<p>Michael Sussmann, a former lawyer at a firm that represented Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign, has been found not guilty of lying to the FBI over spreading false information on Donald Trump and his links to a Russian bank.</p>

<p>A federal jury of the Washington DC&nbsp;District Court gave the verdict on Tuesday after jurors unanimously agreed to acquit Sussmann of the criminal charge.</p>

<p>The case pertained to Sussmann, a cybersecurity attorney and former federal prosecutor, allegedly concealing from the FBI that he was representing Clinton’s campaign when he gave a so-called proof of a secret backchannel between Russia-based Alfa Bank and Trump’s business company, the Trump Organization. The FBI had investigated but quickly determined that there was no suspicious contact.</p>

<p>Welcoming the verdict, Sussmann in brief remarks to reporters said, "I told the truth to the FBI, and the jury clearly recognized that with their unanimous verdict," he said, adding that he was "relieved that justice ultimately prevailed in this case”, reports Reuters.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-was-scared-biden-would-be-replaced-with-hillary-clinton-or-michelle-obama-book-claims-390209">Trump was scared Biden would be replaced with Hillary Clinton or Michelle Obama, book claims</a></p>

<p>"I'm looking forward to getting back to work that I love," Sussmann added.</p>

<p>However, the verdict dealt a major blow to John Durham, the special prosecutor appointed by William Barr, Trump's attorney general, to probe the origins of federal investigations into alleged Russian interference in US politics.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hillary-clinton-reads-discarded-victory-speech-from-2016-election-435415">Hillary Clinton reads discarded victory speech from 2016 election</a></p>

<p>In a statement released by the Justice Department, Durham said: “While we are disappointed in the outcome, we respect the jury’s decision and thank them for their service. I also want to recognize and thank the investigators and the prosecution team for their dedicated efforts in seeking truth and justice in this case.”</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>The website of John S Taylor Park encourages players to "discover the sport of disc golf on a course set in the natural beauty of this park." But there are also signs, which discourage swimming in the lake. As the probe continues, the cops have advised people to stay away from the lake.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>


Michael Sussmann, a former lawyer at a firm that represented Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign, has been found not guilty of lying to the FBI over spreading false information on Donald Trump and his links to a Russian bank.

Michael Sussmann, a former lawyer at a firm that represented Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign, has been found not guilty of lying to the FBI over spreading false information on Donald Trump and his links to a Russian bank. A federal jury of the Washington DC District Court gave the verdict on Tuesday after jurors unanimously agreed to acquit Sussmann of the criminal charge. The case pertained to Sussmann, a cybersecurity attorney and former federal prosecutor, allegedly concealing from the FBI that he was representing Clinton’s campaign when he gave a so-called proof of a secret backchannel between Russia-based Alfa Bank and Trump’s business company, the Trump Organization. The FBI had investigated but quickly determined that there was no suspicious contact. Welcoming the verdict, Sussmann in brief remarks to reporters said, "I told the truth to the FBI, and the jury clearly recognized that with their unanimous verdict," he said, adding that he was "relieved that justice ultimately prevailed in this case”, reports Reuters. Also read | Trump was scared Biden would be replaced with Hillary Clinton or Michelle Obama, book claims "I'm looking forward to getting back to work that I love," Sussmann added. However, the verdict dealt a major blow to John Durham, the special prosecutor appointed by William Barr, Trump's attorney general, to probe the origins of federal investigations into alleged Russian interference in US politics. Also read | Hillary Clinton reads discarded victory speech from 2016 election In a statement released by the Justice Department, Durham said: “While we are disappointed in the outcome, we respect the jury’s decision and thank them for their service. I also want to recognize and thank the investigators and the prosecution team for their dedicated efforts in seeking truth and justice in this case.” (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE The website of John S Taylor Park encourages players to "discover the sport of disc golf on a course set in the natural beauty of this park." But there are also signs, which discourage swimming in the lake. As the probe continues, the cops have advised people to stay away from the lake.

Hilary Clinton’s 2016 campaign lawyer acquitted of lying to FBI over Trump’s Russia links

<p>US President Donald Trump plans to discuss gun legislation with lawmakers this week, the White House said Monday, and he told governors not to worry about the National Rifle Association as they mull responses to the massacre of 17 people at a Florida high school.</p>

<p>&quot;Don`t worry about the NRA. They`re on our side,&quot; Trump told more than 35 governors, including Rick Scott of Florida, during a White House meeting. &quot;If they`re not with you, we have to fight them every once in a while. That`s OK. They`re doing what they think is right.&quot;</p>

<p>The February 14 massacre of students and educators at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, by a gunman with a legally purchased semiautomatic rifle reignited the nation`s long-running debate over gun rights.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Trump, a Republican who backed gun rights during and since his 2016 presidential campaign, has been under pressure to show he is responding without alienating Republicans who oppose restrictions on gun rights. He plans to meet with lawmakers from both parties on Wednesday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said at a news briefing.</p>

<p>Trump, who had lunch with senior NRA officials on Sunday, on Monday repeated his suggestion that arming teachers could help stop more rampages. He did not mention raising the legal age to buy assault rifles to 21, an idea he emphasised last week and one that Florida`s Scott, also a Republican, backed after the rampage.</p>

<p>The NRA could not be reached for immediate comment.</p>

<p>Investigators said this month`s assault was carried out by Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old former student at the high school, with a legally purchased AR-15 assault weapon.</p>

<p>The shooting has rattled long-drawn political lines on gun rights in the United States, where Republican officials have often opposed any efforts to tighten gun ownership rules, partly out of concern about retribution by the powerful NRA.</p>

<p>Washington Governor Jay Inslee, a Democrat, told Trump that teachers in his state do not want to carry weapons.</p>

<p>&quot;I have listened to the first-grade teachers who don`t want to be pistol-packing first-grade teachers,&quot; Inslee said. &quot;Let`s just take that off the table and move forward.&quot;</p>

<p>But Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, said more than 100 school districts in his state have trained teachers and other staff to carry a weapon and respond to attacks.</p>

<p>&quot;Some school districts, they promote it,&quot; Abbott said. &quot;They will have signs out front, a warning sign, `Be aware there are armed personnel on campus.`&quot;</p>

<p>Florida plans to invest $500 million to have a significant law enforcement presence in every public school in the state, Scott told the White House meeting.</p>

<p><strong>Trump says would have run in</strong></p>

<p>Trump criticised the law enforcement officers who responded to the shooting.</p>

<p>An armed school resource officer stationed at the school stayed outside during the attack, and has since resigned. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel has been criticised for his department`s response to the shooting.</p>

<p>&quot;The way they performed was, frankly, disgusting,&quot; Trump said, adding that he believed that if he were in the same situation, he would have run into the school &quot;even if I didn`t have a weapon.&quot;</p>

<p>The businessman-turned-politician avoided military service during the Vietnam War through student and medical deferments.</p>

<p>He has called the school resource officer, Scot Peterson, a &quot;coward.&quot;</p>

<p>An attorney for Peterson defended his actions in a statement, saying he had remained outside because he believed the gunfire was occurring outside the school.</p>

<p>&quot;Allegations that Mr. Peterson was a coward and that his performance, under the circumstances, failed to meet the standards of police officers are patently untrue,&quot; attorney Joseph DiRuzzo said in a statement.</p>

<p>Trump has said he plans to limit sales of &quot;bump stocks,&quot; which can modify a legally purchased semiautomatic rifle to fire at high rates of speed akin to a machine gun. Fully automatic machine guns are largely banned under US law.</p>

<p>The NRA has pushed back against that idea, saying it would impinge on the rights of law-abiding gun owners while having no effect on public safety.</p>

<p>A gunman in Las Vegas last year used assault rifles equipped with bump stocks to kill 58 people in the deadliest attack by a single shooter in US history. Bump stocks have not played a prominent role in other recent US mass shootings.</p>


'Don`t worry about the NRA. They`re on our side,' Trump told more than 35 governors during a White House meeting. 'If they`re not with you, we have to fight them every once in a while. That`s OK. They`re doing what they think is right'

US President Donald Trump plans to discuss gun legislation with lawmakers this week, the White House said Monday, and he told governors not to worry about the National Rifle Association as they mull responses to the massacre of 17 people at a Florida high school. "Don`t worry about the NRA. They`re on our side," Trump told more than 35 governors, including Rick Scott of Florida, during a White House meeting. "If they`re not with you, we have to fight them every once in a while. That`s OK. They`re doing what they think is right." The February 14 massacre of students and educators at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, by a gunman with a legally purchased semiautomatic rifle reignited the nation`s long-running debate over gun rights. Trump, a Republican who backed gun rights during and since his 2016 presidential campaign, has been under pressure to show he is responding without alienating Republicans who oppose restrictions on gun rights. He plans to meet with lawmakers from both parties on Wednesday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said at a news briefing. Trump, who had lunch with senior NRA officials on Sunday, on Monday repeated his suggestion that arming teachers could help stop more rampages. He did not mention raising the legal age to buy assault rifles to 21, an idea he emphasised last week and one that Florida`s Scott, also a Republican, backed after the rampage. The NRA could not be reached for immediate comment. Investigators said this month`s assault was carried out by Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old former student at the high school, with a legally purchased AR-15 assault weapon. The shooting has rattled long-drawn political lines on gun rights in the United States, where Republican officials have often opposed any efforts to tighten gun ownership rules, partly out of concern about retribution by the powerful NRA. Washington Governor Jay Inslee, a Democrat, told Trump that teachers in his state do not want to carry weapons. "I have listened to the first-grade teachers who don`t want to be pistol-packing first-grade teachers," Inslee said. "Let`s just take that off the table and move forward." But Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, said more than 100 school districts in his state have trained teachers and other staff to carry a weapon and respond to attacks. "Some school districts, they promote it," Abbott said. "They will have signs out front, a warning sign, `Be aware there are armed personnel on campus.`" Florida plans to invest $500 million to have a significant law enforcement presence in every public school in the state, Scott told the White House meeting. Trump says would have run in Trump criticised the law enforcement officers who responded to the shooting. An armed school resource officer stationed at the school stayed outside during the attack, and has since resigned. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel has been criticised for his department`s response to the shooting. "The way they performed was, frankly, disgusting," Trump said, adding that he believed that if he were in the same situation, he would have run into the school "even if I didn`t have a weapon." The businessman-turned-politician avoided military service during the Vietnam War through student and medical deferments. He has called the school resource officer, Scot Peterson, a "coward." An attorney for Peterson defended his actions in a statement, saying he had remained outside because he believed the gunfire was occurring outside the school. "Allegations that Mr. Peterson was a coward and that his performance, under the circumstances, failed to meet the standards of police officers are patently untrue," attorney Joseph DiRuzzo said in a statement. Trump has said he plans to limit sales of "bump stocks," which can modify a legally purchased semiautomatic rifle to fire at high rates of speed akin to a machine gun. Fully automatic machine guns are largely banned under US law. The NRA has pushed back against that idea, saying it would impinge on the rights of law-abiding gun owners while having no effect on public safety. A gunman in Las Vegas last year used assault rifles equipped with bump stocks to kill 58 people in the deadliest attack by a single shooter in US history. Bump stocks have not played a prominent role in other recent US mass shootings.

Trump plans to discuss gun legislation with lawmakers, says NRA 'on our side'

<p>Washington was abuzz this weekend over reports that a grand jury has charged at least one person stemming from the US probe of Russia&#39;s attempts to tilt the 2016 presidential elections in Donald Trump&#39;s favor.</p>

<p>There was no indication, in reporting by CNN and other media, of who might be charged or what crimes might be alleged in the ongoing inquiry led by former FBI chief Robert Mueller.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But Trump, in a rapid burst of tweets early Sunday, again denounced the investigation as a &quot;witch hunt&quot; and repeated his denials of any collusion with Russia.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Never seen such Republican ANGER &amp; UNITY as I have concerning the lack of investigation on Clinton made Fake Dossier (now $12,000,000?),....</p>
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/924635359480303616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">...the Uranium to Russia deal, the 33,000 plus deleted Emails, the Comey fix and so much more. Instead they look at phony Trump/Russia,....</p>
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/924637600094326784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">...the Uranium to Russia deal, the 33,000 plus deleted Emails, the Comey fix and so much more. Instead they look at phony Trump/Russia,....</p>
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/924637600094326784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">...&quot;collusion,&quot; which doesn&#39;t exist. The Dems are using this terrible (and bad for our country) Witch Hunt for evil politics, but the R&#39;s...</p>
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/924639422066384896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">...&quot;collusion,&quot; which doesn&#39;t exist. The Dems are using this terrible (and bad for our country) Witch Hunt for evil politics, but the R&#39;s...</p>
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/924639422066384896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">All of this &quot;Russia&quot; talk right when the Republicans are making their big push for historic Tax Cuts &amp; Reform. Is this coincidental? NOT!</p>
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/924649059520073730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Mueller&#39;s team has remained publicly mum about reports that a first arrest could come as early as Monday. He is empowered to pursue not only Russian interference but any other crimes his large team of prosecutors should uncover.</p>

<p>But Chris Christie, a Republican governor close to Trump, said Sunday on ABC that &quot;the important thing about today for the American people to know is the president is not under investigation. And no one has told him that he is.&quot;</p>

<p>It was not clear the New Jersey governor would know whether Trump is being investigated; he may have been referring to earlier comments by former FBI chief James Comey.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But Christie told CNN that anyone who has been advised by Mueller&#39;s office that they are a target of the inquiry &quot;should be concerned.&quot;</p>

<p><strong>&#39;I cannot answer&#39;</strong><br />
Typically, such a wide-ranging investigation would first target lower-level people while building a case against those higher up. Sometimes early indictments are used to pressure potential witnesses into turning against others.</p>

<p>Representative Adam Schiff of California, the ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee, demurred Sunday when asked whether Trump was under investigation. &quot;I can&#39;t answer that one way or the other,&quot; he told ABC.</p>

<p>But he mentioned two possible targets on whom much speculation has focused: former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former Trump campaign director Paul Manafort, both of them once involved in undeclared lobbying for foreign interests.</p>

<p>Buzzfeed reported Sunday the FBI is probing a series of wire transfers linked to Manafort that saw offshore companies move over $3 million between 2012 and 2013.</p>

<p>Flagged as suspicious by US financial institutions, some of the 13 transfers Buzzfeed obtained details of involved wires of large sums from Ukraine.</p>

<p>According to the news site, federal law enforcement was aware of such transfers as far back as 2012, when they began investigating whether Manafort committed tax fraud or helped the Ukrainian regime -- close to Vladimir Putin -- launder money.</p>

<p>White House lawyer Ty Cobb told the New York Times that Trump felt confident that neither Flynn nor Manafort had damaging information to offer prosecutors.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;The president has no concerns in terms of any impact, as to what happens to them, on his campaign or on the White House,&quot; Cobb said in an interview published Saturday.</p>

<p>Cobb also asserted Sunday that Trump&#39;s latest tweets were &quot;unrelated to the activities of the Special Counsel, with whom he continues to cooperate,&quot; news media reported.</p>

<p>As the Mueller investigation nears a dramatic new phase, Republican officials and conservative media have stepped up their attacks on Democrats, above all on Trump&#39;s rival in last year&#39;s election, Hillary Clinton -- attacks that Democrats dismiss as blatant attempts to divert attention.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>&#39;So much GUILT&#39;</strong><br />
Trump, in his tweets Sunday, again complained of Clinton&#39;s handling of emails while secretary of state, of Democratic Party funding of what he said was a &quot;fake&quot; dossier on Trump&#39;s background, and of a US sale during the Obama administration of uranium rights to Russia.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;There is so much GUILT by Democrats/Clinton, and now the facts are pouring out. DO SOMETHING!&quot; Trump tweeted.</p>

<p>Trump&#39;s mention of the &quot;fake&quot; dossier appeared to refer to revelations that the Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee had funded part of the research by a former British intelligence agent into possible links between Trump, his collaborators and Russia.</p>

<p>In the uranium case, Russian nuclear energy agency Rosatom sought in 2010 to buy a share in Toronto-based Uranium One, which has mining stakes in the United States. A panel of nine US government agencies, including the State Department, approved the sale, though Clinton says she was &quot;not personally involved.&quot;</p>

<p>As Mueller&#39;s inquiry advances, there have been calls from a few Republicans -- and from the conservative editorial board of the Wall Street Journal -- for him to resign. Christie cautioned on Sunday that the former FBI chief should be &quot;very, very careful&quot; about proceeding with transparency and credibility.</p>

<p>Democrats meantime have warned that if Trump were to fire Mueller -- or issue preemptive pardons to anyone caught in his net -- it would be crossing a dangerous line, potentially sparking a constitutional crisis.</p>


Washington was abuzz this weekend over reports that a grand jury has charged at least one person

Washington was abuzz this weekend over reports that a grand jury has charged at least one person stemming from the US probe of Russia's attempts to tilt the 2016 presidential elections in Donald Trump's favor. There was no indication, in reporting by CNN and other media, of who might be charged or what crimes might be alleged in the ongoing inquiry led by former FBI chief Robert Mueller. But Trump, in a rapid burst of tweets early Sunday, again denounced the investigation as a "witch hunt" and repeated his denials of any collusion with Russia. Never seen such Republican ANGER & UNITY as I have concerning the lack of investigation on Clinton made Fake Dossier (now $12,000,000?),.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2017 × ...the Uranium to Russia deal, the 33,000 plus deleted Emails, the Comey fix and so much more. Instead they look at phony Trump/Russia,.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2017 × ...the Uranium to Russia deal, the 33,000 plus deleted Emails, the Comey fix and so much more. Instead they look at phony Trump/Russia,.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2017 × ..."collusion," which doesn't exist. The Dems are using this terrible (and bad for our country) Witch Hunt for evil politics, but the R's... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2017 × ..."collusion," which doesn't exist. The Dems are using this terrible (and bad for our country) Witch Hunt for evil politics, but the R's... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2017 × All of this "Russia" talk right when the Republicans are making their big push for historic Tax Cuts & Reform. Is this coincidental? NOT! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2017 × Mueller's team has remained publicly mum about reports that a first arrest could come as early as Monday. He is empowered to pursue not only Russian interference but any other crimes his large team of prosecutors should uncover. But Chris Christie, a Republican governor close to Trump, said Sunday on ABC that "the important thing about today for the American people to know is the president is not under investigation. And no one has told him that he is." It was not clear the New Jersey governor would know whether Trump is being investigated; he may have been referring to earlier comments by former FBI chief James Comey. But Christie told CNN that anyone who has been advised by Mueller's office that they are a target of the inquiry "should be concerned." 'I cannot answer' Typically, such a wide-ranging investigation would first target lower-level people while building a case against those higher up. Sometimes early indictments are used to pressure potential witnesses into turning against others. Representative Adam Schiff of California, the ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee, demurred Sunday when asked whether Trump was under investigation. "I can't answer that one way or the other," he told ABC. But he mentioned two possible targets on whom much speculation has focused: former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former Trump campaign director Paul Manafort, both of them once involved in undeclared lobbying for foreign interests. Buzzfeed reported Sunday the FBI is probing a series of wire transfers linked to Manafort that saw offshore companies move over $3 million between 2012 and 2013. Flagged as suspicious by US financial institutions, some of the 13 transfers Buzzfeed obtained details of involved wires of large sums from Ukraine. According to the news site, federal law enforcement was aware of such transfers as far back as 2012, when they began investigating whether Manafort committed tax fraud or helped the Ukrainian regime -- close to Vladimir Putin -- launder money. White House lawyer Ty Cobb told the New York Times that Trump felt confident that neither Flynn nor Manafort had damaging information to offer prosecutors. "The president has no concerns in terms of any impact, as to what happens to them, on his campaign or on the White House," Cobb said in an interview published Saturday. Cobb also asserted Sunday that Trump's latest tweets were "unrelated to the activities of the Special Counsel, with whom he continues to cooperate," news media reported. As the Mueller investigation nears a dramatic new phase, Republican officials and conservative media have stepped up their attacks on Democrats, above all on Trump's rival in last year's election, Hillary Clinton -- attacks that Democrats dismiss as blatant attempts to divert attention. 'So much GUILT' Trump, in his tweets Sunday, again complained of Clinton's handling of emails while secretary of state, of Democratic Party funding of what he said was a "fake" dossier on Trump's background, and of a US sale during the Obama administration of uranium rights to Russia. "There is so much GUILT by Democrats/Clinton, and now the facts are pouring out. DO SOMETHING!" Trump tweeted. Trump's mention of the "fake" dossier appeared to refer to revelations that the Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee had funded part of the research by a former British intelligence agent into possible links between Trump, his collaborators and Russia. In the uranium case, Russian nuclear energy agency Rosatom sought in 2010 to buy a share in Toronto-based Uranium One, which has mining stakes in the United States. A panel of nine US government agencies, including the State Department, approved the sale, though Clinton says she was "not personally involved." As Mueller's inquiry advances, there have been calls from a few Republicans -- and from the conservative editorial board of the Wall Street Journal -- for him to resign. Christie cautioned on Sunday that the former FBI chief should be "very, very careful" about proceeding with transparency and credibility. Democrats meantime have warned that if Trump were to fire Mueller -- or issue preemptive pardons to anyone caught in his net -- it would be crossing a dangerous line, potentially sparking a constitutional crisis.

Trump campaign-Russia collusion: First arrest said to be near