Igor Danchenko, a Russian who contributed details to the “Steele dossier” was acquitted on Tuesday (October 18) on charges that he lied to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) about the sources of his intelligence.
Danchenko was acquitted of four counts initially, but he was charged with five counts of lying to the FBI. A judge threw out one of the charges.
Published in 2016, the “Steele dossier” (also known as the “Trump–Russia dossier”) emerged as a controversial political document that was released by the opposition.
The document claimed there was misconduct, conspiracy, and cooperation between former United States president Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and the Russian government before and during the 2016 election campaign.
The document is basically a collection of allegations. The report is compiled by retired British spy Christopher Steele, whose research was indirectly funded by Hillary Clinton’s campaign in 2016.
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The result is yet another blow to Special Counsel John Durham, who was appointed by Attorney General William Barr in 2019. He spent around three years investigating the FBI’s probe into the Trump-Russia probe.
Two cases taken by Durham to trial ended in acquittals.
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In a statement, Durham said: “While we are disappointed in the outcome, we respect the jury’s decision and thank them for their service. I also want to recognize and thank the investigators and the prosecution team for their dedicated efforts in seeking truth and justice in this case.”
Meanwhile, Danchenko’s attorney Stuart Sears hailed the result. Sears told reporters outside the courthouse that “the American public knows that as well. We thank these jurors for their hard work and deliberation in reaching the right decision.”
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