On Tuesday, the prosecution and defense teams in special counsel John Durham’s trial against former Clinton campaign attorney Michael Sussmann delivered opening arguments. Sussmann is charged with making false statements to the FBI. During opening arguments, prosecutors revealed that Sussmann used the FBI to create an October surprise during the 2016 presidential election against then-candidate Donald Trump.
Despite this revelation that a lawyer for the Clinton campaign lied to the FBI in order to frame Donald Trump, all three evening news broadcasts ignored the story. Instead, ABC’s World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, & NBC Nightly News wasted airtime on local weather reports, a brush fire in Los Angeles, and an entire segment on the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard trial.
Thankfully, Fox News Channel’s Special Report covered the new allegations against Clinton hatchet man Sussmann. Correspondent David Spunt, reporting live outside the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C. revealed that “federal prosecutors say that former Clinton campaign attorney Michael Sussmann manipulated the FBI to open this investigation into then-candidate Donald Trump to create that October surprise right before the election.”
Adding to the damming allegations, Spunt reported that prosecutors said Sussmann “went to the FBI and said he had some information linking the Trump Organization via a computer server to a Russian-based alpha bank then owned by associates close to Vladimir Putin.”
In fact, Sussmann’s claim that Trump colluded with Russia was so preposterous that “an FBI agent on the stand today said it didn't take long to determine there was no secret back channel between the Trump Organization and Russia.” This proves the FBI has more common sense than the leftist media which bought the conspiracy theory hook, line, and sinker.
Predictably, Sussmann's team told jurors the complete opposite arguing that Sussmann, a well-respected cyber attorney with a top-secret clearance never tried to hide anything from the FBI” and sought to excuse their client’s lies to the FBI by claiming, “the FBI was well aware that Sussmann worked for the FBI.”
It’s clear the leftist broadcast networks are still invested in the Trump/Russia collusion fairy tale even though it’s now been thoroughly debunked as a baldfaced lie. This explains the media’s lack of interest in this trial.
The network blackout of the revelations in the Durham/Sussmann trial was made possible by Progressive on ABC, TD Ameritrade on CBS, and Ford on NBC. Their information is linked.
To read the transcript of the Special Report segment click “expand”:
FNC’s Special Report
5/17/2022
6:07:30 p.m. EasternBRET BAIER: Breaking tonight, in the first full day of special counsel John Durham's trial against former Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann, the prosecution says Sussmann used the FBI to create a quote: October surprise against then-candidate Donald Trump. The accusation coming five years to the day that Robert Mueller was appointed as special counsel to investigate whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election. Correspondent David Spunt is outside the U.S. District Court here in Washington with the latest. Good evening, David.
DAVID SPUNT: Good evening, Bret. Busy day here today at federal court. Federal prosecutors say that former Clinton campaign attorney Michael Sussmann manipulated the FBI to open this investigation into then-candidate Donald Trump to create that October surprise right before the election. We got some video of Sussmann leaving the federal courthouse within the last hour with his legal team. The day began with opening statements and ended with several witnesses on the stand including two FBI agents. Sussmann is charged with lying to the FBI two months before the 2016 election, Bret, he went to the FBI and said he had some information linking the Trump Organization via a computer server to a Russian-based alpha bank then owned by associates close to Vladimir Putin. The FBI investigated the allegation was bogus. An FBI agent on the stand today said it didn't take long to determine there was no secret back channel between the Trump Organization and Russia but the investigation continued just going through the chain of command. Sussmann claims he was a concerned citizen, worried about the national security of the country when he went to the FBI. But the government says that he billed the Clinton campaign for that FBI meeting.
In opening statements today, federal prosecutors under special counsel John Durham said that Sussmann sought to use the FBI. And even though a Trump Russia connection never materialized, Bret, those prosecutors say the damage was done, and Trump and Russia were forever linked in the court of public opinion. Sussmann's team told jurors the complete opposite arguing that Sussmann, a well-respected cyber attorney with a top-secret clearance never tried to hide anything from the FBI. Sussmann's team also says that the FBI was well aware that Sussmann worked for the FBI. It was not a secret in Washington at all. Tomorrow is a big day. Former Clinton campaign general counsel Marc Elias expected to take the stand. Also, James Baker that FBI–that former FBI general counsel that Michael Sussmann had that meeting with. A lot of names but we’re going to continue to follow it all. Bret?
BAIER: We’ll cover it all every piece of this case. David Spunt outside the courthouse. David, thanks.
