Evidence bolsters Durham’s case against lawyer

WASHINGTON » The Trump-era special counsel scrutinizing the Russia investigation has acquired additional evidence that may bolster his case against a Democraticlinked lawyer accused of lying to the FBI at a September 2016 meeting about Donald Trump’s possible ties to Russia, a new court filing revealed.

In the politically highprofile case, the lawyer, Michael Sussmann, is facing trial next month on a charge that he falsely told an FBI official that he was not at the meeting on behalf of any client. There he relayed suspicions data scientists had about odd internet data they thought might indicate hidden Trump-russia links.

The new filing by the special counsel, John H. Durham, says that the night before Sussmann’s meeting, he had texted the FBI official stating that “I’m coming on my own — not on behalf of a client or company — want to help the bureau.”

The charge against Sussmann, which he denies, is narrow. But the case has attracted significant attention because Durham has used filings to put forward large amounts of information, insinuating there was a conspiracy involving the Hillary Rodham Clinton campaign to amplify suspicions of Trump-russia collusion. Durham has not charged any such conspiracy, however.

The disclosure of the text to the FBI official in question, James A. Baker, then the bureau’s general counsel, was part of a flurry of late-night filings on Monday by prosecutors and the defense centering on what evidence and arguments the judge should permit in the trial.

At the same time, the filings suggest that the special counsel may use the trial to continue to examine larger efforts linked to the Clinton campaign that raised suspicions about potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia — including the so-called Steele dossier.

The dossier is a notorious compendium of opposition research about purported Trump-russia ties, since revealed to be thinly sourced and dubious.