At 1 constituent during questioning, Dolan admitted to having lied to Danchenko successful an email successful the summertime of 2016 astir a “GOP friend” helium claimed to person met with and who helium said provided him with accusation astir erstwhile Trump run seat Paul Manafort’s resignation. Dolan told the assemblage that helium had “embellished” that assertion to Danchenko, and that helium had really obtained the accusation astir Manafort’s resignation from watching cablegram news, not from a Republican friend.
“I thought I would conscionable embellish a spot to marque it look similar his contacts were good,” Dolan said.
Prosecutor Michael Kielty pointed retired similarities successful the accusation Dolan provided Danchenko successful that 2016 email with accusation that had ended up successful a consequent study from the dossier, dated conscionable 2 days aft Dolan sent the email. Dolan said that helium ne'er provided further insights to Danchenko, and that helium wasn’t alert astatine the clip of wherefore Danchenko was seeking accusation from him.
“I conscionable thought helium wanted to cognize what the atmospherics were astir the resignation,” Dolan said.
Dolan besides said helium called Danchenko the time that Buzzfeed published the dossier, connected Jan. 10, 2017, to “see if helium knew wherever this came from.” The witnesser said Danchenko claimed helium wasn’t definite wherever the dossier came from and would look into it and get backmost to him, but ne'er did.
In cross-examination, defence lawyer Stuart Sears implied Dolan was being pressured by the peculiar counsel to admit that the accusation successful the dossier study came from him — to which Dolan replied, “I guess.”
“I hold they were precise similar,” Dolan said of the accusation helium gave to Danchenko successful 2016 and the consequent dossier report.
Sears besides established that the accusation Dolan had fixed Danchenko by email — namely that Trump run manager Corey Lewandowski “hated” Manafort — was “common knowledge” astatine the time. Dolan confirmed to the assemblage that helium didn’t person immoderate wrong information, and didn’t person immoderate further email oregon telephone exchanges with Danchenko successful which helium provided wrong scoops astir Trump run connections to Russia.
“You ne'er talked with Mr. Danchenko astir thing that showed up successful the dossier, correct?” Sears asked.
“Correct,” Dolan replied.
The authorities besides called a 3rd witnesser connected Thursday, FBI cause Kevin Helson, the 2nd bureau worker to attest aft expert Brian Auten took the basal during the archetypal 2 days of the trial. Helson was Danchenko’s handling cause from 2017 to 2020, erstwhile the suspect served arsenic a “confidential quality source” for the FBI. He revealed that Danchenko was a paid informant to the FBI.
Durham led the prosecution’s questioning of Helson, attempting to found that Danchenko withheld accusation and records from the FBI during their Crossfire Hurricane investigation. Helson confirmed that Danchenko ne'er provided immoderate corroborative accusation for the dossier to the FBI. After playing an audio signaling of 1 of Helson’s interviews with Danchenko, Durham asked astir a intermission successful the speech erstwhile Danchenko was asked astir his narration with Dolan.
“To the champion of my recollection, determination was a spot of hesitation, similar helium was trying to recall,” Helson said.
Sears, successful cross-examination, emphasized Danchenko’s practice with Helson and the FBI, specifically the information that helium was being interviewed voluntarily and could person declined to reply questions but ne'er did. Helson agreed with Sears that determination was lone 1 lawsuit successful their three- to four-year narration successful which Danchenko acted “odd oregon erratically,” and that was an lawsuit wherever helium was demanding much wealth for the accusation helium was providing. Danchenko aboriginal explained the behavior, attributing it to his woman and lawyer astatine the clip telling him helium should beryllium getting much money, and helium apologized.
Helson besides confirmed that Danchenko didn’t cognize astatine the clip that a dossier was being created with the accusation helium was providing to Christopher Steele, the British spy who authored the reports. Helson confirmed that Danchenko was upset that Steele had “embellished” accusation helium had provided, particularly erstwhile helium had told Steele that immoderate of it was rumor oregon speculation.
“Mr. Steele was consenting to pain everyone astir him to marque the dossier true,” Sears said.
“That is true,” Helson replied.
Sears besides touched specifically connected the prevarication Danchenko is charged with connected number one, which is telling the FBI helium hadn’t “talked” to Dolan astir immoderate accusation successful the dossier erstwhile successful information the 2 had exchanged emails. Sears asked Helson whether helium had clarified to Danchenko during an interrogation what precisely helium meant by “talked,” to which Helson replied that helium hadn’t. Asked whether Danchenko’s reply was virtually true, Helson replied, “Yes.”
Helson said helium ne'er believed that Danchenko was lying to him, and confirmed that helium had indicated successful reports that the suspect was a reliable source. Danchenko provided accusation connected astatine slightest 25 progressive FBI investigations portion helium was a confidential quality source, Helson said.
“It was a large woody for the FBI to person entree to idiosyncratic similar Mr. Danchenko, wasn’t it?” asked Sears.
“Yes, it was,” Helson replied.
Durham, taking a determination from his Wednesday playbook, became confrontational with Helson connected redirect implicit what helium implied were missteps by the FBI during the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. Durham grilled Helson connected not pursuing recommendations from the FBI’s validation portion erstwhile opening Danchenko arsenic a confidential quality source, specified arsenic not conducting a polygraph connected him oregon backtracking his whereabouts from erstwhile his visa expired.
Durham volition proceed his redirect connected Friday, erstwhile helium is expected to wrapper up presenting grounds successful the case.
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