Lawyer Michael Sussmann pleaded not guilty to lying to the FBI on Friday after being indicted as part of special counsel John Durham’s probe into the origins of the Russia investigation.
The indictment states that Sussmann lied by claiming that he was not working on behalf of any client when he gave the FBI information in 2016 on potential communications between the Trump Organization and Alfa Bank, a Russian ban with ties to the Kremlin. The indictment further alleges that Sussmann was working for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign at the time, as well as a tech industry client.
The allegation that Sussmann lied is “baseless and politically-inspired,” Sussmann’s attorneys said according to Fox News. However, the attorneys acknowledged that Sussmann was working “on behalf of a cyber expert client.”
Sussmann was released on a $100,000 bond. If convicted, Sussmann faces up to five years in prison.
Source: National Review
