Life

Julian Assange's Lawyer Says Trump Offered Pardon in Exchange for Covering Up Russian Interference

Assange's team also said they have evidence.

julian
Image via Getty/Luke Dray
Getty

An attorney representing WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said in court on Wednesday that Trump offered a pardon in exchange for helping to cover up Russian election interference.

Assange's team said during a pre-extradition hearing in London that Republican congress member Dana Rohrabacher "acted as an emissary for the White House" and offered the deal in 2017, per the Daily Beast's report. Notably, that means the alleged offer occurred one year following the publication of Clinton-damaging emails that had been lifted from the DNC.

Current White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham shared a statement on the allegations, claiming that Trump "barely knows" Rohrabacher. Grisham further claimed Trump has "never spoken to him on this subject or almost any subject." Assange's team, however, said Wednesday that they have evidence. Assange's extradition hearing is set to begin on Feb. 24.

Back in 2017, as the Guardian noted in a separate report, the White House confirmed that Rohrabacher had contacted (now former) chief of staff John Kelly to discuss a possible Assange deal that allegedly included the handing over of a computer drive or similar device that would then be used to "prove that Russia was not the source" of the WikiLeaks-published emails.

Furthermore, Rohrabacher once recalled what he claimed was a drunken bout of arm-wrestling with Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia.

Related Stories

Kanye West Pamela Anderson
Pop Culture

Pamela Anderson Pleads for Kanye West to Help Julian Assange: ‘It Is Torture’

Anderson, who famously visited Assange in his Ecuadorian embassy refuge in London, is asking 'Ye to help drum up support for the Wikileaks founder.

Marco Margaritoff2997 days ago
Donald Trump
Life

Senate Votes to Acquit Trump on All Articles of Impeachment

The president was found not guilty on abuse of power and obstruction of Congress charges.

Joshua Espinoza2361 days ago
wtf
Life

Father of Parkland Mass Shooting Victim Escorted Out of Trump's SOTU Address

Trump was saying some dumb sh*t about guns when Fred Guttenberg spoke out, ultimately resulting in his removal.

Trace William Cowen2362 days ago

Stay ahead on Exclusives

Download the Complex App