It is the first of Durham’s cases that delves deeply into the origins of the dossier, which Trump derided as fake news and a political witch hunt.ĭurham’s other two cases resulted in an acquittal and a guilty plea with a sentence of probation. Danchenko is the third person to be prosecuted by Durham. Special counsel Robert Mueller, who launched his own probe into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election, never saw fit to charge Danchenko.Īnd the FBI, after three days of voluntary interviews Danchenko gave in January 2017, decided he was trustworthy enough to make him a paid “confidential human source” who would provide information to the bureau.ĭurham was appointed by special counsel by then-Attorney General William Barr to investigate any misconduct in the FBI’s investigation of the Trump campaign and its alleged ties to Russia. In two previous High Court cases, a judge ruled Orbis and Steele were not legally liable for the consequences of the dossier's publication.Ī federal judge in Florida last year dismissed Trump’s lawsuit against Steele, 2016 Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and former top FBI officials, rejecting his claims that they helped concoct the Russia investigation that overshadowed much of his administration.The testimony was significant for the defense, which says special counsel John Durham has charged Danchenko with a crime when other government agencies found Danchenko to be credible. “Until there is such a judgment, I continue to suffer damage and distress as a result of people wrongfully believing that the data in the dossier is accurate,” he said. Trump said in his witness statement that he was not trying to harass or seek revenge or drive Orbis into financial ruin but wants to establish that the information in the dossier was false. Trump had called for Steele to be “extradited, tried, and thrown into jail” and has called him a “lowlife” and “sleazebag” involved in the "Russian collusion hoax” who produced “a total phony con job” dossier, White said in a court filing. Orbis attorney Antony White said Trump has a “deep and intense animus against” Steele and the firm and a “a long history of repeatedly bringing frivolous, meritless and vexatious claims for the purpose of vexing and harassing perceived enemies and others against whom he bears a grudge.” It also said the claim was filed too late. Orbis wants the lawsuit thrown out because it said the report was never meant to be made public and was published by BuzzFeed without the permission of Steele or Orbis. Petersburg, bribed Russian officials, or provided them with “sufficient material to blackmail me.” He also said he had not bribed, coerced or silenced witnesses. in the presidential suite of a hotel in Moscow,” taken part in “sex parties” in St. Trump said he had not engaged in “perverted sexual behavior including the hiring of prostitutes. In a written witness statement, Trump said that despite Steele's assertions the allegations have not been disproven, they were “wholly untrue.” Tomlinson said Trump plans to vindicate himself in court by providing evidence that the report’s claims were false. Trump’s case “is that this personal data is egregiously inaccurate,” he said. Tomlinson said it “contained shocking and scandalous claims about the personal conduct of President Trump” and included allegations he paid bribes to Russian officials to further his business interests. Trump said the dossier was fake news and a political witch hunt. Steele, who once ran the Russia desk for the Secret Intelligence Service, also known as MI6, was paid by Democrats to compile research that included salacious allegations that Russians could potentially blackmail Trump for sexual activity. Trump “suffered personal and reputational damage and distress" because his data protection rights were violated, attorney Hugh Tomlinson said. However, he said none of that is relevant in the current case. His lawyer noted in court Monday that Trump is a “controversial figure” who “expresses himself in strong language” and has faced criticism from judges in the U.S. He also faces four separate criminal cases for allegations including mishandling classified documents, trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election, and paying hush money to a porn actress to cover up an affair. Trump's lawyers are currently fighting a civil fraud trial in New York alleging he and company executives deceived banks, insurers and others by overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth to secure loans and make deals. The lawsuit comes as Trump is the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination while facing legal problems on the other side of the Atlantic.
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