Ex-Clinton Campaign
Manager Robby Mook Headlines Busy Day in Sussmann Trial
By ISAAC SCHORR
May 20, 2022 6:49 PM
https://www.nationalreview.com/news/ex-clinton-campaign-manager-robby-mook-headlines-busy-day-in-sussmann-trial/
The final day of testimony in the first week of former
Department of Justice and Perkins
Coie attorney Michael Sussmann’s false-statement trial saw former FBI general counsel James Baker, Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign manager Robby Mook, and two
other witnesses from the CIA take the stand on Friday.
Sussmann is charged with telling Baker that he was not
representing a client when he brought evidence of a secret communications
channel between the Trump Organization and Russia’s Alfa Bank shortly before the
2016 presidential election. Prosecutors working under Special Counsel John
Durham say that Sussmann was representing the Clinton campaign and tech
executive Rodney Joffe — who came across the evidence — at the time.
Mook’s testimony — which came after Baker finished his
time on the stand after having begun on Wednesday afternoon — was the most
explosive.
The political operative, who was called to the stand by
the defense, spoke out of turn. Earlier this week, the defense requested that
Mook be allowed to testify before the prosecution finished with its witness
list because Mook had a flight for a vacation scheduled for Saturday. While
Mook is under subpoena, which would have mandated that he appear whenever the
court asked him to do so, Judge Christopher Cooper granted the request.
Under direct examination by the defense, Mook said that
he did not recall having ever interacted with the defendant and that he had no
knowledge of Fusion GPS’s involvement in opposition research for the Clinton campaign while the campaign was ongoing. Mook noted that
Perkins Coie, which served as outside general counsel for the Clinton campaign,
did play a role in opposition research.
According to Mook, the campaign took an interest in a
broad range of issues surrounding Donald Trump’s relationship with the Russian
Federation and did not view the Alfa Bank allegations as an “October Surprise,”
as the prosecution alleges. Mook denied that this was any kind of “silver
bullet” and was insistent that the campaign would not have wanted anyone to go
to the FBI with the information.
He said that such a course of action would not have been
the best way to make the information public and that the campaign “did not
trust them [the FBI],” citing the behavior of then-Director James Comey.
Leading Mook’s cross-examination, prosecutor Andrew
DeFilippis first established that parts of the campaign’s work on
Trump–Russia-related matters were delegated to Perkins Coie, and that Mook was
not overseeing the work of Fusion GPS.
“I never engaged with Fusion GPS,” said Mook, who also
relayed that then-Perkins Coie partner and Clinton campaign general counsel
Marc Elias, who hired Fusion GPS, had “discretion” to make decisions and hire
third parties.”
Under further questioning, Mook admitted that the
campaign’s senior staff resolved to leak the evidence to the press so that they
could “vet it out.” In what was perhaps the biggest bombshell of the trial to
this point, Mook also admitted that Hillary Clinton herself “agreed to” the decision
to leak the Alfa Bank allegations to the press. Mook was adamant that he had
authorized campaign staff, rather than Perkins Coie, to carry out this task.
DeFilippis then presented Mook with a statement issued by
Clinton campaign senior staffer Jake Sullivan — and later tweeted out by
Clinton herself — after the first story on the Alfa Bank allegations
was published by Franklin Foer of Slate.
DeFelippis asked Mook whether he trusted Perkins Coie to
be accurate in its billing records, and Mook answered in the affirmative. He
then went on to present Mook with a billing record from Sussmann in which he
references “work on white paper” for the campaign. “White papers” has
frequently been used to describe the documents passed along to the FBI by
Sussmann that provided an analysis of the hard-copy evidence, which came in the
form of Domain Name System Data (DNS) on thumb drives.
The prosecutor asked whether an October Surprise should
be “damning,” and Mook said it should. He then inquired whether the Alfa Bank
allegations were damning, and Mook called them “alarming.” DeFelippis asked
Mook to read the date of Clinton’s tweet on the subject and he replied “October
31.”
DeFilippis ended his questioning there.
Defense counsel Michael Bosworth returned briefly to
establish that Mook had not delegated “politics” or “press” to Perkins Coie,
and that Foer’s article in Slate mentioned nothing about an
FBI investigation.
Baker finally finished his time on the stand around
10:30 a.m. on Friday, having started on Wednesday afternoon. His
cross-examination, having begun on Thursday afternoon, was finished by defense
attorney Sean Berkowitz.
Berkowitz questioned Baker about his and the bureau’s
decisions after Baker had obtained DNS data suggesting that there was a
connection between the Trump Organization and Alfa Bank and what they might
have suggested about the importance the bureau placed on the source of the
data.
He also established that Sussmann had played a critical
role in helping the FBI contact the New York Times about
holding a story on the allegations.
Baker was grilled about whether “alarm bells” had gone
off in his head because a news organization had received the evidence first,
potentially suggesting that Sussmann was representing a client. He said that he
“did not intuit” that there was an attorney–client relationship at work
“because Michael [Sussmann] said the opposite.”
Baker admitted that the FBI would have wanted the
materials Sussmann handed over “provided they could lawfully have them,” and
that he trusted Sussmann very much at the time. He continued to maintain,
however, that had he known Sussmann was representing a client, it would have
changed the way he handled the situation.
“I would have passed that [evidence] along to somebody
else in the FBI, but not necessarily in the same way,” said Baker.
In what might have been Baker’s biggest concession to the
defense, he agreed with Berkowitz’s assertion that it was “critically
important” for the FBI to get a heads-up about the allegations prior to the
publication of an article about them.
The prosecution returned to question Baker and elicited
from him that knowing of a relationship between one or more of the drafters of
the aforementioned white papers and the Clinton campaign would have affected
how Baker and the bureau handled the situation. He stated definitively that it
would have “changed my assessment of reliability and credibility of the information.”
DeFillippis also asked Baker whether it would have
changed his evaluation of Sussmann’s motives if he had known that the attorney
was lobbying reporters to move forward with the story after he went to the FBI.
“It would have caused me to have serious concerns about
what was happening here,” said Baker.
The other two witnesses were two retired CIA employees
who met with Sussmann in early 2017 about the Alfa Bank allegations.
First up was Mark Chadason, who had already left the CIA
by the time Sussmann had arranged for a meeting with him.
Chadason was informed of the allegations at
a breakfast with Sussmann. In a memo, he recorded that Sussmann told him
that he was representing a client who wished to remain anonymous and referred
to his client’s lack of trust in the FBI to deal with these issues. He also
recorded that Sussmann said that he would go to the New York
Times if the evidence didn’t make its way to “senior bona fide CIA officers (active duty).”
Chadason also noted that Sussmann told him that his client was a Republican
engineer with a relationship to the intelligence community.
The second CIA witness — referred to as “Kevin P” in
court — was active duty at the time, and interviewed Sussmann after his meeting
with Chadason. He said that during that interview, Sussmann stated that he was
not representing a client. In a memo he prepared with another colleague who had
attended the interview, he wrote that “Sussmannn advised that he was not
representing a particular client” and that attorney–client privilege did not
apply.
Kevin P stated under oath in court that Sussmann
disclosed that his firm represented the DNC and the Clinton campaign but also
“made it clear that he did not have any connection” to that work.
Under cross-examination, Kevin P was interrogated by
Berkowitz over whether he saw the memo prepared by Chadason that referred to
client many times and even had a subheading dedicated to summarizing what was
known by the client. The memo had been emailed to him, but the witness said
that he had no memory of reading it but could not rule it out, as it was his
general practice to review relevant documents before an interview.
Regardless, he was insistent that Sussmann told him
during the interview that he was not representing a client.
Also noteworthy was that Kevin P wrote in his memo that
Sussmann disclosed that he had gone to Baker about a “similar, though unrelated
matter.” He stood by that claim.
The trial will resume on Monday morning.
Connecting
the Dots:
James B. Comey was
a director for the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI), a director at the HSBC Holdings plc, investigated, for possible
Russian ties in the 2016 Donald Trump
presidential campaign and impacted, with announcement about email
investigation in the 2016 Hillary Rodham
Clinton presidential campaign.
HSBC Holdings plc was a funder
for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton
Foundation.
Richard R. Verma was
a director at the Bill, Hillary &
Chelsea Clinton Foundation, a fellow at the Center for American Progress and Hillary
Rodham Clinton’s principal
adviser.
Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation
and the Center for American Progress.
George Soros is the founder & chairman
for the Open Society Foundations,
a co-chair, national finance council for the Ready
PAC (Ready For Hillary), was a supporter for the Center for American Progress, the chairman for
the Foundation to Promote Open Society
and a contributor for the American Bridge
21st Century.
Ready PAC (Ready For Hillary) supported
the 2016 Hillary Rodham Clinton
presidential campaign.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was
a funder for the Center for American
Progress.
John D. Podesta is the founder of
the Center for American Progress,
emails were hacked by Fancy Bear and was the campaign chairman for the 2016 Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign.
Fancy Bear hacked
the computers in the 2016 Hillary Rodham
Clinton presidential campaign, hacked John D. Podesta’s email
and hacked the computers in the Democratic
National Committee (DNC).
Clyde Williams was
a VP for the Center for American Progress
and a political director for the Democratic
National Committee (DNC).
Jennifer M.
Palmieri was an SVP for the Center
for American Progress, a communications director for the 2016 Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign
and a national press secretary for the Democratic
National Committee (DNC).
Frederick
S. Humphries Jr. was a fundraiser for the 2016 Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign
and a southern political director for the Democratic
National Committee (DNC).
Carol Pensky was
a fundraiser for the 2016 Hillary Rodham
Clinton presidential campaign and
a treasurer for the Democratic National
Committee (DNC).
Tim
Kaine was the vice-presidential candidate, fundraiser for the 2016 Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign
and a chairman for the Democratic National
Committee (DNC).
Lee Satterfield was
a fundraiser for the 2016 Hillary Rodham
Clinton presidential campaign, a special assistant for William J. Clinton and a deputy COO for
the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
Alan C. Kessler was
a fundraiser for the 2016 Hillary Rodham
Clinton presidential campaign and
a finance vice chair for the Democratic
National Committee (DNC).
Marvin S. Rosen was
a fundraiser for the 2016 Hillary Rodham
Clinton presidential campaign and
a finance chairman for the Democratic
National Committee (DNC).
Karen Finney was
a communications director for the 2016
Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign and a communications
director for the Democratic National
Committee (DNC).
Josh
Wachs was a fundraiser for the 2016
Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign and a COO for the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
Maureen White was
a fundraiser for the 2016 Hillary Rodham
Clinton presidential campaign and a national finance chair for the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
Margaret A.
Williams was a transition team co-chair for the 2016 Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign, Hillary Rodham Clinton’s chief of staff and a deputy press secretary
for the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
Richard Sullivan was
a fundraiser for the 2016 Hillary Rodham Clinton
presidential campaign and a national finance director for the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
Philip D. Murphy was
a fundraiser for the 2016 Hillary Rodham
Clinton presidential campaign, and a national finance chair for
the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
Tony
Rodham was an employee for the Democratic
National Committee (DNC) and is Hillary
Rodham Clinton’s brother.
Brad Woodhouse was
the president of the American Bridge 21st
Century and a communications
director for the Democratic National
Committee (DNC).
George Soros was a contributor for
the American Bridge 21st Century,
a co-chair, national finance council for the Ready
PAC (Ready For Hillary) and the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was
a funder for the International Rescue
Committee.
Maureen White was
a national finance chair for the International
Rescue Committee and a national finance chair for the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
Democratic National Committee (DNC) hired Fusion
GPS to investigate Trump.
Robert F. Bauer is
a general counsel at the Democratic
National Committee (DNC) a partner at Perkins Coie,
was a White House counsel for the Barack
Obama administration and Barack Obama’s personal counsel.
Perkins Coie hired Fusion GPS to
investigate Donald Trump.
Michael Sussmann was a partner at Perkins
Coie.
Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and
Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.
George Soros is the founder & chairman
for the Open Society Foundations,
a co-chair, national finance council for the Ready
PAC (Ready For Hillary) and the
chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open
Society.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).
James A. Baker III is an honorary director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank)
and was a co-chair for the Iraq Study Group.
Vernon E. Jordan
Jr. was a member of the Iraq Study
Group and is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Microsoft
Corporation was a funder for the Bill,
Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, the owner of Slate and a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Cameron F. Kerry
is a fellow at the Brookings
Institution (think tank), John F.
Kerry’s brother and was an
associate at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale
and Dorr.
Robert S.
Mueller III is a partner at Wilmer
Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr and
was a director for the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI).
Howard M. Shapiro is
a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale
and Dorr and was the general
counsel for the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI).
William S.
Sessions was a director at the Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and
a trustee at the Committee for Economic
Development.
William D.
Ruckelshaus was a director at the Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and is a life trustee at the Urban Institute (think tank).
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Committee for Economic Development and the Urban Institute
(think tank).
George Soros was
the chairman for the Foundation to Promote
Open Society, a co-chair, national finance council for the Ready PAC (Ready For Hillary) and is the
founder & chairman for the Open Society
Foundations.
Open Society Foundations was a
funder for the Atlantic Council of the
United States (think tank).
John A. Gordon is
a director at the Atlantic Council of the
United States (think tank) and was a deputy director at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
James R.
Schlesinger is a director at the Atlantic
Council of the United States (think tank) and was a director at
the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
George J. Tenet was
a director at the Atlantic Council of the
United States (think tank) and a director at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
R. James Woolsey is
a director at the Atlantic Council of the
United States (think tank) and
was a director at the Central Intelligence
Agency (CIA).
William H. Webster is
a director at the Atlantic Council of the
United States (think tank) was a
director at the Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA) and a director at the Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
William H. Webster is
an honorary director for the Atlantic
Council of the United States (think tank) and was a director at
the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
John J.
Studzinski is a director at the Atlantic
Council of the United States (think tank)
and was the co-head of investment banking for HSBC Holdings plc.
James B. Comey was
a director at HSBC Holdings plc,
the director for the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI), investigated, for possible Russian ties in
the 2016 Donald Trump presidential campaign and impacted, with announcement about email
investigation in the 2016 Hillary Rodham
Clinton presidential campaign.
HSBC Holdings plc was a funder
for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton
Foundation.
Stuart A. Levey is
a chief legal officer for HSBC Holdings plc
and was an undersecretary for terrorism, financial intelligence for the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Timothy F.
Geithner was a secretary for the U.S.
Department of the Treasury and is an overseer, director for
the International Rescue Committee.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the International Rescue Committee.
George Soros was
the chairman for the Foundation to Promote
Open Society.
Maureen White was
a national finance chair for the International
Rescue Committee and a national
finance chair for the Democratic National
Committee (DNC).
Democratic National Committee (DNC) hired Fusion
GPS to investigate Trump.
Robert F. Bauer is
a general counsel at the Democratic
National Committee (DNC) a
partner at Perkins Coie, was a
White House counsel for the Barack Obama
administration and Barack Obama’s personal
counsel.
Perkins Coie hired Fusion GPS to investigate Donald Trump.
Michael Sussmann was a partner at Perkins
Coie.
Resources:
Past Research
Donald Trump Will Not
Block James Comey Testimony (Past Research on James
Comey)
MONDAY, JUNE 5, 2017
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2017/06/donald-trump-will-not-block-james-comey.html
John McCain Stays
Silent on Involvement in Hoax Trump Dossier After Fusion GPS Revelations (Past Research on Fusion GPS & Perkins Coie)
FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 2018
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2018/01/john-mccain-stays-silent-on-involvement.html
Class Action Calls DNC
‘The Ultimate Ponzi Scheme’ (Past Research on the DNC
& the 2016 Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign)
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 2017
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2017/06/class-action-calls-dnc-ultimate-ponzi.html
James Baker: Ukraine
Crisis is New Cold War (Past Research on James
Baker)
MONDAY, MARCH 10, 2014
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2014/03/normal-0-false-false-false_10.html
Pamela Geller: Slate
Puts Mother of 5-Year-Old Rape Victim on Trial (Past
Research on Slate)
SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2016
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2016/08/pamela-geller-slate-puts-mother-of-5.html
Wave of lawmaker
arrests: They're all Democrats (Past Research on
the FBI & CIA)
THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 2014
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2014/03/wave-of-lawmaker-arrests-theyre-all.html
Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) (PAST RESEARCH ON THE FBI AND
CIA)
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2020
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2020/11/federal-bureau-of-investigation-fbi.html
First-Ever
Peer-Reviewed Study of Vaccinated vs Unvaccinated Children Shows Vaccinated
Kids Have a Higher Rate of Sickness, 470% Increase in Autism (Past Research on HSBC Holdings plc)
WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 2017
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2017/05/first-ever-peer-reviewed-study-of.html
