Attorneys for Julian Assange told a London court on Wednesday that they will provide evidence that the Trump administration offered to pardon the WikiLeaks founder if he was willing to say that Russia had nothing to do with leaks of Democratic Party emails, according to Bloomberg.
During the preliminary extradition hearing, Assange’s lawyers said that former GOP congressman Dana Rohrahbacher offered the deal in 2017, one year after WikiLeaks published emails which were damaging to then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. At the time, the FBI’s ‘Russiagate’ investigation was in full swing as the agency tried in vein to prove that Trump colluded with Russia to win the 2016 US election.
At a preliminary hearing Wednesday, Assange’s lawyer Edward Fitzgerald asked the court to allow more witness statements during the extradition hearing that will start next week. The new information includes a witness statement by Jen Robinson, another of Assange’s lawyers, that deals with the alleged offer made by then U.S. Representative. Dana Rohrabacher, he told the court.
Karoline Leavitt reveals next role after leaving White House press secretary post
Alaska Republicans scramble to educate voters on suspected Dem plant as ‘ballot fatigue’ threatens race
Ford Adds Thousands of Jobs in United States as Move Away from China Continues
Report: Meghan and Harry’s Brazen Attempts – and Embarrassing Rejections – at Becoming US Political Operators
Nevada brush fire spreads to 10,500 acres as governor declares state of emergency
Christian Club Files Lawsuit After School District Blocks Volunteer Mentors
White House revs up ‘iconic’ Freedom 250 race as IndyCars prepare to unleash American muscle on DC streets
African Witchcraft, Blackmail, and American Boys: How Nigerians 6,000 Miles Away Are Killing US Teens
Minnesota Woman Sues Chipotle for Massive Sum Over Burrito Bowl
Florida couple allegedly held four children in tractor-trailer cab for nearly seven years
‘Barbaric’ abortion provision fuels Christian push to crack down on Dem governor
Nearly One-Third of Gen Z Steers Clear of Car Insurance, Survey Finds
Mixed support from black voters threatens el Sayed’s Michigan Senate hopes
Trump plays nuclear poker with Kim Jong Un — but who holds the cards?
DOJ silence in major gun cases tests Second Amendment advocates’ trust in Trump
The witness statement will address “Mr. Rohrabacher going to see Mr. Assange, and saying on instructions of the president, offering pardon or some other way out if Mr. Assange played ball and said the Russians had nothing to do with” the leaks, Fitzgerald said. -Bloomberg
Assange spent nearly seven years living in the Ecuadorian embassy in Central London in order to avoid extradition to Sweden, and later the United States.
The White House has denied the claim.
Developing…
Story cited here.
