Lawyers representing the firm that assembled a controversial dossier alleging ties between President Donald Trump and Russia on Friday asked a judge to block the firm’s bank from disclosing the identify of the client who commissioned the dossier.
Fusion GPS said House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes (R-CA), who claimed he recused himself from the panel’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, “unilaterally issued” a subpoena to Fusion GPS’ bank “in violation of his recusal.”
“Although the bank submitted objections, Mr. Nunes — through staff — rejected them. In light of that communication, the bank then informed its customer that the bank was going to timely comply,” Fusion GPS’ lawyers wrote in the complaint.
The firm asked the judge for “a declaratory judgment and injunction” preventing the bank from complying with Nunes’ subpoena, and claimed Nunes’ signature on subpoenas related to the investigation “was another sign of his rogue inquiry.”
Fusion GPS’ lawyers last week accused Nunes and his staff of operating with a “pattern of unprofessional conduct.”
Read the complaint:
h/t The Daily Beast
The only reason I can fathom for Nunes wanting to know the identity of the person or organization who commissioned the dossier is to smear that entity.
Classic diversionary tactic when you can’t argue with the facts in the dossier itself. If anything, this maneuver by Nunes underlines the importance and authenticity of the dossier. I hope the judge sees that Nunes has gone rogue and, for practical purposes, is not a part of the House Committee.
Perhaps an attempt at two-for-one. Find grounds to discredit the source and with the base further give rationale to discount the whole dossier, AND fill out Trump’s current crazy narrative that this was actually a conspiracy with the Dems, Russia and the FBI to… not clear what they were conspiring to do - and why they would conspire to make Trump win the election - but there it is. Projection: Dems Fault!!
The dossier was commissioned by Jeb Bush’s campaign—common knowledge to those with the ability to think ( a group that does not include Nunes) and proof that Nunes is just trying to cause trouble and change the subject now that most of the dossier has been proved correct.
As if there aren’t enough Trump created distractions.
And as if there were a way for Nunes to just end the investigations.
He’s just not that smart, that one. Sort of like a dotard wannabe.
Good point. The only reason to fish for the client´s name would be in order to smear the report by association. The only reason to use that tactic to smear the report is that one couldn´t effectively rebut the content.