On Tuesday, Special Counsel John Durham’s trial against Hillary Clinton-connected lawyer Michael Sussmann officially kicked off. In opening arguments, federal prosecutor Deborah Brittain Shaw alleged Sussmann used the FBI as a political tool to create an “October surprise” against Donald Trump and manipulate the 2016 election.
Sussmann is charged with making a false statement to the FBI when he told former FBI General Counsel James Baker in September 2016 that he was not doing work “for any client” when he requested and attended a meeting with Baker where he presented “purported data and ‘white papers’ that allegedly demonstrated a covert communicates channel” between the Trump Organization and Alfa Bank, which has ties to the Kremlin.
According to Fox News:
Durham’s team alleges Sussmann was, in fact, doing work for two clients: the Hillary Clinton campaign and a technology executive, Rodney Joffe. Following the meeting with Baker, Sussmann billed the Hillary Clinton campaign for his work.
Sussmann has pleaded not guilty.
“Privilege of a lawyer who thought he could lie to the FBI without consequences; privilege of a lawyer who thought that for the powerful, normal rules didn’t apply,” Shaw argued on behalf of the government.
Shaw argued that Sussmann’s decision to being the “serious allegations” to the FBI “bypassed normal channels and went straight to the FBI’s top lawyer,” referencing James Baker.
“He then sat across from that lawyer and lied to him,” Shaw said, noting the lie was “designed to achieve political” ends, and “designed to inject the FBI into the election.”
In the opening argument, Shaw also noted the “elephant in the room” and noted that despite many people having strong feelings about Trump, Hillary, and politics in general this case does not involve specific allegations involving either and urged the jury to leave political views at the door.
“We are here because the FBI is our institution that should don’t be used as a political tool for anyone — not Republicans, not Democrats, not anyone,” Shaw said, urging jurors to leave their own “political views” out of the decisions they make in the courtroom.
Federal prosecutors told the jury that during the trial, they will present physical evidence, including handwritten notes from FBI officials, two thumb drives that Sussmann gave to the FBI containing the allegations against Trump, and also testimony and documents to prove their charge against Sussmann.
“This is a case about privilege,” Shaw reiterated. “No one should be so privileged as to have the ability to walk into the FBI and lie for political ends.”
