A jury on Tuesday found Michael Sussman not guilty of making a false statement to the FBI in September of 2016 when he said he was not working on behalf of any client when he brought information alleging an undercover communications channel between the Trump organization and Russia’s Alfa Bank.
After a lengthy two-week trial and over a day of deliberations, the jury found that Special Counsel John Durham’s team did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Sussman’s statement was a lie and that he was, in fact, working on behalf of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and technology executive Rodney Joffe when he brought two thumb drives and a white paper alleging a connection between Trump and Russia.
As reported by Fox News, Sussman was charged with one count of making a false statement to the FBI during his meeting with then-FBI General Counsel James Baker in September of 2016.
“While we are disappointed in the outcome, we respect the jury’s decision and thank them for their service," Durham said in a statement. "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."
