DOJ ‘inadvertently’ hid evidence in case of FBI agent accused of colluding with Russia
(Worthy News) – The Justice Department acknowledged Thursday that it “inadvertently” withheld evidence from defense attorneys representing a former top FBI official who was involved in the Trump-Russia collusion investigation and is now charged with conspiring with Russia to violate U.S. sanctions.
In a letter to Manhattan U.S. District Judge Jennifer Rearden, Justice Department prosecutor Damian Williams said his team mistakenly forgot to turn over four categories of evidence to ex-FBI official Charles McGonigal’s defense team during the discovery process.
Prosecutors say Mr. McGonigal accepted secret payments from Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska in exchange for investigating a rival oligarch, according to court documents. He is also accused of forging signatures to keep those payments secret.
Mr. McGonigal, 54, is the highest-ranking FBI official ever charged with a crime. He has pleaded not guilty to four counts of violating U.S. sanctions, one count of money laundering and two conspiracy counts. [ Source: Washington Times (Read More…) ]