John Durham investigation: Igor Danchenko, the primary source for Trump-Russia dossier, is acquitted
CNNOct 18, 2022
On Tuesday, Igor Danchenko, a Russian researcher accused of lying to the FBI about the sources for the so-called “Steele dossier” that alleged a Trump-Russia collusion, was acquitted on four counts in federal court.
Danchenko’s case was the third brought by Special Counsel John Durham concerning the FBI’s “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation into alleged ties between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia. One of Durham’s previous cases ended in an acquittal, with a second ending with a guilty plea.
What an embarrassment this turned out to be for Durham, who personally handled most of the arguments and questioning in this case. He couldn’t even stop some of his own witnesses from providing testimony that helped Danchenko’s defense. Trump’s special counsel is now 0-for-3, proving he’s barking up the wrong tree in pursuit of government corruption.
Danchenko’s acquittal isn’t the story here; the focus should be on the FBI misconduct this trial uncovered. The FBI offered Steele $1M for evidence that verified the dossier’s claims, a futile move as neither party could prove any of the salacious allegations. While knowing the dossier wasn’t credible, the FBI still used it to obtain warrants and fuel the unjustified persecution of Trump. The FBI must be made to answer for this.