A key source for the anti-Donald Trump dossier needs to explain why he needs to use classified information in his upcoming trial, a judge ruled on Aug. 30.
Igor Danchenko, who authorities say provided information for the dossier compiled by ex-British spy Christopher Steele, is slated to go on trial later this year on five charges of lying to the FBI about the information.
Danchenko appeared in U.S. court in Alexandria, Virginia, for a closed-door hearing along with prosecutors with special counsel John Durham’s team after the defendant notified the court of his intent to use classified information in his defense.
The details of that filing and a response filed by Durham’s team were sealed, but Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, in a declaration filed by Durham himself, asked for a closed-door hearing to be held to discuss the matter.
U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga, a George W. Bush appointee, agreed.
While neither the public nor press were allowed to attend, and the minute entry and the transcript were sealed, Trenga made public his order that Danchenko file a revised notice of intent to use classified information.
In the order, the defense should specify “what, if any, classified information he still intends to use at trial and why such information is necessary, relevant and admissible,” Trenga said.
Danchenko was given until Sept. 20 to file the revised notice.
Prosecutors will have until Sept. 27 to file a response.
If needed, another closed-door hearing will be held two days later, after a public hearing on motions from the parties that do not deal with classified information.
Clinton Involvement
Danchenko, a Russian national, was charged in November 2021 for allegedly misleading FBI officials by claiming he did not receive information from Charles Danchenko, a longtime associate of the Clinton family. Danchenko later passed the information to Steele, a supporter of then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.Trump ended up beating Clinton in the 2016 election.
Clinton’s campaign and other Democrats funded the anti-Trump dossier, which contained a number of unsubstantiated claims that remain unsubstantiated to this day.
“DANCHENKO stated falsely that he had never communicated with a particular U.S.-based individual - who was a long-time participant in Democratic Party politics and was then an executive at a U.S. public relations firm (”PR Executive-I“) - about any allegations contained in the Company Reports. In truth and in fact, and as DANCHENKO well knew, DANCHENKO sourced one or more specific allegations in the Company Reports anonymously to PR Executive-I,” the indictment states. PR-Executive-I is Charles Dolan, Dolan’s lawyer has said.
Danchenko also lied about speaking with Sergei Millian, a businessman who headed the Russian-American Chamber of Commerce, according to court papers.
Danchenko, who has pleaded not guilty, faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
