Thread by @JFHaughey58

#SussmannTrial Day 5: The first week of the anticipated two-week trial of #Clinton campaign attorney Michael Sussmann concludes Friday with former FBI general counsel James A. Baker on the stand. Here’s a recap: theepochtimes.com/fbi-lawyer-say…

Baker is a key witness in the case against Sussmann, who is charged with lying to the FBI when he delivered thumb drives, documents to Baker alleging “a secret server connection” between the Trump Organization and Kremlin-liked Alfa Bank. #SussmannTrial

But Baker is not a “friendly” witness for Special Prosecutor John #Durham’s team. He'd worked with Sussmann at the DOJ and they maintain a friendship. On the stand, he’s repeatedly referenced his respect for him as a cyber/national security expert. #SussmannTrial

Friday’s proceedings begin with defense attorney Sean Berkowitz cross-examining Baker, who maintains he took the data Sussmann gave him seriously and passed it along to FBI analysts, who — within a day — determined the claims were bogus. #SussmannTrial

The key determination for the jury is if Sussmann lied when he told Baker before and during their Sept. 19, 2016, meeting that he was not representing clients but acting as a “good citizen” in conveying the data to the FBI. #SussmannTrial

Both sides pounded Baker for varied responses during this investigation and several other #CrossfireHurricane probes as well as an Inspector General inquiry into unauthorized disclosure of classified information in meeting twice with New York Times’ Eric Lichtblau. #SussmannTrial

Baker says Sussmann never said he was working for clients. He said he knew Sussmann was a DNC-Clinton campaign lawyer, but that his emphasis was in cyber security after two Russian agencies hacked the DNC. #SussmannTrial

Baker, who often says “Sitting here today,” insists Sussmann never said he was working for clients. “I’m 100 percent confident that he said that in the meeting. My memory on this point, sitting here today, is clear.” #SussmannTrial

Baker has acknowledged some lapses in procedural standards in not revealing Sussmann as the source of the data and in not having agents in the room with him when he met with Sussmann. #SussmannTrial

Baker said if he knew of Sussmann’s involvement with the Clinton campaign, he still “would have wanted him to come to the FBI” but “I don’t think I would have” met with him. "We would have looked at it differently. We would have taken more time with it." #SussmannTrial

Had he known the extent of Sussmann's involvement with the DNC/Clinton campaign beyond cyber security, Baker said he would have still asked to meet with Sussmann and "passed it along but not necessarily in the same way ..." #SussmannTrial

... "I may have had other concerns about the role of the press in all this. It would have influenced my thinking of how I would have passed that information on and who I would have passed it on and the sense of urgency in passing it along." #SussmannTrial

Berkowitz: "Mr. Baker, would it surprise you to know that there are documents in the FBI that say the source of the (data Sussmann have him) was the DNC? Baker: "Yes. I had not heard that before." #SussmannTrial

Court has recessed and Baker is finished testifying. He was on the stand for more than 8 hours over three days. Next up: 2016 Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook. #SussmannTrial

2016 Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook confirms #Hillary Clinton approved release of Trump-Alfa Bank allegations. Following the OK, “My recollection is it was a still-unnamed campaign staffer … with our press department” who contacted media. #SussmannTrial

Mook said he was first informed of the allegations by Clinton campaign general counsel Mark Elias sometime in fall 2016. Following discussions within the campaign, he discussed it with campaign chair John Podesta and “with Hilary as well.” #SussmannTrial

Still-unnamed should be in parenthesis. Mook did not say "still-unnamed" ...

Mook said he told Clinton: “We have this and we want to share it. She agreed to that.” He later said: “All I can remember is she agreed with the decision. She thought we made the right decision.” #SussmannTrial

Mook said top staffers — John Podesta, Marc Elias, Jennifer Palmieri, Jake Sullivan — did not want the allegations turned over to the FBI because they weren’t “totally confident” in its veracity. #SussmannTrial

Mook said: “We decided to give it to a reporter so the reporter could run it down. Our hope was they (media) were going to run it down, that it would be substantive, and accurate.” #SussmannTrial

Mook said he is “not aware” if Clinton approved Sussmann going to FBI. “I don’t know why" she would do so. He said campaign had no knowledge of FBI probe. If someone from the campaign was contacting law enforcement, he said, he’d want to know and approve it. #SussmannTrial

Mook is off the stand. His testimony was interrupted by ba sidebar to discuss, apparently, questions related to Clinton's Oct. 31, 2016 Twitter comments about the FBI probe he said the campaign was unaware of. #SussmannTrial

With Mook off the stand and off to Spain for his vacation, Court is in recess until 1:45 pm. On tap to testify this afternoon is retired CIA officer Mark Chadason and CIA agent "Kevin P." #SussmannTrial

Retired CIA officer Mark Chadason said in January 2017, Gilman Louie, who ran CIA's venture capital In-Q-Tel fund, asked him to meet Sussmann “because he had information of importance to national security.” They had breakfast at north Virginia hotel Jan. 31, 2017. #SussmannTrial

During that meeting, Sussmann said he was representing a client, "an engineer with a number of patents" and "a Republican," who "had some allegations against President Trump that he wanted me to hear." #SussmannTrial

Chadason is off the stand. More on his testimony later because right now, "Kevin P" another retired CIA officer taking the stand. He retired after 32 years, Met with Sussmann in Feb. 9, 2017, at CIA HQ. #SussmannTrial

When Sussmann met with CIA officers "Kevin P" and "Steve M" at CIA HQ, he said he was not representing any "particular clients" and referred to sources of his information as "clients." #SussmannTrial

STRIKE THAT> "Kevin P" said he referred to the sources of the information as "CONTACTS," not clients. My apologies to those keeping score at home. It's been a long week. #SussmannTrial

The bottom line is Sussmann told retired CIA officer Chadadn he was representing a "client" on Jan. 31, 2017, but when he met with then-active duty CIA officers "Kevin P" and "Steve M" on Feb. 9, 2017, the reference was to "contacts." #SussmannTrial

Court has adjourned for the day and the week after conflicting testimony from two former CIA officers regarding whether Sussmann identified his source as a "client" or "contacts." #SussmannTrial

First up Monday will be Tricia Anderson, former FBI deputy general counsel, followed by Bill Priestap, the FBI's former assistant director for counterintelligence. The prosecution is expected to wrap up its case Tuesday or Wednesday. #SussmannTrial

When Sussmann met with former CIA officer Chadason on Jan. 31, 2017, the attorney told him he had previously spoken with CIA general counsel Caroline D. Krass “before she retired” but despite her assurance he’d see officers, nothing happened. #SussmannTrial

Chadason said Sussmann said he “had a friend” in the FBI but, as the former officer recorded in a same-day memo, “the client wants to provide this to the CIA because he knows the FBI does not have the resources. He did not trust the FBI.” #SussmannTrial

Chadason’s memo said: “Sussman said he represents a client who does not want to be known. He has some interesting information. Sussmann would not provide the clients’ identity and was not sure the client would reveal himself to the CIA.“ #SussmannTrial

If there was “no interest, he would most likely go to the New York Times,” Chadason said Sussmann said. When asked if that was a threat, Chadason said: “No. There was frustration because no one was listening … he was frustrated and wanted to get information out.” #SussmannTrial

Prosecutor Jonathan Algor said in an Aug. 5, 2020, interview with Durham’s team, Chadason said Sussmann “conveyed his alarm as an American about the situation. He was alarmed about the potential national security implications of the information he was giving.” #SussmannTrial

In his memo to the CIA, Chadason said Sussmann said he had represented the DNC. The former officer noted, “Please remember that this guy is a partisan lawyer who works for the DNC. I am not sure what the real story is but I am sure you guys will figure this out.” #SussmannTrial

Media being kicked out, Out, OUT! -- who are these people with lives? -- so this must end but as Zack Steibel will tell you in The Epoch Times, that's not what Sussmann told 'Kevin P' and 'Steve M' at their Feb. 7 Langley meeting. #SussmanTrial theepochtimes.com