National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is ‘adviser’ in former Clinton lawyer indictment – report

Special Counsel John Durham’s probe into the origins of the Russian investigation moved closer to the White House on Tuesday with a report that National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan was the ‘foreign policy adviser’ mentioned in the indictment of former Hillary Clinton presidential campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann.

Sussmann was charged in September with allegedly lying to the FBI, and has pleaded not guilty.

The 27-page indictment says Sussmann told then-FBI General Counsel James Baker that he was not working for a client when he asked for a meeting in which he offered evidence of what he claimed was a secret communication channel between Donald Trump and a Russian bank. 

But the document goes on to allege in fact he was being paid by at least two clients – a U.S. technology executive and the Clinton presidential campaign.

It goes on to set out communications between Sussman and other figures.

‘On or about September 15 , 2016, Campaign Lawyer-1 exchanged emails with the Clinton Campaign’s campaign manager, communications director, and foreign policy adviser concerning the Russian Bank-1 allegations that SUSSMANN had recently shared with Reporter1,’ it says.

The foreign policy adviser is Sullivan, 44, according to Fox News, which cited two well-placed sources.

He has been a key figure in Democratic circles since 2008 when he was foreign policy adviser to Hillary Clinton’s presidential run, before joining Barack Obama’s general election team. 

President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, is the ‘foreign policy adviser’ mentioned in the indictment of a former Hillary Clinton campaign lawyer, according to Fox News. There is no suggestion that Sullivan is a target of Special Council John Durham’s investigation into the origins of the Russia probe

Special Counsel John Durham

Michael Sussman

Special Counsel John Durham (l) is investigating the origins of the Russia probe. Michael Sussman was indicted in September. He denies lying to the FBI

When Clinton became Secretary of State, Sullivan joined as her deputy chief of staff, before becoming Vice President Joe Biden’s national security adviser in 2013.

There is no suggestion that Sullivan is a target of Durham’s investigation, only that he received information from Sussmann.

The White House referred requests for comment to the Department of Justice. 

‘I’m not going to comment on that from here, from the podium,’ said White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. 

Trump has long denied any illegal conspiracy with Russia in his 2016 campaign, insisting that the allegations were trumped up by his political enemies. Likewise, Democrats claim that Durham’s probe is a political hatchet job.

Durham was appointed as special counsel by Trump administration Attorney General Bill Barr in October 2020, and tasked with investigating whether the FBI’s Trump-Russia probe, code-named ‘Crossfire Hurricane,’ was opened and conducted legally.

The first criminal charges in Durham’s probe were against Kevin Clinesmith, an FBI attorney assigned to the Robert Mueller probe, who altered an email during the process of acquiring a wiretap warrant renewal on Page.

Clinesmith pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation. 

White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre referred questions about Sullivan and the Durham investigation to the Department of Justice

White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre referred questions about Sullivan and the Durham investigation to the Department of Justice

Former President Donald Trump this week praised Durham's work, claiming 'it all leads back to the Democrats, Hillary [Clinton] and the dirty lawyers' during an interview with Fox News

Former President Donald Trump this week praised Durham’s work, claiming ‘it all leads back to the Democrats, Hillary [Clinton] and the dirty lawyers’ during an interview with Fox News

Igor Danchenko was arrested last week by US federal agents

Igor Danchenko was arrested last week by US federal agents

Last week, a key source who provided information to British ex-spy Christopher Steele for his ‘dirty dossier’ of allegations against Donald Trump was been arrested in the US. 

Igor Y. Danchenko, a Russian-born analyst living in the United States, was arrested on Thursday in Virginia by federal agents assigned to Durham’s investigation, according to the Justice Department. 

He is charged with five counts of lying to FBI agents about the sources he used in collecting information for Steele, who is identified in the indictment only as ‘UK Person-1’. 

Danchenko, 43, was the primary researcher for Steele’s dossier alleging that Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign conspired with Russia in a covert operation to beat Hillary Clinton, and that Russia had salacious videos that could be used to blackmail Trump.

Trump himself praised Durham’s effort this week. 

The former president, 75, predicted that Durham’s investigation, which he was first assigned to in April 2019, will show that ‘it all leads back to the Democrats, Hillary [Clinton] and the dirty lawyers.’

‘It really has come out,’ Trump said to Fox after Durham produced his second of two indictments late last week.  ‘In all fairness, while it has taken a long time, hats off to John Durham.’ 

‘Hats off, because, it’s coming out, and it is coming out at a level – Durham has come out with things that are absolutely amazing.’