<p>Cybersecurity attorney Michael Sussmann’s defense team dueled prosecutors in opening statements on the second day of Sussmann’s trial on Tuesday.</p>
<p>Sussmann is facing up to five years in prison on a single charge of making false statements to the FBI during a 2016 meeting with the bureau’s general counsel in which Sussmann made later-debunked claims of a secret backchannel between the Trump Organization and a Russian bank. The court wrapped up jury selection on Monday and launched into the first day of testimony the following day.</p>
<p>Prosecutor Deborah Shaw started the day’s proceedings. She said the case will show in the coming weeks that Sussmann’s trial is about “privilege,” possibly a shaded reference to pretrial fights over what is considered protected under attorney-client privilege, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/justice/durham-sussmann-lawyers-clash-in-opening-to-trial">The Washington Examiner</a>. Prosecutors, led by special counsel John Durham, wrestled with Sussmann’s defense team, Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign, the investigative firm Fusion GPS, and the Democrat-linked law firm Perkins Coie over communications in the weeks leading up to the trial.</p>
<p>Sussmann, who was an attorney at Perkins Coie in 2016, is accused of intentionally hiding from the FBI his clients: the Clinton campaign and an executive at the computer analytics firm Neustar.</p>
<p>“This was not a mistake or a slip of the tongue, it was a concerted effort to conceal his clients,” Shaw said, according to <a href="https://thehill.com/regulation/3491229-sussmanns-defense-lawyer-calls-durham-prosecution-an-injustice/">The Hill</a>. “You’re going to see … how it misled officials into thinking he was acting as a good citizen.”</p>
<p>“The FBI should never be used as a political pawn,” she added.</p>
<p>Defense attorney Michael Bosworth asserted that Sussmann never lied to the FBI, and even if he did, it would not have mattered.</p>
<p>“Michael Sussmann didn’t lie to the FBI,” Bosworth told the jury. “Michael Sussmann wouldn’t lie to the FBI. … His whole livelihood depended on his credibility with these agencies and he’d never throw that away.”</p>
<p>Bosworth stated that Sussmann’s interests were clear to the FBI from the beginning.</p>
<p>“He was someone the FBI knew represented partisan clients,” Bosworth said, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-government-and-politics-elections-donald-trump-campaigns-41a55261c6772127a60ad46073627369">Associated Press</a>. “The FBI knew that he represented the Clinton campaign that summer. The FBI knew that he was an attorney for the DNC, the Democratic Party itself.”</p>
<p>In a September 2016 meeting, Sussmann fed then-FBI general counsel James Baker data purportedly showing the Trump Organization secretly communicating with Russia’s Alfa Bank. FBI special agent Scott Hellman, who currently heads an investigative team that specializes in cybercrime, testified on Tuesday that he and a superior vetted the evidence Sussmann provided and dismissed the attorney’s claims within days, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/justice/fbi-agent-at-sussmann-trial-bureau-rejected-alfa-bank-claims-within-days">The Washington Examiner</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;Whoever had written that paper had jumped to some conclusions that were not supported by the data,” he said, referring to a white paper that Sussmann had presented with the data. “The methodology they chose was questionable to me.”</p>
<p>“There was not enough data there to make the conclusion that there was any communication, or the secret communication between the Trump Organization and Russia,” Hellman said.</p>
<p>The agent also testified that the interests of a source impact how the FBI weighs information. “The motivation of whoever is giving me the information is very important,” he testified.</p>

<script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script><div data-widget-host="revcontent" data-pub-id="165152" data-widget-id="290588"></div><script src="https://delivery.revcontent.com/165152/290588/widget.js"></script>

Sussmann Trial Opens, Lawyers Spar Over Defendant’s 2016 ‘Lie’ To FBI

CONTINUE READING

Trump Says Netflix Should Fire ‘Racist, Trump Deranged’ Susan Rice

Trump Orders Release Of ‘Any And All’ Info On Aliens And UFOs

Man Targets DHS Building With Stolen Ambulance In Attempted Arson Attack

Bill Gates Drops Out Of Keynote Speech Last Minute As Epstein Rumors Swirl

Trump Left The World Health Org Last Year. Now, He’s Replacing It.

One Of The CDC’s Biggest Critics Is Now In Charge Of The Whole Thing

News

2016 Election

Donald Trump

Hillary Clinton

John Durham

Michael Sussmann

A video goes viral showing a baby being refused his mother by two gay "dads". This is just the tip of the iceberg, which is why we will have an important discussion today about surrogacy. 

Hour 1

The Matt Walsh Show

Ep. 1765 - This Video Is One Of The Worst Things I've Seen In A Long Time 

The Strait of Hormuz officially opens for business (kind of), the Pope makes “shocking” comments on immigration, and President Trump promises UFO disclosure at TPUSA. 


The Michael Knowles Show

Ep. 1956 -  Pope Leo's "SHOCKING" Immigration Comments EXPLAINED

A false miscreed has corrupted our leadership class.


The Andrew Klavan Show

Ep. 1275 - Dumb, Dumber and Progressive

President Trump announces a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, a murder-suicide involving former Democratic Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax shakes Virginia, and France and Britain hold a conference to secure the Strait of Hormuz – after the Iranian conflict ends. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.

- - -

Ep. 2738

- - -

Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3

- - -

Today's Sponsors:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text 'WIRE' to 83848 to learn more.

Pocket Hose - Text MORNING to 64000 to get a FREE pocket pivot and their 10-pattern sprayer with the purchase of ANY size Copper Head hose. Message and data rates may apply.

Morning Wire

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26 [Member Exclusive]

A ceasefire goes into effect between Israel and Lebanon, a tragic murder-suicide rocks Virginia, and Dairy Queen deploys AI in the drive-thru. Get the facts first with Evening Wire.
- - -
Ep. 2737
- - -
Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 
- - -
Today’s Sponsor:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text “WIRE” to 83848 to learn more.


Evening Wire: Lebanon Ceasefire Begins & Murder-Suicide Rocks VA | 4.16.26

The Pendragon Cycle

Menu

— News —

Sussmann Trial Opens, Lawyers Spar Over Defendant’s 2016 ‘Lie’ To FBI