Special counsel John Durham “shot all his credibility” after his second straight trial loss in his criminal investigation into the FBI‘s Russia inquiry, a top prosecutor for special counsel Robert Mueller declared on Thursday.
Andrew Weissmann, a former Justice Department official and FBI general counsel who was known as Mueller’s “pitbull,” chastised Durham’s yearslong endeavor as he suggested Republicans who have cheered it on would not be so forgiving with Mueller if his team had lost a case in court. A pointed tweet looked ahead to high expectations among Republican and conservative media for a final report in the months to come.
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“Can you imagine what [these] same Republicans would have said if Mueller had lost a single trial. I doubt it [would] be ‘bring on the report’ as they are saying now, after Durham has lost all his trials. Durham has shot all his credibility — 12 jurors unanimously rebuked him,” Weissmann said.
Can you imagine what this same Republicans would have said if Mueller had lost a single trial. I doubt it wd be “bring on the report” as they are saying now, after Durham has lost all his trials. Durham has shot all his credibility- 12 jurors unanimously rebuked him.
— Andrew Weissmann ? (@AWeissmann_) October 20, 2022
Weissmann also said in another tweet: “Durham lost both trials he brought. Mueller won all the trials he brought. So glad Durham investigated the investigators. Not.”
Durham lost both trials he brought. Mueller won all the trials he brought. So glad Durham investigated the investigators. Not.
— Andrew Weissmann ? (@AWeissmann_) October 19, 2022
Critics of Durham’s investigation have piled on after a jury in Alexandria, Virginia, on Tuesday found Russian national Igor Danchenko not guilty of several false statements charges over allegations that the main source of British ex-spy Christopher Steele lied to the FBI about his sourcing for the now-discredited anti-Trump dossier. Matthew Miller, who was director of the Justice Department’s public affairs office from 2009 to 2011 during the Obama administration, suggested on MSNBC this week that Durham should not have the final say on the matter because he might “unfairly tarnish some people at the FBI.” Ken Dilanian, the justice and intelligence correspondent for NBC News, said the special counsel losing two cases, including after trying the Danchenko case himself, “really raises a lot of questions about John Durham’s past work.”
Although Durham has secured one conviction so far, the only other case he’s brought, against lawyer Michael Sussmann, ended in acquittal. While former President Donald Trump and his allies claim the businessman-turned-politician was unfairly targeted in a bid to undermine his campaign and presidency, Democrats and some legal observers claim the inquiry is meant to undercut Mueller’s special counsel investigation and inflict damage on Trump’s political foes.
In yet another tweet this week, Weissmann said Durham was dishonest in court when asserting there was no evidence of collusion determined in Mueller’s report, and he raised questions about the need for an ethics investigation.
“Durham was not candid when he told the Virginia jury that Mueller found no evidence of collusion. And he charged an alleged false statement that the court found was actually true. Based on the govt’ s own witnesses,” he tweeted. “How is Durham not subject to an ethics probe?”
Durham was not candid when he told the Virginia jury that Mueller found no evidence of collusion. And he charged an alleged false statement that the court found was actually true. Based on the govt’ s own witnesses. How is Durham not subject to an ethics probe? https://t.co/3MRyhU13qv
— Andrew Weissmann ? (@AWeissmann_) October 19, 2022
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Weissmann, who played an instrumental role in winning convictions against former Trump campaign officials Paul Manafort and Rick Gates during the Russia investigation, later lamented how he believed the special counsel “could have done more.” The FBI’s investigation into ties between Trump and Russia was rolled into Mueller’s special counsel investigation back in 2017 after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey. Ever since Mueller’s work came to an end in 2019, Weissmann has periodically appeared on TV to comment on other Trump-related investigations.
Durham, a former U.S. attorney from Connecticut who was appointed to lead the so-called investigation of the investigators by then-Attorney General William Barr in 2019, is reportedly expected to prepare a report by the end of the year before the Justice Department makes a decision on releasing its findings to the public. Attorney General Merrick Garland testified to the Senate last October that “with respect to the report, I would like as much as possible to be made public — I have to be concerned about Privacy Act concerns and classification, but other than that, the commitment is to provide a public report, yes.” Garland also vowed, “There will be no political or otherwise undue interference with the Durham investigation.”
