The Russia-Trump collusion narrative of 2016 and past was a grimy trick for the ages, and now we all know it got here from the highest—candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton. That was the testimony Friday by 2016 Clinton marketing campaign supervisor
Robby Mook
in federal courtroom, and whereas this information is hardly a shock, it’s nonetheless bracing to seek out her fingerprints on the political weapon.
Mr. Mook testified as a witness in particular counsel
John Durham’s
trial of
Michael Sussmann,
the lawyer accused of mendacity to the FBI. In September 2016, Mr. Sussmann took claims of a secret Trump connection to Russia’s Alfa Bank to the FBI and mentioned he wasn’t performing on behalf of any consumer. Prosecutors say he was working for the Clinton marketing campaign.
Prosecutors introduced proof this week that Mr. Sussmann labored with cyber-researchers and opposition-research agency Fusion GPS to provide the claims on behalf of the Clinton marketing campaign, and to feed them to the FBI. An FBI agent testified {that a} bureau evaluation rapidly rejected the claims as implausible. (Mr. Sussmann has pleaded not responsible.)
Prosecutors requested Mr. Mook about his position in funneling the Alfa Bank claims to the press. Mr. Mook admitted the marketing campaign lacked experience to vet the information, but the choice was made by Mr. Mook, coverage adviser
Jake Sullivan
(now President Biden’s nationwide safety adviser), communications director
Jennifer Palmieri
and marketing campaign chairman
John Podesta
to provide the Alfa Bank claims to a reporter. Mr. Mook mentioned Mrs. Clinton was requested in regards to the plan and permitted it. A narrative on the Trump-Alfa Bank allegations then appeared in Slate, a left-leaning on-line publication.
On Oct. 31, 2016, Mr. Sullivan issued a press release mentioning the Slate story, writing, “This could possibly be essentially the most direct hyperlink but between
Donald Trump
and Moscow.” Mrs. Clinton tweeted Mr. Sullivan’s assertion with the remark: “Computer scientists have apparently uncovered a covert server linking the Trump Organization to a Russian-based bank.” “Apparently” is doing numerous work in that sentence.
In quick, the Clinton marketing campaign created the Trump-Alfa allegation, fed it to a credulous press that failed to verify the allegations however ran with them anyway, then promoted the story as if it was official information. The marketing campaign additionally delivered the claims to the FBI, giving journalists one other excuse to painting the accusations as critical and maybe true.
Most of the press will ignore this information, however the Russia-Trump narrative that Mrs. Clinton sanctioned did monumental hurt to the nation. It disgraced the FBI, humiliated the press, and despatched the nation on a three-year investigation to nowhere.
Vladimir Putin
by no means got here near doing as a lot disinformation injury.
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Appeared within the May 21, 2022, print version.
Source: www.wsj.com”