WASHINGTON—Special counsel John Durham on May 31 declined to answer questions after a jury acquitted former Hillary Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann.
Durham exited the federal courthouse in Washington with his team of prosecutors about 30 minutes after the acquittal was announced and glanced at reporters, but did not reply when asked what was next, whether the acquittal would impact his team’s efforts, and whether he planned on charging Rodney Joffe, a technology executive who Sussmann represented in 2016 along with Clinton’s campaign.
Durham helped his team load a box of files into a van and then entered the van, which drove away.
In a written statement obtained by The Epoch Times, 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.”
Shortly after John Durham’s entourage left, Michael Sussmann came out of the courthouse and gave a brief statement to reporters, informing them of the relief him and his family felt after hearing the verdict.
Sussmann said he told the truth to the FBI when he said he was not representing a client when he handed over allegations against Donald Trump and Russia ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Sussmann told members of the House of Representatives under oath that he was acting on behalf of a client, and an executive with Sussmann’s law firm, Perkins Coie, said the same in an op-ed.
“As you can imagine, this has been a difficult year for my family and me,” Sussmann said. “But right now we are so grateful for the love and support from so many during this ordeal, and I’m looking forward to getting back to the work that I love.”
Sussmann then left without answering questions.
Durham only has one case that hasn’t been resolved. Igor Danchenko, the primary subsource for the dossier compiled by ex-British spy Christopher Steele for the Clinton campaign, lied to the FBI when he claimed that he had not spoken to an American person about information that was included in the dossier, according to a grand jury indictment that Durham announced in November 2021.
While Sussmann was charged with a single count, Danchenko was charged with five. That means he faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
Danchenko, who pleaded not guilty, is set to go on trial on Oct. 11, 2022.
Ivan Pentchoukov contributed to this report.
