Department of Justice Mistakenly Referred to During Opening of Trump–Russia Probe: FBI Agent

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Header

WASHINGTON—The investigation into claims of a secret communications channel between Donald Trump and Russia was not triggered by the Department of Justice (DOJ), despite the document memorializing the investigation stating it was, an FBI agent testified on May 24.

The electronic communication on the probe, dated Sept. 23, 2016, says the FBI received a referral of information from the DOJ.

“In that referral, the Department of Justice provided the FBI with a whitepaper that was produced by an anonymous third party,” the form says.

That was a “mistake in our paperwork,” Curtis Heide, a lead agent in the FBI’s Chicago office at the time, told the federal court in Washington on Tuesday.

The DOJ’s Office of Inspector General alerted Heide to the error, the agent said, calling it a “typo.”

“They brought it to my attention and asked if it was accurate,” Heide said. Officials in the Chicago office “may have conflated the [FBI’s] office of general counsel with the DOJ,” he claimed.

The watchdog’s office did not pick up the phone or return a voicemail. The FBI declined to comment. The DOJ did not return an inquiry.

The testimony came during the trial of Michael Sussmann, who, while representing Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2016, handed over white papers and thumb drives with data allegedly supporting the narrative in the papers to James Baker, an FBI lawyer.

The data did not support the narrative, which is that the Trump Organization had a secret backchannel with Russia’s Alfa Bank, according to the FBI and the CIA.

The document on the opening of the investigation did not mention Sussmann or any other source besides the DOJ and the anonymous third party.

Prosecutors say Sussmann produced the information with the assistance of Rodney Joffe, another client who had been promised a position in the government if Clinton won the 2016 election; and researchers with the Georgia Institute of Technology.

By John Haughey and Zachary Stieber

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

James Franklin’s contract fallout

Penn State’s decision to fire head coach James Franklin after a disappointing 22–21 home loss to Northwestern will cost an estimated $56 million buyout. 

Trump’s Middle East Trip Led to Historic Breakthroughs

Trump’s bold, unconventional strategy helped end the Israel-Hamas war and set the stage for a more stable, prosperous Middle East.

Pretending Really Hard

The world is real and so are its problems, too. Reality is the enemy of liberals, even though they are pretending, really hard, that it is not.

Trump 2.0’s Eurasian Balancing Act Has Failed

Trump's Eurasian balancing act has failed due to his arrogant and aggressive approach towards all three countries.

Should Palestinian clans rebelling against Hamas be given Gaza?

Hamas’s October 7 attack exposed its violent ideology, showing cruelty toward its enemies and also against the Palestinian people it claims to defend.

Trump, Patel Confirm FBI Special Agents Will Get Paid During Shutdown

FBI special agents will receive their paychecks despite the government shutdown, according to President Donald Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel.

Trump Admin Withholds $41 Million From California Over English-Language Trucking Rules

Trump admin withholds $40.6M in California transportation funds, citing failure to meet federal English proficiency rules for truck drivers.

An Inconvenient Study – Feature Film

Journalist Del Bigtree challenged a top infectious disease expert in 2016 to a vaxxed vs. unvaxxed study. The long-hidden results are finally revealed.

Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump Admin’s Shutdown-Related Layoffs

A federal judge on Oct. 15 temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s plan to lay off certain federal employees during the government shutdown. 

Trump Posthumously Awards Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom

President Trump posthumously awarded Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the White House Rose Garden on Oct 14, Charlie's birthday.

Trump Names Longtime Adviser Dan Scavino to Key Personnel Position

One of President Trump’s longtime advisers, Dan Scavino, is going to be in charge of selecting and appointing key positions within the executive branch.

First Lady’s Effort Helped Reunite 8 War-Displaced Children With Their Families

First lady Melania Trump said 8 children impacted by the fighting between Ukraine and Russia were reunited with their families on Oct. 9.

Trump to Impose New 100 Percent Tariff on China on Nov. 1

President Trump said that the US will impose an additional 100 percent tariffs on Chinese goods and export controls on critical software starting on Nov. 1.
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central