It seems that the not guilty verdict of Michael Sussmann’s trial on Tuesday morning is no longer a surprise for many.
In the run-up to the 2016 election, a jury found Michael Sussmann not guilty of lying to the FBI when he pushed a now-debunked report alleging a link between President Trump and Russia.
The jury debated on Friday afternoon and Tuesday morning before reaching a decision in the two-week trial against the former lawyer for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.
The trial focused on whether Sussmann misled the FBI when he scheduled a private meeting with the FBI’s then-general counsel James Baker on September 19, 2016, to pass along material that he said suggested a probable covert backchannel between Russia’s Alfa-Bank and the Trump campaign.
Prosecutors allege that Sussmann was acting on behalf of the Clinton campaign and another client and that he withheld this information to make it appear more legitimate and increase the likelihood of the FBI investigating.
On Friday’s Hannity, Tammy Bruce sat in as host and discussed the case with FOX News legal commentator Gregg Jarrett and Trump attorney Alina Habba. “A lie is not a lie if the recipient of the lie realizes it’s a lie,” Jarrett joked, describing the defense’s position as “the most absurd excuse for a lying he’d ever heard.”
He demonstrated how the defense contradicted itself and actually incriminated Sussmann, their own client, by paraphrasing their argument:
‘But since the FBI figured out he was representing Hillary Clinton in that meeting, it’s not really a lie,‘ he said, before adding, ‘But because the FBI figured out he was representing Hillary Clinton in that meeting, it’s not really a lie.’
Jarrett agreed with Jonathan Turley when he said that this is the worst jury he’s ever seen.
“This is a jury packed with Hillary Clinton supporters, including three Hillary Clinton donors,” according to Jarrett.
“The difficulty is that there are no Republicans in Washington DC, where the jury is drawn. In Washington, DC, you’d be more likely to see a unicorn than a Republican, therefore the defendant is hoping for an acquittal solely because he and they both despise Donald Trump.”
George Washington University Law School professor Jonathan Turley also said that three jurors were Clinton donors and a fourth was a donor to Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, in another interview with Fox News contributor Jason Chaffetz following Robby Mook, a former Clinton campaign manager, testified that Clinton had approved the plot to leak this false information to the media.
Habba, Trump’s attorney said in the case for the Sussmann trial:
“I feel like I just sat through two weeks of the soap opera about the demise of America. It was despicable. And to see a jury that — I hope they come to their senses. When you have a text message that so obviously states, ‘Hey, I’m about to lie to you’…how can you not call that a lie?”
In a normal case, a person such as you or I found guilty of this charge might easily spend a couple of years behind bars. As Jarrett pointed out, Sussmann is “actually very lucky that he wasn’t charged with conspiracy to defraud the government by knowingly, willingly peddling phony information to the government.”
The verdict infuriated Trump. On Truth Social, he made a remark that read:
“Our Legal System is CORRUPT, our Judges (and Justices!) are highly partisan, compromised or just plain scared, our Borders are OPEN, our Elections are Rigged, Inflation is RAMPANT, gas prices and food costs are ‘through the roof,’ our Military ‘Leadership’ is Woke, our Country is going to HELL, and Michael Sussmann is not guilty.”
His eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., as well as other Republicans, reacted to the news:
“I’m shocked the DC Clinton donor jury let Clinton’s lawyer off… HAHAHA just kidding, absolutely no one is shocked. Hunter Biden off next then Paul Pelosi etc etc. We all know how this goes by now… Only people not tied to the establishment DC swamp ever face accountability.”
I’m shocked the DC Clinton donor jury let Clinton’s lawyer off… HAHAHA just kidding, absolutely no one is shocked. Hunter Biden off next then Paul Pelosi etc etc. We all know how this goes by now… Only people not tied to the establishment DC swamp ever face accountability.
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) May 31, 2022
The Swamp always protects its own. https://t.co/bLvVJtkmtE
— House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) May 31, 2022
Michael Sussmann lied to the FBI about working for the Clinton campaign when he brought forward false allegations against Pres. Trump — that Hillary personally approved.
Today’s verdict, while deeply disappointing, is not the end to ensuring this never happens in America again.
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) May 31, 2022
Further proof there are separate systems of justice in America – one for liberal Democrats and their elite backers, and one for everyone else. Sad. https://t.co/yb5w2Xx0R1
— Senator Ron Johnson (@SenRonJohnson) May 31, 2022
Watch it here: Youtube/Fox News, Youtube/Foxnews
Sources: Westernjournal, Reuters, Foxnews
