John Durham Resigns", "Scrutiny of Russia Investigation Is Said to Be a Review, Not a Criminal Inquiry", "AP source: Barr launches new look at origins of Russia probe", "Barr appoints special counsel in Russia probe investigation", "Durham remains special counsel overseeing Trump-Russia probe", "John H. Durham Sworn in as United States Attorney", "John H. Durham: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know", "President Trump Nominates John Durham To Be U.S. Attorney", "Barr appoints John Durham as special counsel investigating 2016 presidential campaign investigators | CNN Politics", "Barr Makes Durham a Special Counsel in a Bid to Entrench Scrutiny of the Russia Inquiry", "Justice Dept. In staff meetings with the attorney general, no one ever mentioned the political ramifications of any case. The FBI ultimately could not find anything nefarious about the connections. Copyright 2010-2021 This Nation. Durham supervised an FBI task force that was brought in to investigate. Posted at 10:41 AM, Sep 27, 2021 . Yet, many legal experts as well as political pundits describe him as possessing an apolitical reputation. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colgate University in 1972 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1975. Washington DC 20530, Contact the Department CNN After two years of searching for problems with the investigation into Donald Trump's campaign advisers in 2016 and their ties to Russia, federal prosecutor John Durham hasn't found. By April 2019, U.S. Attorney General William Barr had tasked Durham with overseeing a review of the origins of the Russia investigation and to determine if intelligence collection involving the Trump campaign was "lawful and appropriate". If they wanted to go interview Sussmann and ask him all those kind of questions, fine with me.. After being asked by the Biden Administration to resign, John Durham left his United States Attorney in February 2021. Since late 2021, two major indictments have been handed down one for a Russian operative who is said to be the source of the Steele Dossier and Attorney Michael Sussman. It is a case focusing on a single private citizen who happens to be the son of a sitting president. One such notable case was that of John G. Rowland. When I served as counsel to then-Attorney General Janet Reno, she had appointed five independent counsels in President Bill Clintons first term, hardly endearing her to the president (but notably causing no public castigation of Reno by Clinton). Durham has been rather quiet but professional regarding his current case. Sussmann has committed no crime, defense attorneys Sean Berkowitz and Michael Bosworth said in the statement. Official websites use .gov ", Sussmann's attorneys, Sean Berkowitz and Michael Bosworth, said their client will "fight this baseless and politically-inspired prosecution. According to the indictment, Sussmann stated falsely that he was not acting on behalf of any client when he gave the information to the FBIs general counsel, who passed it along to agents to investigate. His grand jury wrapped up work last week, apparently with no new indictments on the horizon. [20] The U.S. Justice Department's first official expenditure report for the special investigation showed that it had spent $1.5 million from Oct 19, 2020, to March 31, 2021; Durham was not required to report expenditures made before being designated special counsel. . An underboss was the aforementioned Enrico Tameleo, whom was also wrongfully convicted (and Durham had his sentence overturned). Sussmanns meeting with Baker had already been a subject of intense interest to Republicans on Capitol Hill, who grilled Baker about it during closed-door testimony in October 2018 during their own probe of the origins of the FBIs Trump-Russia investigation. [21] [20] Appointments as special investigator Whitey Bulger case Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The FBI subsequently investigated the purported link but found insufficient evidence to support it, prosecutors say. Well, no. Its significance lies in how evenhandedly his case is treated. It also details meetings that Sussmann had with a partner at his law firm who was general counsel to the Clinton campaign as well as a tech executive who was a client of Sussmann's and researchers about purported links between Trump Organization computer systems and a Russian bank. Durhams prosecutors presented abundant evidence that Sussmann had falsely told the FBI that he was not working for the Clinton campaign when he peddled spurious information about a supposed Trump-Putin communications back channel. [30][31], Beginning in 2017, Trump and his allies alleged that the FBI investigation (known as Crossfire Hurricane) of possible contacts between his associates and Russian officials (which led to the Mueller investigation) was a "hoax" or "witch hunt" that was baselessly initiated by his political enemies. An official website of the United States government. His wife is Susan (no maiden name revealed), and public information shows that he has four sons as well as eight grandchildren with his wife. Department of Justice via AP The mysterious computer communications became the subject of several news articles in the fall of 2016. [15] He also led a series of high-profile prosecutions in Connecticut against the New England Mafia and corrupt politicians, including former Governor John G. WASHINGTON (AP) John Durham, the federal prosecutor tapped to investigate the origins of the Russia investigation, has been presenting evidence before a grand jury as part of his probe, a person familiar with the matter said Friday. Bill Hennessy CNN Special counsel John Durham gave a glimpse on Wednesday of his extensive use of a federal grand jury to. According to the indictment, Sussmann provided Baker with two thumb drives and hard copies of the materials, including a document Sussmann had helped write, one written by a researcher and another written by the political research firm working for the Clinton campaign to dig up opposition research about Trump. [12][13], In December 2000, Durham revealed secret Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) documents that convinced a judge to vacate the 1968 murder convictions of Enrico Tameleo, Joseph Salvati, Peter J. Limone and Louis Greco because they had been framed by the agency. Durham also spent time prosecuting corrupt politicians. The tally is not a complete accounting of Durhams expenses since his investigation began in the spring of 2019. Durham has been rather quiet but professional regarding his current case. [35], After 312 years, Durham indicted three men, one of whom pleaded guilty to a charge unrelated to the origins of the FBI investigation, and was sentenced to probation; the other two men were tried and acquitted. All rights reserved. He is 5 10 in height, and he weighs approximately 187 lbs. But thats not the half of it. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. . Did the FBI end up finding out that Danchenko was not really a Russian asset? Some sources have his net worth at approximately $1 million, while others peg his. NTD News reports: When Special Counsel John Durham finishes his investigation into the origins of the Trump-Russia probe, his report will likely be made public, a Department of Justice official suggested in a newly released letter. The indictment alleges that Sussmann "lied about the capacity in which he was providing the allegations to the FBI.". This story has been shared 139,238 times. [12], On November 1, 2017, he was nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as U.S. Attorney for Connecticut. That last one should be grabbing our attention. It is one of the great dirty tricks in modern political history: The 2016 Democratic presidential campaign colluded with the incumbent Democratic administrations law enforcement and intelligence apparatus to portray their partisan opposition, Donald Trump, as a Kremlin mole, then made the smear stick to the point of forcing Trump to govern for over two years under the cloud of a special-counsel investigation. Law And Order. WASHINGTON John H. Durham, the special counsel appointed by the Trump administration to scrutinize the Russia investigation, has told the Justice Department that he will ask a grand jury to. Durham was tapped in 2019 by then-Attorney General William Barr to look into the genesis of the FBI's investigation into connections between the Trump campaign and Russia. The first, Kevin Clinesmith, pleaded guilty to altering an email used to obtain a surveillance warrant against former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. Bidens administration has obviously focused on trying to repair the departments tattered image. But the prosecutors curiously portrayed the FBI as the victim of Sussmanns machinations when the proof suggested that the bureau was not fooled at all and seemed more like a willing participant in building the Trump/Russia political narrative. Unbelievably, Durham now explains that the counterintelligence investigation was closed because the FBI incorrectly believed that [Danchenko] had left the country.. The public learns information from court filings submitted by Durham, who even utilizes highly professional methods of identifying witnesses by using a professional title or some other moniker that does not identify the individual (for instance, Durham will use Tech Executive 1 to describe a person rather than a given name). Therefore, many details regarding his early life are unknown. From April through September, Durham reported a tab of about $2.36 million, including about $1.89 million his team spent and about $471,000 recorded by other Justice Department offices as being in support of his work. Durham would not recommend any criminal charges be filed. From 1977 to 1978, he served as a Deputy Assistant State's Attorney in the Office of the Chief State's Attorney. Special counsel John Durham, here in 2018, was tapped by former Attorney General William Barr to look into the origins of the FBI's investigation into connections between the Trump campaign and Russia. Russian National Indicted for Making False Statements to the FBI, Grand Jury Indicts D.C. Attorney with Making False Statements to the FBI in 2016 Regarding Alleged Communications Between Trump Organization and Russian Bank. Thanks for contacting us. Wheres Durham? Trump wrote in a statement emailed to reporters last month. He has also investigated corruption, and torture techniques utilized on detainees held at Guantanamo Bay. Sussmann told Baker that he wasn't passing the information along at the behest of any client. He oversaw a task force of FBI agents brought in from other offices to investigate the Boston office's handling of informants. During the Barack Obama Administration, Durham was appointed by Eric Holder to investigate accusations of torture detainees at Gitmo in order to gather intelligence. Sussmann testified he passed the information along on behalf of a client, who is a cybersecurity expert. It is notable, however, that Durham was only commissioned to look at investigations that had gone beyond the officially sanctioned guidelines. Holder told Durham that interrogators acting in good faith based on Bush Justice Department Torture Memos were not to be prosecuted. In that meeting, Sussmann shared information about possible ties between a Kremlin-linked Russian lender, Alfa Bank, and a computer server at the Trump Organization. 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Last year, Durham indicted him on five counts of lying to the FBI. In both trials, Durham alleged the defendants had deceived the FBI, rather than alleging the FBI acted improperly toward Trump. He has been appointed a special investigator by the federal government as well. Rather, it meant that there was a well-established shared concern that no appearance of or actual political interference was to take place. IE 11 is not supported. The administrations effort to recover the Justice Departments integrity is not limited to the Hunter Biden case. Durham has so far charged two people with lying to the FBI. Igor Danchenko leaves Albert V. Bryan United States Courthouse in Alexandria, Va., Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021. Longer stories and investigations that go deep, Since October 2020, Durham has spent $3.8 million probing Russia investigation. [6] He was one of 56 remaining Trump-appointed U.S. Special counsel John Durhams inquiry into the origins of the investigation into ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump presidential campaign spent close to $3.8 million over its first year of operations. [7][8] Barr disclosed in December 2020 that he had elevated Durham's status to special counsel in October 2020, ensuring that the Durham special counsel investigation could continue after the Trump administration ended. It is likely he was paid well for these special assignments. President Joe Biden and his administration are putting on a masters class in ethics in the federal investigation into the business dealings of the presidents son Hunter Biden. Rowland. [17] On October 19, 2020, Barr appointed Durham Special Counsel to lead the Durham special counsel investigation in an effort to ensure the investigation continued after the Trump administration ended. Danchenko turns out to have been Steeles principal source for this fever dream. Durham attended Colgate University, in Hamilton, NY. Durhams investigation turned up evidence, however, that was used by the mens families to win a multi-million dollar settlement for wrongful conviction. Durham had spent five years as a state prosecutor before he went to work for the United States Attorney Generals office (District of Connecticut). John Durham is said to have a net worth of $1.5 million as of 2022. In September, he alleged in an indictment that Michael Sussmann, a former federal prosecutor with expertise in computer cases, lied about the capacity in which he was providing the allegations to the FBI when he passed on information about possible digital connections between Russia-based Alfa Bank and a computer linked to the Trump Organization. In November the special counsel indicted Igor Danchenko, a Washington-based Russian migr who was an important source for the contentious Steele dossier that served an important role in the initial phases of the FBI inquiry Durham is now investigating. The special prosecutor probing the origins of the federal investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, John Durham, has charged Washington . In November, Durham alleged in an indictment that Igor Danchenko, an analyst who was a key source for a 2016 dossier of allegations about Trump, had lied to the FBI about where and how he got information. The decision to keep the original head prosecutor on the Hunter Biden case signals the presidents willingness to let the investigation proceed where it may, even if that results in a possible criminal charge against his son. Andrew C. McCarthy is a former federal prosecutor. Attorney General Merrick Garland is said to anticipate receiving his final report by the end of the year. [14] Durham's task force also gathered evidence against retired FBI agent H. Paul Rico, who was indicted in Oklahoma on state charges that he helped Bulger and Flemmi kill a Tulsa businessman in 1981. Danchenko, a Russian analyst who contributed to a dossier of Democratic-funded research into ties between Russia and Donald Trump, was arrested Thursday on charges of lying to the FBI about his sources of information, among them an associate of Hillary Clinton. Now he works at Starbucks. Durham alleged at the two trials that the FBI had been deceived by the defendants but did not allege the FBI had acted improperly. Baker, at the time, said he didnt recall whether Sussmann had represented himself as working on behalf of the Democratic Party or the Clinton campaign. The regulations regarding special counsels are pretty clear about what Mr. Durham does, Garland told reporters on Dec. 6. John Durham volunteered with the VISTA program (Volunteers in Service to America), which provided a number of services to those in impoverished areas. Sussmanns lawyers also contend that he never made such a statement, that the evidence in the case is weak and that theres no sign the alleged falsehood affected the FBIs work. Danchenko has pleaded not guilty; an attorney representing him when he was charged has asserted Danchenkos work as a researcher is above reproach and that people with an agenda were seeking to tarnish his reputation. From his Russia, if youre listening remark about finding Hillary Clintons missing emails to his repeatedly asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to announce an investigation into Hunter Biden in return for military aid, Trump has always shown his appetite for using investigations as political weapons. That includes roughly more than $2.3 million between April 1 and Sept. 30. After in one year in this position, Durham would then move to the Assistant States Attorney position in the New Haven, Connecticut office of the Connecticut States Attorney. John Durham Probe Charges Washington Lawyer With Lying To FBI A cybersecurity lawyer who worked at a law firm tied to the Democratic Party is the second person charged in John . Several years later, however, Durham always appears quiet, professional, and definitely apolitical. A locked padlock Some former intelligence community officials have said those sorts of judgments were better reviewed by inspectors general of the intelligence agencies and not by a federal prosecutor. ", "The Special Counsel appears to be using this indictment to advance a conspiracy theory he has chosen not to actually charge," they said in a statement. He previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney in various positions in D.C. for 35 years. The information was significant because it was included in a series of reports prepared by British ex-spy Christopher Steele, who had been hired by an opposition research firm working for the Clinton campaign. and last updated 2021-09-27 20:28:55-04. [3][11] After graduation, he was a VISTA volunteer for two years (19751977) on the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana. The special counsel designation provides an additional degree of insulation from the regular DOJ apparatus. Michael Sussmann, who worked through his law firm as an attorney for the Hillary Clinton campaign, is accused of a single felony count in a grand jury indictment. [12], In May 2019, William Barr chose Durham to lead a probe into the origins of the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane investigation and the Mueller special counsel investigation. 12/22/2021 02:14 PM EST. Clinesmith, who pleaded guilty to doctoring an email that was used to get surveillance on a former Trump campaign adviser, was sentenced to one year of probation. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The Patriarca family, who chiefly made up the New England Mafia, had territory in Eastern Connecticut, where Durham was prosecutor. 3 min read Any report compiled by special counsel John Durham "may. In separate congressional testimony, Baker told lawmakers that Sussmann told him "that he had cyber experts that had obtained some information that they thought they should get into the hands of the FBI.". Republicans have grown impatient with the probe, while still hoping for a report that will vindicate former President Donald Trumps charge that the original inquiry was a thinly veiled and unfounded political attack. Often, Renos first question to me about any case I was reporting to her about was likely to be what Margolis thought about how it was progressing. Raskin roasts Durham inquiry as 'total flop,' presses Republicans to investigate. After all, Danchenko, like Sussmann, is charged with lying to the FBI, and a jury may once again be left to wonder whether the bureau was actually fooled. [14], In 2008, Durham was appointed by Attorney General Michael Mukasey to investigate the destruction of CIA videotapes of detainee interrogations. He was a former governor of Connecticut, and he was found guilty on a number of corruption charges, many of which were prosecuted by Durham. Sussmann said he didn't have a specific request for the FBI; he just wanted the bureau to be aware of the information. Former FBI attorney Kevin Clinesmith received a one-year probation term in January for altering an email related to a surveillance request in the course of the Russia investigation. Yet these prosecutions are secondary to the vital story: What role did the FBI, whether by misfeasance or malfeasance, play in the Clinton campaigns project to paint Trump as a clandestine agent of the Kremlin?
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