A federal judge denied the motion brought by a Clinton campaign attorney to throw the case out.
QUICK FACTS:
- Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann requested that a judge dismiss the case against him led by Special Counsel John Durham.
- According to the Conservative Brief, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper denied that claim and set the trial to start next month.
- Cooper said in his decision that Sussmann’s “sole argument for dismissal” of his case is if true, the misrepresentation he is accused of is immaterial and cannot support a conviction.
- The judge went on to assert that the defendant doesn’t make a compelling case that his alleged actions are incapable of prosecution.
THE CHARGES BROUGHT AGAINST THE ATTORNEY:
- “Specifically, Sussmann allegedly told Baker that he was not attending the meeting on behalf of any client when, in fact, he had assembled and was conveying the information on behalf of two specific clients: (1) a technology-industry executive named Rodney Joffe and (2) the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign,” Cooper wrote.
- “The FBI opened an investigation based on the information Sussmann provided, but ultimately determined that there was insufficient evidence to support the existence of a communication channel between the Trump campaign and the Russian bank,” Cooper wrote. “Sussmann has pled not guilty to the charge and denies lying to the FBI.”
BACKGROUND:
- Sussmann was part of U.S. Special Counsel John Durham’s investigation into the FBI inquiry of possible ties between Russia and Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, according to Reuters.
- In February, Sussman filed a motion for dismissal of the case against him in which he is charged with making a false statement to a federal agent and has pleaded not guilty, Fox News notes.
