The FBI used those reports to justify obtaining secret surveillance orders targeting former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page to advance the agencys probe of possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia. All rights reserved. Rico died in 2004 before the case went to trial. More than $670,000 went toward personnel costs, more than $280,000 went toward travel and more than $797,000 went toward IT and litigative support, according to the report. Law And Order. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday declined to say whether special counsel John Durham is continuing his investigation into the FBI's probe of the Clinton Foundation. Official websites use .gov Have a question about Government Services? Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who took over the FBIs Russia investigation, ultimately ran up a tab of just under $32 million over two years. An accounting released earlier this year showed Durhams investigation cost U.S. taxpayers about $1.45 million from mid-October 2020 through March 2021. Its significance lies in how evenhandedly his case is treated. Proving once more his apolitical reputation, John Durham would successfully investigate and convince a judge to overturn the conviction of Enrico Tameleo, Peter Limone, Joseph Salvate, and Louis Greco, whom Durham discovered had been framed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 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. Whether or not Hunter Biden, who has denied any wrongdoing, is ultimately charged, Trumps latest insertion of himself into the investigation is unlikely to have any effect on the matter. The case is one of three brought so far by special counsel John Durham, who was tapped in 2019 by then-Attorney General William Barr to investigate the genesis of the FBI's Trump-Russia probe.. Durham was asked to be the special prosecutor for another major corruption case this time involving the destruction of CIA interrogation tapes. [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. The FBI subsequently investigated the purported link but found insufficient evidence to support it, prosecutors say. Durham has been appointed as a special investigator in a number of high profile cases, specifically, the Whitey Bulger case. The charge against Sussmann from a Washington grand jury is the first outward sign of activity in Durhams investigation in nearly nine months. John Durham has a stellar reputation for investigating corruption. And so I wanted to get this get the information into the hands of the agents as quickly as possible and let them deal with it. And in all of the regular reports she received from line prosecutors, supervisors and heads of divisions, that concern was never brought up. [21] [20] Appointments as special investigator Whitey Bulger case Shortly after the indictment was announced, the law firm where he was a partner, Perkins Coie, said it had accepted Sussmanns resignation. 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW JOHN IRWIN OBITUARY. John Durham report is coming, some people will go to prison Sara Carter Ranking member of the powerful House Intelligence Committee Rep. Devin Nunes told me on The Sara Carter Show podcast that he still expects Justice Department Special Counsel John Durham to release a damaging report on the FBI's debunked investigation into former President Donald Trump and Russia. 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. 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. [34] By September 2022 the costs of his investigation has climbed to $6.5 million since assuming the role of special counsel. 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. Clinesmiths alterations, Durham charged, obscured Pages prior relationship with the CIA. He has also investigated corruption, and torture techniques utilized on detainees held at Guantanamo Bay. Durham would be responsible for the successful prosecution of John J. Connolly, Jr. (Connollys story with Bulger was immortalized on film in Black Mass). Several years later, however, Durham always appears quiet, professional, and definitely apolitical. I dont want to say anything beyond what is in the regulations, but we are following the regulations.. [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. Nov 4, 2021, 12:40 PM PDT John Durham and Donald Trump. [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. Durhams investigation turned up evidence, however, that was used by the mens families to win a multi-million dollar settlement for wrongful conviction. On frontier of new gold rush, quest for coveted EV metals yields misery, first asked him to review the FBI investigation, alleged in an indictment that Michael Sussmann, ran up a tab of just under $32 million over two years. [12], After Durham's volunteer work, he became a state prosecutor in Connecticut. Copyright 2010-2021 This Nation. From 1989 to 1994, he served as Chief of the Office's Criminal Division. The indictment says the DNC retained Sussmann in April 2016 to represent it in connection with Russia's hacking of DNC servers, and Sussmann also advised the Clinton campaign on cybersecurity issues. He blew the whistle on Trumps Truth Social. Prosecutors allege Sussmann lied by denying that he was representing any client as he told the FBI about digital evidence allegedly linking computers in Trump Tower to Russias Alfa Bank. Durham has been praised for his tenacity and professionalism throughout this particular investigation, with few, if any, leaks of information to the media. Priestap, Baker told lawmakers, assured him that he had extensively followed up on the Alfa Bank matter. ", "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. The Debrief with Tim Carney: Who will take the blame for all the COVID lockdowns? Now he works at Starbucks. Annie izzy Cornell (@izzy_annie) July 20, 2021. By April 2019, he had been assigned to investigate the origins of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections, and in October 2020 he was appointed special counsel for the Department of Justice on that matter. He was initially a Deputy Assistant State Attorney serving in the Office of the Chief States Attorney in Connecticut. Danchenko turns out to have been Steeles principal source for this fever dream. He previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney in various positions in D.C. for 35 years. In a statement issued prior to the indictment, Sussmanns lawyers insisted that their client was innocent and they suggested that politics were at work in the decision to charge their client. Last week, in a jaw-dropping court submission, Durham revealed that the FBI signed up Danchenko as an informant and paid him for almost three years from March 2017 through October 2020. Typically, a new president will appoint mostly new U.S. attorneys, with the old appointees tendering resignations. At that time, he was both a supervisor as well as a lawyer at the New Haven Field Office. "At its core, the Special Counsel is bringing a false statement charge based on an oral statement allegedly made five years ago to a single witness that is unrecorded and unobserved by anyone else. 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Sussman billed these meetings to the Clinton campaign, according to the indictment. Torture Raises New Questions", "Holder Hires Prosecutor to Look Into Alleged CIA Interrogation Abuses", "Investigation of Bush-era Torture Concludes With No Charges", "Holder Rules Out Prosecutions in C.I.A. Yet they kept him on board, kept paying him. Does everybody remember when we caught the Democrats, red-handed, SPYING ON MY CAMPAIGN? 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. 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. 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. As the investigation heats up, Bidens hands-off approach versus Donald Trumps hands everywhere approach is starkly illustrated by Trumps shoutout to Russian President Vladimir Putin to release dirt on Hunter Biden. Sussmann, a former federal prosecutor and cybersecurity expert, is the second defendant facing charges brought amid Durhams long-running investigation. These convictions were in Connecticut, where he was serving the U.S. Attorney Generals office. Durham, along with fifty-six others nominated to similar positions by President Trump, was a part of the shake-up at the request of Joe Biden. [19] He stayed on in this capacity after he resigned as U.S. 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". How rich is King Charles? This is a private university, known for liberal arts studies. He was preceded in death by his . Attorney General Merrick Garland is said to anticipate receiving his final report by the end of the year. [20] He remains Special Counsel as of January 2023. And under questioning from Democratic staff, Baker added that he wouldnt have viewed the information differently had he been aware of Sussmanns link to the campaign. [12], On November 1, 2017, he was nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as U.S. Attorney for Connecticut. 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). If youre keeping score, that would be throughout (a) most of the FISC-authorized surveillance; (b) the Mueller investigation, which somehow failed to detect or at least to report that Danchenko misled the bureau; and (c) Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitzs investigations of the FBIs misconduct in the Trump investigation in the reports of which there is no indication that Horowitz was told Danchenko was on the bureau payroll and available to be interviewed. [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. Sign up now to get the Washington Examiners breaking news and timely commentary delivered right to your inbox. Updated 10/12/2022 09:11 PM EDT. Special Prosecutor John Durham has charged Washington lawyer Michael Sussmann with lying to the FBI. [6] He is known for his role as special prosecutor in the 2005 destruction of interrogation tapes created by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), during which he decided not to file any criminal charges related to the destruction of tapes of torture at a CIA facility.[3]. Wheres Durham? Trump wrote in a statement emailed to reporters last month. John H. Durham will remain as special counsel even as the Biden administration requests a mass resignation of U.S. attorneys. In a second October 2018 interview led by House Republicans, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) pressed Baker on Sussmanns affiliation with the Clinton campaign, saying he found it unbelievable that Baker didnt press him for details on the origin of the Alfa Bank allegations. It was closed in 2012 with no charges filed. 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 move continues Trumps long-standing practice of appealing for foreign interference in American politics. | (U.S. Department of Justice via AP). Durham has proven time and again to be effective in bringing convictions on those associated with the New England Mafia. [12], Following those five years as a state prosecutor, Durham became a federal prosecutor, joining the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut. 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. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [3][11] After graduation, he was a VISTA volunteer for two years (19751977) on the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana. A 2019 report by the Justice Department inspector general already had found significant problems with Danchenkos information, but the indictment by Durhams team painted a vivid picture of how the allegations were riddled with rumors and outright falsehoods. According to court documents, Sussmann allegedly falsely denied representing the Democratic National Committee or any other client at the time when he reported suspicions about possible links between computers at Trump Tower and a Russian bank. The regulations regarding special counsels are pretty clear about what Mr. Durham does, Garland told reporters on Dec. 6. Lock To date, Garland has said little about the level of DOJs oversight into Durhams activities, other than to say they are following the Justice Departments rules regarding special counsels. 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. The New York Times reported on Wednesday night that John Durham has informed the Department of Justice he will ask a grand jury to indict Michael Sussmann over his making a false statement to. [14], In 2008, Durham led an inquiry into allegations that FBI agents and Boston Police had ties with the Mafia. Theres more. Clinesmithwas sentenced in January to probation. [9][10] After 3.mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}12 years of investigation and prosecutions, Durham had secured one guilty plea and a probation sentence for a charge unrelated to the origins of the Russia investigation, and two unsuccessful trial prosecutions. A Washington attorney who specializes in cybersecurity issues has been indicted for allegedly lying to the FBI ahead of the 2016 election in a conversation about possible ties between Donald Trump and Russia. He also billed the Clinton campaign for meetings with journalists about the same materials. Russiagate special counsel John Durham is in the homestretch. 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. 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. 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. What I learned was that updates to the attorney general and other senior leadership offices, like that of the deputy attorney general, needed to come up through the chain of command of lower-level section chiefs and division heads to buffer prosecutors working on the cases from feeling as though political appointees were pressuring them. In staff meetings with the attorney general, no one ever mentioned the political ramifications of any case. 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. 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.". President Biden's hands-off approach during the federal investigation into his son is one way he's trying to repair the damage the Trump administration did to the Justice Department. . Mr. Durham is investigating the department'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. New developments in Hunter Biden investigation, Trump publicly asks Putin to release information on Hunter Biden, leave in place the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney. [22][23][24] On November 8, 2010, Durham closed the investigation without recommending any criminal charges be filed. 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.
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