Here are the key questions and answers about the trial of Michael Sussmann, a lawyer accused of lying to the FBI during the 2016 presidential campaign.
The key witness in the case is James Baker, the FBI’s former top lawyer, who met with Sussmann in September 2016 and received the information. The trial will also feature more than a half-dozen current or former law enforcement officials. They will revisit the days toward the end of the 2016 campaign when tensions were running extremely high inside the FBI as agents pursued cases involving both presidential candidates — Trump and Clinton.
It’s clear from court filings that Durham’s team takes a dim view of this alleged joint effort. However, while a number of current and former federal law enforcement officials say that such opposition research may appear unseemly, they also say it will be a heavy lift for prosecutors to convince a jury in the nation’s capital that such behavior amounts to a crime.