Robby Mook, former Clinton campaign manager testified on Friday that then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton authorized the media spread of materials alleging a secretive communication line between the Trump Organization and Russian Alfa Bank, despite campaign officials’ lack of “complete confidence” in the data, Fox News informed.
James Baker, former FBI General Counsel gave his testimony on Thursday that the bureau looked at data alleging a Trump relation to a Kremlin-linked bank and found nothing there.
The defense of Michael Sussmann put Mook on the stand for giving testimony on Friday.
Mook was asked about the campaign’s grasp of the Alfa Bank claims against Trump and if they planned to expose the material to the public during a cross-examination session by the government prosecutor Andrew DeFillippis on Friday.
Marc Elias, the campaign general counsel, who was a partner at Perkins Coie at the time, first addressed Mook on the Alfa Bank matter, according to Mook.
Mook said that the data was obtained from “those who have experience in this sort of thing.”
The campaign, according to Mook, was not completely convinced in the data’s veracity, but intended to provide it to a journalist who could “run it down” to see if it was “correct” or “substantive.”
He also said he talked to senior campaign staffers, including the campaign chairman John Podesta, senior policy advisor Jake Sullivan, who is now White House National Security Adviser, and communications director Jennifer Palmieri, on whether to provide the information to a journalist.
Mook testified that he had also discussed this matter with Hillary Clinton, adding that the during the discussion it was revealed that they had certain information and wanted it to be shared with a reporter.
The government also asked if Clinton stood behind the approval of the spread of the information to the media outlets, on which Mook answered affirmatively.
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