A congressman who doubts that Russia hacked Democratic emails during the 2016 election has been unable to speak with President Trump after a full year attempting to broker a pardon for WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange in exchange for information disproving Russian culpability.
It’s unclear why the White House has kept Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., at an arm’s length, and whether the decision is an example of restraint by Trump or interference by deputies fearing reputational or legal hazards.
Rohrabacher told the Washington Examiner he believes that fear of special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation has prevented the conversation from happening.
“Assange assured me the Russian government was not responsible for the hacking and distribution of the DNC emails during the 2016 election. Assange told me he had hard evidence to prove that case,” Rohrabacher said.
“I have been unable to follow through on that conversation for fear on the part of the White House that the special prosecutor would try to make that into an appearance of collusion,” he said. “Obviously, the special prosecutor has found no evidence of collusion and his efforts have undermined the American people’s right to hear the true story and hindered the administration’s ability to get its job done.”
[Roger Stone: Trump should pardon Julian Assange to defend journalism]
Rohrabacher, a libertarian-leaning surfer and Congress’ first open medical marijuana user, met with Assange in Ecuador’s London embassy on Aug. 15, 2017, and told reporters afterward that the transparency activist could prove Russia didn’t hack Democratic emails.
At first, Rohrabacher said he would speak with Trump before going public with “earth shattering” information that could contradict assessments of U.S. spy agencies. He predicted he would speak with Trump “within two weeks” — a guess that proved optimistic.
Rohrabacher spoke with White House Chief of Staff John Kelly on Sept. 13 about a pardon for Assange — who fears secret U.S. charges. Kelly didn’t tell Trump, though someone did tell the Wall Street Journal, which reproduced quotes from the call.
Almost two weeks later, Trump told reporters on the tarmac of a New Jersey airport that he hadn’t heard about Rohrabacher’s effort to discuss a pardon. “I’ve never heard that mentioned, really, I’ve never heard that mentioned,” Trump said on Sept. 24.
In early October, Rohrabacher sought help from Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who frequently speaks with Trump. But a Paul spokesman described the meeting as no more than “a courtesy.”
With options dwindling, Rohrabacher paced outside a late October meeting between Trump and Senate Republicans. There too he failed to get a word with the commander in chief, who possesses nearly unchecked federal clemency power.
In recent months, Rohrabacher has made few public remarks on his effort.
A White House spokesman did not respond to a request for comment. But there are various possible explanations, including the fact that Rohrabacher’s views on Russia are viewed by the political establishment as heretical.
The congressman reportedly was considered a possible espionage recruit by Russians. After Russia’s annexation of Crimea and support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, he called for internationally monitored secession votes, bucking nearly uniform condemnation of Russia.
According to a criminal case made public in July, Rohrabacher dined in February 2017 with accused Russian agent Maria Butina, two years after attending a meeting in St. Petersberg with Russian banker Alexander Torshin that she organized. Rohrabacher was not named in court documents, but his identity was confirmed in leaks to the media.
Assange’s fate, meanwhile, is more uncertain than at any point since took he refuge in Ecuador’s British embassy in 2012 to avoid questioning for alleged Swedish sex crimes. His access to the internet and visitors was cut earlier this year and Ecuador’s president said in a recent interview authorities were discussing an end to his refuge.
Assange claimed the Swedish sex allegations were part of a U.S. plot to extradite him to face American charges related to publishing military and diplomatic secrets in 2010 provided by Chelsea Manning. The Swedish investigation ended without charges last year, but he still faces possible arrest for British bail violations.
Despite Rohrabacher’s frustrated attempts, Trump has expressed doubt about Russia’s role in election-related hacking, and routinely calls Mueller’s probe a “rigged witch hunt.” He also has ordered deputies to listen to other skeptics of U.S. spy agency claims of Russian responsibility.
Then-CIA Director Mike Pompeo met with former National Security Agency employee Bill Binney late last year on Trump’s orders, apparently after the president watched Fox News coverage of a later discredited report that Binney helped author questioning whether overseas hackers could remotely download vast amounts of Democratic data.
“The president said I should talk to you for facts,” Pompeo allegedly told Binney, who professed that U.S. spy agencies “took a wild ass guess” when they blamed Russia for hacking the Democratic National Committee.
Barry Pollack, an attorney for Assange, said he believes presidential clemency is warranted for Assange, who reportedly was not charged during the Obama administration after federal prosecutors decided they could not indict him without setting a precedent allowing charges for mainstream journalists.
“A pardon would be an appropriate way to put an end to the legal jeopardy Mr. Assange faces as a result of publishing truthful information,” Pollack said.
