{"id":1505048,"date":"2022-06-06T10:19:18","date_gmt":"2022-06-06T14:19:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1505048"},"modified":"2022-06-06T10:19:32","modified_gmt":"2022-06-06T14:19:32","slug":"fbi-altered-statement-on-intrusion-into-democratic-network-based-on-input-from-democrats-lawyer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fbi-altered-statement-on-intrusion-into-democratic-network-based-on-input-from-democrats-lawyer\/","title":{"rendered":"FBI Altered Statement on Intrusion Into Democratic Network Based on Input From Democrats\u2019 Lawyer"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffbi-altered-statement-on-intrusion-into-democratic-network-based-on-input-from-democrats-lawyer%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1505048&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A lawyer representing Democrats proposed alterations to an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/t-fbi\">FBI<\/a> statement on the hacking of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) to avoid undermining the narrative from his clients, according to emails released as part of the trial of former Hillary Clinton campaign attorney <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/t-michael-sussmann\">Michael Sussmann<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>FBI officials in mid-2016 were drafting a statement regarding an alleged intrusion into the DCCC network and sent the draft to Sussmann, a lawyer representing the DCCC, the Democratic National Committee (DNC), and other Democrats.<\/p>\n<p>Jim Trainor, assistant director for the FBI Cyber Division, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/22046154-dx-117_redacted\">wrote to Sussmann<\/a> on July 29, 2016: \u201cMichael\u2014our press office is once again getting a ton of calls on the DCCC matter. A draft response is provided below. Wanted to get your thoughts on this prior to sending out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sussmann zeroed in on the first sentence, which he said seemed to undermine what the DCCC was saying about the reported intrusion.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe draft you sent says only that the FBI is aware of media reports; it does not say that the FBI is aware of the intrusion that the DCCC reported. Indeed, it refers only to a \u2018possible\u2019 cyber intrusion and in that way undermines what the DCCC said in its statement (or at least calls into question what the DCCC said),&#8217;\u201d Sussmann said.<\/p>\n<p>Sussmann proposed changing the press release from saying the FBI is aware of reporting on \u201ca possible cyber instruction involving the DCCC\u201d to saying the bureau \u201cis aware of the cyber intrusion involving the DCCC that has been reported in the media and the FBI has been working to determine the nature and scope of the matter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Trainor said the proposed alterations were fine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe try to really limit what we see and not acknowledging too much but the below edits are fine and we will send out,\u201d Trainor said.<\/p>\n<p>The bureau ended up using language similar to that offered by Sussmann, telling news outlets that it was \u201caware of media reporting on cyber intrusions involving multiple political entities, and is working to determine the accuracy, nature, and scope of these matters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The emails were introduced as exhibits during Sussmann\u2019s trial and obtained by The Epoch Times. Sussmann <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/jury-finds-former-clinton-campaign-lawyer-not-guilty-of-lying-to-fbi_4502691.html\">was acquitted<\/a> on May 31 of lying to the FBI.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4423878\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/img.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2022\/04\/24\/Epoch_Times510A0139-1200x800-1200x800.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4423878 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/img.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2022\/04\/24\/Epoch_Times510A0139-1200x800-1200x800.jpg\" alt=\"The FBI headquarters\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" \/><\/noscript><\/figcaption><\/a> The FBI headquarters in Washington on Jan. 2, 2020. (Samira Bouaou\/The Epoch Times)<\/figure>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/22049825-enclosure_1__brennan_notes__u\">notes<\/a> taken by\u00a0then-CIA Director John Brennan, President Barack Obama received a briefing on July 28, 2016\u2014one day before Sussmann\u2019s email to Trainor. Brennan told Obama of an intelligence intercept showing that Russia was aware of a plan approved by Clinton to \u201cvilify\u201d her rival, Donald Trump, by \u201cstirring up a scandal claiming interference by the Russian security services.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Days later, the CIA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/22049828-enclosure_2__dcia_memo_09-07-16__u\">informed<\/a> the FBI of intelligence suggesting that Clinton\u2019s plan was meant \u201cas a means of distracting the public from her use of a private email server.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to the indictment of several Russian nationals brought by special counsel Robert Mueller, the alleged Russian conspirators gained access to the DCCC network on April 12, 2016. That same day, then-FBI Director James Comey held a meeting with senior FBI officials to discuss how to execute a \u201ccredible \u2026 conclusion\u201d of the FBI investigation into Clinton\u2019s use of an unauthorized private email server to conduct government business.<\/p>\n<p>The DCCC and the DNC hired CrowdStrike, a private cybersecurity firm, to investigate and remediate the network intrusions. The FBI conducted its own investigation, relying on server images and reports produced by CrowdStrike, with Sussmann playing as the singular point of contact representing the DNC and the DCCC,\u00a0according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/22046148-dx-120_redacted\">another email<\/a>\u00a0introduced during the trial.<\/p>\n<p>The CrowdStrike reports sent to the FBI were partly redacted. An <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/22046130-dx-147_redacted\">email<\/a>\u00a0addressed to Sussmann by an FBI agent indicated that receiving the nonredacted versions of the reports was the top priority for the bureau. According to a previous\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/14515855\/123\/united-states-v-stone\/\">filing<\/a>\u00a0by the Department of Justice in the case against Trump associate Roger Stone, the bureau never received the unredacted reports. The FBI has rejected Freedom of Information Act requests for the documents.<\/p>\n<p>Other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/22046151-dx-112_redacted\">missives<\/a>\u00a0entered during Sussmann\u2019s trial showed the lawyer becoming upset after the bureau announced that it was investigating the reported intrusion into the DNC network.<\/p>\n<p>Sussmann messaged Trainor, questioning the \u201csignificance of this announcement\u201d and requesting the bureau consult with him before making public statements about the DNC case.<\/p>\n<p>Trainor apologized, agreeing that when the FBI makes statements \u201cwe need to be in lock step with victims and partners.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Trainor said the statement was an attempt to \u201crespond in a more authentic way\u201d and that the bureau intended to \u201cbe equally cooperative partners as we navigate this matter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThank you for that explanation. You can understand how the statement was confusing to us,\u201d Sussmann said. \u201cPlease try to keep us informed if the FBI says anything else publicly about its investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sussmann was the FBI\u2019s point of contact on the investigations into the intrusions into the DCCC and DNC network, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/22046148-dx-120_redacted\">an email<\/a> that FBI agent Jennifer Frasch sent in August 2016.<\/p>\n<p>Sussmann was close to the FBI for years and had a badge that allowed him access to the bureau\u2019s headquarters. Sussmann used the badge to gain entry on Sept. 19, 2016, when he handed over sketchy allegations against Trump to FBI lawyer James Baker.<\/p>\n<div class=\"author_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"one_author_block round\">\n<div class=\"top_row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/author-zachary-stieber\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/WEB_ZacharyStieber-1.jpg\" alt=\"Zachary Stieber\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Follow<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Zachary Stieber covers U.S. and world news. He is based in Maryland.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"one_author_block round\">\n<div class=\"top_row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/author-ivan-pentchoukov\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Ivan-Pentchoukov-2.jpg\" alt=\"Ivan Pentchoukov\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Follow<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Ivan has reported for The Epoch Times on a variety of topics since 2011.\n<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A lawyer representing Democrats proposed alterations to an FBI statement on the hacking of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) to avoid undermining the narrative from his clients, according to<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":498,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1505048","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1505048","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/498"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1505048"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1505048\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1505048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1505048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1505048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}