Sussmann, who worked for Clinton, acquitted of lying to FBI in 2016
"Politics were not a factor," the jury forewoman said after a courtroom defeat for special counsel John Durham, appointed three years ago by then-Attorney General William Barr.
A federal jury delivered a major setback to special counsel John Durham on Tuesday, acquitting well-connected lawyer Michael Sussmann on a charge that he lied to the FBI in 2016 while acting on behalf of the Hillary Clinton campaign a trial that sought to revive old controversies about the FBI's role in that election.
The verdict, coming after less than a full day of deliberations spread over parts of Friday and Tuesday, was not a close call or a hard decision, two jurors told The Washington Post.
"Politics were not a factor," the jury forewoman said. "We felt really comfortable being able to share what we thought. We had concise notes and we were able to address the questions together," she said, declining to give her name as she left the courthouse.
"Personally, I don't think it should have been prosecuted," she added, saying the government "could have spent our time more wisely." A second juror told The Post that in the jury room, "everyone pretty much saw it the same way."
"Politics were not a factor," the jury forewoman said after a courtroom defeat for special counsel John Durham, appointed three years ago by then-Attorney General William Barr.
A federal jury delivered a major setback to special counsel John Durham on Tuesday, acquitting well-connected lawyer Michael Sussmann on a charge that he lied to the FBI in 2016 while acting on behalf of the Hillary Clinton campaign a trial that sought to revive old controversies about the FBI's role in that election.
The verdict, coming after less than a full day of deliberations spread over parts of Friday and Tuesday, was not a close call or a hard decision, two jurors told The Washington Post.
"Politics were not a factor," the jury forewoman said. "We felt really comfortable being able to share what we thought. We had concise notes and we were able to address the questions together," she said, declining to give her name as she left the courthouse.
"Personally, I don't think it should have been prosecuted," she added, saying the government "could have spent our time more wisely." A second juror told The Post that in the jury room, "everyone pretty much saw it the same way."