https://www.theepochtimes.com/baker-testimony-reveals-perkins-coie-lawyer-provided-fbi-with-information-on-alfa-bank-allegations_2773855.html

Baker Testimony Reveals Perkins Coie Lawyer Provided FBI With Information on Alfa Bank Allegations

BY JEFF CARLSON

January 21, 2019 Updated: January 21, 2019 Share

Closed-door testimony by former top FBI lawyer James Baker revealed that Michael Sussmann, a lawyer and partner at Perkins Coie, gave Baker information alleging a Russian bank was communicating with a server in Trump Tower—an allegation later proven false.

James Baker FBi Special Counsel

Former FBI General Counsel James Baker.

Sussmann, whose firm had been retained by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, provided information to Baker and at least one journalist ahead of the FBI’s application for a FISA warrant on Trump campaign foreign policy advisor, Carter Page.

Perkins Coie was also the law firm who had hired Fusion GPS—on behalf of the Clinton campaign and the DNC—which in turn hired former British MI6 agent Christopher Steele to produce the dossier that has become known as the Steele dossier.

Sussmann’s identity as an outside source to Baker had previously been reported. But new details regarding the specific information that Sussman provided to Baker, their interactions and timing, along with the FBI’s response were revealed in Baker’s testimonies.

Baker’s testimonies before the House judiciary and oversight committees were conducted on Oct. 3 and Oct. 18 in an unclassified setting with legal counsel present. The transcripts have not been publicly released, but were obtained for this article. (Note: Sussmann’s name is spelled incorrectly as “Sussman” in the transcript from Day One. The transcript from Day Two contains the correct spelling.)

Sussmann’s name came up during the first day of Baker’s testimony when he was asked whether it was “normal practice for general counsel to talk to confidential human sources?”

Mr. Baker: There is another occasion that I can think of where somebody brought material to me, based on a preexisting relationship. They gave the material to me. Same situation [as Corn]. I was quite concerned about it. I gave it to the investigator —

Rep. Meadows: And who was that?

Mr. Baker: Who was that?

Rep. Meadows: Yeah.

Mr. Baker: Michael Sussman.

MORE