Jury acquits Russian analyst of lying to FBI in Trump dossier case - The Guardian US

A assemblage connected Tuesday acquitted a thinktank expert accused of lying to the FBI astir his relation successful the instauration of a discredited dossier astir Donald Trump.

The lawsuit against Igor Danchenko was the 3rd and perchance last lawsuit brought by the peculiar counsel John Durham arsenic portion of his probe into however the FBI conducted its ain enquiry into allegations of collusion betwixt the 2016 Trump run and the Kremlin.

The archetypal 2 cases ended successful an acquittal and a blameworthy plea with a condemnation of probation.

Danchenko betrayed nary emotion arsenic the verdict was read. His woman wiped distant tears aft the clerk work the last “not guilty” to the 4 counts helium faced.

The assemblage reached its verdict aft astir 9 hours of deliberations implicit 2 days.

The acquittal marked a important setback for Durham. Despite hopes among Trump supporters that the authoritative would uncover a sweeping conspiracy wrong the FBI and different agencies to derail his candidacy, the three-year probe failed to nutrient grounds that met those expectations.

The Danchenko lawsuit was the archetypal of the 3 to delve profoundly into the origins of the “Steele dossier”, a compendium of allegations that Trump’s 2016 statesmanlike run was colluding with the Kremlin.

Most famously, it alleged that the Russians could person blackmail worldly connected Trump for his expected interactions with prostitutes successful a Moscow hotel. Trump derided the dossier arsenic fake quality and a governmental witch-hunt erstwhile it became nationalist successful 2017.

Danchenko, by his ain admission, was liable for 80% of the earthy quality successful the dossier and fractional of the accompanying analysis, though proceedings grounds indicated that Danchenko was shocked and dismayed astir however Steele presented the worldly and portrayed it arsenic factual erstwhile Danchenko considered it much to beryllium rumor and speculation.

Prosecutors said that if Danchenko had been much honorable astir his sources, the FBI mightiness not person treated the dossier truthful credulously. As it turned out, the FBI utilized worldly from the dossier to enactment applications for warrantless surveillance of a Trump run official, Carter Page, adjacent though the FBI ne'er was capable to corroborate a azygous allegation successful the dossier.

Prosecutors said Danchenko lied astir the individuality of his ain sources for the worldly helium gave to Steele.

The assemblage began deliberations Monday day aft proceeding closing arguments connected 4 counts. On Friday, the US territory justice Anthony Trenga threw retired a 5th count, saying prosecutors had failed to beryllium it arsenic a substance of law.

Trenga astir threw retired each of the charges earlier the proceedings began, citing the ineligible spot of Danchenko’s defense, but allowed the lawsuit to proceed successful what helium described arsenic “an highly adjacent call”.