Trump ally ‘offered WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange a deal to avoid extradition to US if he revealed Dem hack source’
A LAWYER for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says an ally of President Donald Trump offered a pardon-type deal if he were to provide political dirt to the president.
Jennifer Robinson said in a witness statement submitted in London’s on Friday that , 49, was indirectly offered a “win-win” deal from the administration.
Assange is currently fighting efforts by the to extradite him for several charges he’s facing because of his work at .
Robinson said Assange received a deal offer on August 15, 2017, during a meeting with former Representative Dana Rohrabacher and Trump associate Charles Johnson.
She, according to the statement that was read out in court, said Rohrabacher and Johnson “wanted us to believe they were acting on behalf of the president.”
The pair allegedly wanted information about the of the emails in 2016, before Trump’s election with .
The two told Assange that Trump was “aware of and had approved of them coming to meet” with the WikiLeaks founder to discuss a possible deal, according to Robinson's statement.
Robinson also said the pair told them they would have an audience with the president to discuss the matter on their return to .
“The proposal put forward by was that Assange identify the source for the publications in return for some kind of pardon, assurance or agreement which would both benefit President Trump and prevent US indictment and extradition,” Robinson said.
She said that Rohrabacher and Johnson told them any information on the source of the link would be of “interest, value, and assistance” to Trump.
Rohrabacher, a former congressman from , reportedly told Robinson and Assange that he traveled to to talk to Assange.
Assange at the time was taking refuge at the Ecuadorian Embassy.
According to Robinson, Rohrabacher said he visited to chat about “what might be necessary to get him out,” presenting him with a “win-win situation” that would allow him to leave the embassy and “get on with his life” without fear of being extradited to the US.
The former politician allegedly said he wanted to clear up the ongoing speculation about Russia’s involvement in the DNC email dump.
In the run-up to the 2016 election, WikiLeaks published the hacked emails that are believed to have damaged Clinton’s campaign for the presidency.
The US intel community has said was behind the leaks, but WikiLeaks has never revealed their source.
Rohrabacher, who lost his seat in the 2018 midterm elections, has previously said he never spoke with Trump about Assange.
He’s also said he’s never been directed by Trump or anyone else to meet with Assange.
James Lewis, a lawyer working for the US government, said it wasn’t contesting that “these things” were said.
“We obviously do not accept the truth of what was said by others,” he said.
but is now happy to "keep him quiet" in jail.
Lewis said earlier this month in court that rumors Trump had been helped by foreign powers to win the 2016 election were seen by the US leader as "undermining his legitimacy."
"WikiLeaks and Mr Assange pose a threat to the legitimacy of Trump's (election) campaign that he is desperate to squash by diverting attention and imprisoning Mr Assange."
Assange has been indicted by US prosecutors on 18 charges of espionage and plotting to hack computers over WikiLeaks’ publication of secret US military documents around 2010 to 2011.
The documents largely focused around the wars in and a decade ago.
The charges carry a maximum sentence of 175 years in prison.
Assange’s lawyers have argued that prosecution is politically motivated and that he won’t receive a fair trial in the US, and have said Assange was acting as a journalist entitled to First Amendment protection.
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In April 2019, Assange was kicked out of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and has since been in a British prison.
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In 2012, he was granted asylum by Ecuador over fears he would face possible extradition to the US related to his work with WikiLeaks.
The extradition hearing is scheduled to last until early October.