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OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
John Durham’s team has gotten a new member as it prepares for its next trial.
Adam Small was added to the team after Andrew DeFilippis, an assistant special counsel, withdrew from the team ahead of the trial of Russian national Igor Danchenko.
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Small’s official LinkedIn page says he is a “Trial Attorney with experience prosecuting Espionage Act, trade secret/economic espionage, sanctions/export control, FARA, wire fraud, money laundering, cyber, and RICO offenses.”
His page says that he works for the United States Department of Justice and “investigated and prosecuted crimes involving the Espionage Act, Foreign Agents Registration Act, export control, and state-sponsored cyber intrusions. Coordinate and supervise investigations of unauthorized disclosures of classified information.”
Before his removal, DeFilippis had played a prominent role in the Danchenko case since the November indictment, including during appearances in court, virtual hearings, and legal filings. Danchenko was charged last year with five counts of making false statements to the FBI. Durham says the comments were about the information Danchenko provided for the dossier. The Department of Justice’s watchdog concluded that Danchenko eventually undermined Steele’s unfounded claims of a “well-developed conspiracy” between former President Donald Trump and Russia.
Durham did the talking for the prosecution during a brief Danchenko hearing in early August, and he filed a short notice with the federal court, saying: “I appear in this case as counsel for the United States of America.” Durham also told the judge the Danchenko trial was expected to last five or six days. A court filing by Durham last month requested that the court issue 30 subpoenas for possible witness testimony for the trial starting Oct. 11.
While the special counsel was often present in the courtroom during the May trial against Democratic cybersecurity lawyer Michael Sussmann, Durham never spoke, so his actions this month were a marked departure.
The Danchenko trial in October comes after Sussman was found not guilty by a Washington DC court.
Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson revealed that Durham’s investigation has “hindered Congress as lawmakers seek to root out FBI misconduct and examine the shady business dealings of Hunter Biden.”
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“Blame was cast during a recent interview on Newsmax in which Johnson vented about a dearth of successful prosecutions in Durham’s endeavor, which appears to be wrapping up as the prosecutor takes the alleged main source for a now-infamous dossier alleging ties between former President Donald Trump and Russia to court this month. The senator said he was unsatisfied, noting the lack of a conviction against lawyer Michael Sussmann, who was acquitted in May,” the Washington Examiner reported.
“Our efforts in terms of investigating Hunter Biden, and corruption within the FBI was certainly hampered because we had an active criminal investigation under John Durham,” Johnson said.
“The Newsmax interview with Johnson began with hosts Sean Spicer, Trump’s first White House press secretary, and Lyndsay Keith, discussing dozens of FBI whistleblowers that Republican lawmakers say have come forward to them in recent months to raise allegations of politicization in the bureau. One of those lawmakers is Johnson, who has also investigated Hunter Biden, the adult son of President Joe Biden, and raised concerns about influence peddling,” the report added.
“Although Johnson suggested Durham’s investigation, which is looking for misconduct in the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation and has secured one conviction so far, poses a roadblock for congressional oversight, Republicans are gearing up for a wider investigation into the allegations of FBI malfeasance if they win control of at least one chamber in the November midterm elections,” the report continued.
Johnson said that he hopes whatever report Durham and his team submit by the end of his investigation to Attorney General Merrick Garland is made public.
“The American public deserves to know the truth of the corruption that was occurring within the Department of Justice and the FBI,” Johnson said.
It’s unclear when Durham’s investigation will end or when his final report is expected to be submitted to the Department of Justice.
