Durham moves to admit evidence in Danchenko trial that may discredit Trump Ritz-Carlton Moscow allegations

[Leroy N. Soetoro]

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/durham-moves-admit-evidence-danchenko-
trial-may-discredit-trump-ritz-carlton-moscow-allegations

Durham says 'source' of allegations does not recall speaking to Danchenko
or having knowledge of them before media reports

Special Counsel John Durham is seeking to admit evidence in the trial of
Russian national Igor Danchenko that would discredit the "lurid" Ritz-
Carlton Moscow allegations against then-presidential candidate Donald
Trump contained in the salacious and unverified Steele dossier.

In a filing unsealed Tuesday, Durham moved to admit evidence regarding the
FBI’s prior counterintelligence investigation of Danchenko and to exclude
evidence concerning allegations of "political bias underpinning the
indictment."

Danchenko, who has been identified as the primary sub-source for the
Steele dossier, is charged with five counts of making false statements to
the FBI. The charges stem from statements Danchenko made relating to the
sources he used in providing information to an investigative firm in the
U.K.

Durham alleges that Danchenko in June 2016 reported to ex-British
intelligence officer Christopher Steele allegations regarding "Donald
Trump’s purported sexual activity at the Ritz-Carlton Moscow."

"The Steele report states that ‘Source D,’ who is described as a ‘close
associate’ of Trump, who had organized and managed his recent trips to
Moscow, had confirmed that Trump had engaged in lurid sexual activity at
the hotel," the filing states, adding that the Steele report also said the
allegations "had been confirmed by ‘Source E,’ a senior (western) member
of staff at the hotel."

But, in a January 2017 interview with the FBI, Danchenko claimed he had
sourced the information while staying at the Ritz-Carlton Moscow in mid-
June 2016 during a planning trip for a future business conference.

Durham says Danchenko acknowledged that he had "visited, but not stayed
at, the hotel during the 2016 trip."

"In his January 2017 interview with the FBI, the defendant also claimed
that he inquired about the Ritz-Carlton allegations with hotel staff who
did not deny their veracity," Durham states. "The defendant [Danchenko]
also informed the FBI that he reported the names of these hotel staff to
Christopher Steele."

Durham says that, during a May 2017 FBI interview, Danchenko "again
confirmed that he had spoken with hotel management about the Ritz-Carlton
allegations."


"In that interview, the defendant also stated that ‘Source D,' the
purported source of the aforementioned sexual allegations, ‘could be
referring to Sergei Millian,’" the filing states.

SPECIAL COUNSEL DURHAM REQUESTS 30 SUBPOENAS ISSUED IN DANCHENKO CASE

Durham said his team has interviewed and expects to call at trial the
"then-general manager of the Ritz-Carlton Moscow, Bemd Kuhlen, a German
citizen who does not speak Russian (and whom the Steele Report describe as
‘Source E,’ a senior — western — member of staff at the hotel.)"

"Mr. Kuhlen does not recall ever meeting or speaking with [Danchenko] in
June 2016 or at any time," Durham states. "Mr. Kuhlen also has denied (1)
having knowledge of the Ritz-Carlton Allegations at any time prior to
their being reported in the media, (2) discussing such allegations with,
or hearing them from, the defendant.

"Mr. Kuhlen also has confirmed to the Government and will testify at trial
that he was the only ‘western’ member of management at the hotel in June
2016," Durham added. "In short, the Government intends to prove at trial
that the defendant falsely sought to attribute the Ritz-Carlton
Allegations to Mr. Kuhlen, and, as referenced above, to Sergei Millian as
part of his work on the Steele Reports that are described in the
Indictment."

Durham, in the filing, argued that the government "should be permitted to
present evidence of the defendant's false statement regarding his sourcing
of the Ritz-Carlton Allegations as direct evidence of the charged crime."

"The defendant's statements regarding these allegations constitute direct
evidence of the charged offenses because they reflect the defendant's
efforts to fabricate and misattribute information reflected in the Steele
Reports and provide important factual context regarding the two
individuals — Charles Dolan and Sergei Millian — who are the subjects of
the defendant's false statements to the FBI," Durham said.

Danchenko’s trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 11.

Durham has indicted three people as part of his investigation: Michael
Sussmann in September 2021, who was found not guilty in June, Danchenko in
November 2021 and Kevin Clinesmith in August 2020. Clinesmith was also
charged with making a false statement and pleaded guilty.

Sources have told Fox News that Durham’s investigation is ongoing.


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