Last month the Federal Election Commission fined Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee for falsely reporting certain campaign expenditures. The campaign and the DNC paid over $1 million to the law firm Perkins Coie. Perkins Coie used the funds to pay Fusion GPS for the now thoroughly discredited Steele Dossier.
The money was reported on FEC forms as “legal advice and services,” but the Steele Dossier offered no legal advice. Instead, it made a variety of claims intended to show that Donald Trump was somehow under the control of Vladimir Putin. The Clinton campaign and the DNC paid the fines.
And that may come back to haunt them.
Margot Cleveland: Letter: No, Hillary Clinton Can’t Try To Hide 2016 Oppo Research From The Special Counsel
Foundation counsel Dan Backer added that while the memorandum is not yet public, the special counsel’s office would likely be able to obtain it directly from the FEC. That memorandum also will provide Durham’s team further details on the FEC’s investigation and fact-finding that may be useful to the special counsel in the Sussmann litigation, noted the letter.
In Friday’s letter, Backer also highlighted Hillary for America and the DNC’s commitment in their settlement agreement with the FEC to “not further contest the Commission’s finding of probable cause to believe” that the political organizations had “falsely reported their payments through Perkins Coie to Fusion GPS as being for legal services.” In contrast, in the Sussmann case, Hillary for America and the DNC “are nevertheless asserting materials generated by Fusion GPS and provided to Perkins Coie are protected by attorney-client privilege and work-product doctrine,” the letter stressed. (Bold added)
“The Government should not permit HFA and the DNC to adopt conflicting positions in different proceedings, depending on the federal agency against which they are litigating,” the foundation’s letter concluded, suggesting the trial court may find those breaches of the settlement agreement “material in ruling on any privilege claims.”
Read the rest here.
Comments