Two months before the Russian-backed WikiLeaks released emails stolen from the Hillary Clinton campaign, right-wing conspiracy theorist Jerome Corsi sent an email to former Trump campaign adviser Roger Stone anticipating the document dump, according to draft court papers.
“Word is friend in embassy plans 2 more dumps,” Corsi wrote on Aug. 2, 2016, referring to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, according to the draft court papers. “One shortly after I’m back. 2nd in Oct. Impact planned to be very damaging.”
The documents also allege that Stone told his friend Corsi to get in touch with Assange about the forthcoming email release.
“Get to (Assange) [a]t Ecuadorian Embassy in London and get the pending (WikiLeaks) emails,” reads the email to Corsi dated July 25, 2016, according to the draft court documents.
The email was revealed in a draft court document, known as a statement of the offense, sent to Corsi by special counsel Robert Mueller’s office.
Mueller also sent Corsi a draft plea agreement stipulating that the special counsel would not oppose Corsi requesting a sentence of probation if he agreed to plead guilty to one count of lying to federal investigators.
Corsi has rejected the deal, insisting that he did not “intentionally lie” about his communications related to WikiLeaks.
WikiLeaks released the damaging emails in the weeks ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Mueller has indicted 12 Russian military officers for their alleged involvement in the hack.
The question is whether Americans, including Stone, will face similar charges.
And there is also the question of what did Donald Trump know, and when did he know it?
Mueller yesterday asked a federal court to begin sentencing proceedings for Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman, sentencing that was on hold while Manafort cooperated with Mueller’s team.
According to the filing: “After signing the plea agreement, Manafort committed federal crimes by lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Special Counsel’s Office on a variety of subject matters, which constitute breaches of the agreement.”
Legal analysts are busy pondering why Manafort chose to lie to Mueller, with many believing it is a setback to the government.
But journalist Marcey Wheeler, who has followed the special counsel extensively, suggests it may be just the opposite.
“Mueller’s team appears to have no doubt that Manafort was lying to them,” said Wheeler. “That means they didn’t really need his testimony, at all. It also means they had no need to keep secrets — they could keep giving Manafort the impression that he was pulling a fast one over the prosecutors, all while reporting misleading information to Trump that he could use to fill out his open book test. Which increases the likelihood that Trump just submitted sworn answers to those questions full of lies.”
Last week, Trump submitted written answers to the special counsel on questions about collusion.
Trump’s anger with Mueller seems to be rising as he unleashed yet another Twitter rampage this morning.
The Phony Witch Hunt continues, but Mueller and his gang of Angry Dems are only looking at one side, not the other. Wait until it comes out how horribly & viciously they are treating people, ruining lives for them refusing to lie. Mueller is a conflicted prosecutor gone rogue….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2018
….The Fake News Media builds Bob Mueller up as a Saint, when in actuality he is the exact opposite. He is doing TREMENDOUS damage to our Criminal Justice System, where he is only looking at one side and not the other. Heroes will come of this, and it won’t be Mueller and his…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2018
….terrible Gang of Angry Democrats. Look at their past, and look where they come from. The now $30,000,000 Witch Hunt continues and they’ve got nothing but ruined lives. Where is the Server? Let these terrible people go back to the Clinton Foundation and “Justice” Department!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2018
Mueller’s team has been wrangling for an in-person interview with Trump but talks with his lawyers have proven futile, raising the possibility that he could try to subpoena the president.
Mueller is also probing a meeting last year between Manafort and Ecuador’s president, according to reports.