By Sarah N. Lynch

WASHINGTON (Reuters), Federal prosecutors tried Tuesday to present an attorney, who formerly served Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2016, as a privileged high-powered individual who abused FBI contacts to try to damage former President Donald Trump’s campaign.

Brittain Shaw, a prosecutor in the case against Michael Sussmann in Washington stated that he misled FBI regarding who he represented. He met with FBI’s top attorney on September 19, 2016, to give a tip about possible Internet communications between Trump and a Russian bank.

They were eventually discredited after being investigated.

Shaw claimed that “the evidence will prove that this case is about privilege” and that Sussmann misused his connections in order to “use FBI to support political causes.”

John Durham (Special Counsel) is leading the prosecution against Sussmann. Durham was appointed in 2019 by William Barr as an investigator into any missteps that occurred in FBI’s probe of Trump campaign collusion with Russia.

President Joe Biden allowed Durham’s work to be completed by the Justice Department.

Sussmann was questioned about a meeting with James Baker (then-FBI General Counsel) to discuss possible cyber links between Trump Organization and Russia’s Alfa Bank.

Prosecutors claim that Sussmann misled them when he said he wasn’t passing on information about Trump for any particular client. In fact, Sussmann was actually representing Clinton’s presidential campaign as well Rodney Joffe (a technology executive responsible for the investigation into the possible connections between Alfabank, the Trump Organization, and Alfabank).

We are there because the FBI has become our institution. Shaw stated to the jury that it should not be used for political purposes. He suggested they forget their political views about Trump or Clinton and focus on this case.

Sussmann attorneys said Tuesday that Baker did not lie and that he didn’t arrange the meeting.

“Mr. Sussmann was not sent to the FBI to perform the Clinton campaign’s bidding. The meeting went against what the FBI wanted. Nobody told him to go. Michael Bosworth, an attorney, stated that no one had authorized his departure.

Bosworth also pointed out flaws in the government’s argument, noting Baker didn’t record and/or document Sussmann’s meeting. His memory was as good as clay, he stated.

Baker could be called to appear as witness.