The Hill:
Sometimes it is the quiet, elusive ones who come back to haunt you. And for ex-special prosecutor Robert Mueller, one of those might be a Russian billionaire named Oleg Deripaska.
The oligarch who once controlled Russia’s largest aluminum empire has been an international man of intrigue in the now-completed and disproven Trump collusion investigation.
Deripaska was a disaffected former business client of Donald Trump’s fallen campaign chairman Paul Manafort. He also was a legal research client of Trump-hating, Clinton-aiding British spy Christopher Steele. In his spare time, he was an occasional friendly cooperator with the FBI and its fired deputy director, Andrew McCabe.
And, at the height of the Russia collusion hysteria, Deripaska was sanctioned by the Trump administration to financially punish Russian President Vladimir Putin for his meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
With the Russia case, in which he had so many connections, now completed, Deripaska is breaking his silence. And what he has to say could impact Mueller’s July 17 testimony before Congress.
In a wide-ranging interview with me, Deripaska confirmed a story told to me more than a year ago by law enforcement sources: He was indeed interviewed by FBI agents in September 2016 during the early Russia probe, and he told them he strongly doubted the bureau’s theory that the Trump campaign, through Manafort, was colluding with Moscow to hijack the 2016 election.
“I told them straightforward, ‘Look, I am not a friend with him (Manafort). Apparently not, because I started a court case (against him) six or nine months before … . But since I’m Russian I would be very surprised that anyone from Russia would try to approach him for any reason, and wouldn’t come and ask me my opinion,’” he said, recounting exactly what he says he told the FBI agents that day.
“I told them straightforward, I just don’t believe that he would represent any Russian interest. And knowing what he’s doing on Ukraine for the last, what, seven or eight years.”
OK, so why should you care if a Russian denied Trump campaign collusion with Russia during the election?
First, Deripaska wasn’t just any Russian. He was closely aligned with Putin and had been helpful to the FBI as far back as 2009. So he had earned some trust with the agents.
Most importantly, Deripaska’s interview with the FBI reportedly was never provided by Team Mueller to Manafort’s lawyers, even though it was potential proof of innocence, according to Manafort defense lawyer Kevin Downing. Manafort, initially investigated for collusion, was convicted on tax and lobbying violations unrelated to the Russia case.
That omission opens a possible door for appeal for what is known as a Brady violation, for hiding exculpatory information from a defendant.
The bumbling Mueller opted to have Andrew Weissmann run the show for him as he remained back a distance. Now he has to answer for all the underhanded behavior of that fellow scumbag.
It’s been clear that he realizes how bad he screwed up and at the least his reputation is destroyed. Hopefully both him and his weasel will pay with more than just the destruction of their standing in DC. They’re both long overdue for an accounting.
Yeah yeah. Wake me when a cell door goes CLANG! on someone not associated with Trump.
I’m on Trumps side but any way you look at it, any Russian doesn’t exactly make a good character witness in this circumstance, regardless of the facts.
Justice is slow and deliberate.
I hope to God POTUS exonerates Manafort, that would be a tight twist to the weasel Wiseman and the rotten fish Mueller .
Acknowledging Manafort may have been dishonest, just take a look at the Muslim Congress so-called woman, marrying her brother, lying and cheating financially, and so full of hatred of the United States. She is the one who should be in jail along with “occasional cortex”.
What Manafort did couldn’t hold a candle to the destruction of having an American hating Muslim in our Congress.
I don’t think the Republicans can call witnesses on this Democrat witch hunt so maybe the Senate Committee on whatever can call this guy after the Mueller testilying or perhaps the day before so the GOP senators can quote this guy when questioning Mueller about holding back evidence. The best way to get Manafort out and destroy Meuller and his cronies is a Brady Violation. That almost cries out for punishment of the Mueller team.
Dan Bongino was talking about this guy 18 months ago, along with Mifsud, the Maltese professor who is NOT a Russian agent.