The often forgotten about special investigation into the origins of a hoax perpetuated by top Democrats who claimed Trump somehow colluded with the Russians to secure a victory in the 2016 presidential election is in full swing and John Durham, the lead investigator, is coming for Hillary.

Special counsel John Durham told a federal court that, as part of his criminal probe into the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation, he is examining members of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Durham’s team requested that a judge “inquire into a potential conflict of interest” connected to the lawyers for British ex-spy Christopher Steele’s main anti-Trump dossier source, Igor Danchenko, pointing out that a separate lawyer at their firm “is currently representing the 2016 ‘Hillary for America’ presidential campaign, as well as multiple former employees of that campaign, in matters before the special counsel.”

Danchenko was charged with five counts of making false statements to the FBI.

Durham’s indictment said Danchenko, a U.S.-based and Russian-born researcher, made these statements about the information he provided to Steele for his dossier, which the FBI relied upon when seeking authority for the secret surveillance of a former Trump campaign aide but which now has been discredited.

Durham’s team noted five topics that could become relevant to Danchenko’ defense:

1. “The Clinton campaign’s knowledge or lack of knowledge concerning the veracity of information” in the Steele dossier
2. “The Clinton campaign’s awareness or lack of awareness” of Danchenko’s “collection methods” for the dossier
3. “Meetings or communications” between the Clinton campaign and Steele about Danchenko
4. “The defendant’s knowledge or lack of knowledge regarding the Clinton campaign’s role in” the dossier
5. “The extent to which the Clinton campaign and/or its representatives directed, solicited, or controlled” Danchenko’s actions

Durham’s team also hinted that former Clinton campaign members will be called to testify, which could be “a potential conflict.”

But the prosecution said it “believes that this potential conflict is waivable” if Danchenko chooses to do so. The judge ordered the defense team to file a potential waiver by this Friday.

In December 2019, Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz concluded that Steele’s dossier played a “central and essential” role in the FBI’s attempt to obtain wiretap orders against former Trump campaign associate Carter Page.

He also determined that the FBI’s probe had serious missteps and errors and concealed potentially exculpatory information from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, adding that Danchenko undermined Steele’s claims of a “well-developed conspiracy” between former Trump and Russia.

Wouldn’t it be glorious if the Trump campaign mantra of “lock her [Hillary] up” actually comes true?

Author: Sebastian Hayworth