Posted on 10/24/2017 9:17:49 AM PDT by Mr. Mojo
The opposition research firm behind the Trump dossier says that a House Intelligence Committee subpoena seeking its bank records has a good chance of “ruining” its business, as well as of putting its clients’ safety at risk.
The firm, Fusion GPS, also argued in a late-night court filing that the subpoena, issued earlier this month for TD Bank, will have a “chilling” effect on the First Amendment and privacy rights of it and its clients.
“In short, compliance with this subpoena will not only harm Plaintiff’s business, it has a high likelihood of ruining it,” reads one of the arguments presented by Fusion GPS in court papers filed in federal court in Washington, D.C.
Fusion’s argument is part of a mad dash effort to prevent the House committee from finding out who hired the firm to investigate Trump. That question has remained a closely-held secret ever since the dossier, written by former British spy Christopher Steele, was published by BuzzFeed in January.
Fusion has refused to identify its clients in response to numerous lawsuits filed against the firm as well as against BuzzFeed and Steele. Fusion founder Glenn Simpson also refused to identify clients during an Aug. 22 interview with the Senate Judiciary Committee.
According to various news reports, Fusion was first hired in September 2015 by a Republican “Never Trumper” to investigate the real estate mogul. By the following June, a Hillary Clinton ally had hired Fusion to continue the Trump project. That’s when Steele, a former MI6 agent, was hired to investigate Trump’s activities in Russia.
Fusion’s fight to stave off the release of bank records began last week, after two of Fusion’s partners, Thomas Catan and Peter Fritsch, invoked their Fifth Amendment privileges during depositions with the House committee.
On Friday, lawyers for Fusion and the House committee held a phone conference with U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan in which the opposition research firm argued that TD Bank should be blocked from complying from the subpoena, which was issued on Oct. 4.
Fusion said last week that it was not aware of the subpoena until Oct. 13.
TD Bank informed Fusion that it had compiled the firm’s bank records and was ready to comply with the subpoena by the Oct. 23 deadline. But Fusion was able to convince Chutkan to delay the subpoena by two days in order to hear arguments in favor of blocking the subpoena. Chutkan, an Obama appointee, is expected to make a decision in the case by Wednesday.
In its request for an injunction, Fusion says that if the subpoena is approved, its bank records will reveal thousands of transactions as well as the identities of 25 of its clients and 30 of its contractors. Doing so will not only hurt Fusion’s business but it will put its clients not related to the dossier project at risk of hacking attempts and physical threats, the firm says.
“The breadth of the subpoena will cause harm to the businesses of Fusion’s clients and contractors and also subject those clients and contractors to harassment, fear of cyberattacks and hacking attempts, and, in some instances, danger to their physical safety,” Fusion’s argument reads.
To support its claim, Fusion included anonymous declarations from nine of its clients, none of who were involved in the dossier, asserting that they did not want their identities revealed by the release of the bank records.
“It is possible that revelation of my association with Fusion GPS could lead to my safety being placed in jeopardy,” declared one Fusion client, who also expressed concern that their company “will become the subject of media attention and politicized scrutiny.”
Sunlight is the best disinfectant.
Well, their bull**** Trump “dossier” could have ruined the NATION and endangered AMERICANS so ask me if I give a ****.
If it was paid for originally by a Republican never-Trumper, my money is on Jeb!, McCain, or Sasse. All culprits devoted to maintaining the status quo. Since McCain admitted to delivering the document to the FBI, my money is on him. It also might explain why McCain has gone into virulent overdrive recently.
the FBI paid them
The subpoena would have been unnecessary if Fusion had simply identified the client(s) who paid for the infamous "Russian dossier" report in the first place. By pleading the Fifth Amendment, its top executives gave an investigative body every reason to go about getting the information through other means.
This whole case has effectively painted the Trump opposition into a corner. They can't have it both ways. If you're going to use a Federal investigation to try to take down your opponent, then you can't hide behind the Fifth Amendment and confidentiality concerns when the investigation goes in directions you never anticipated.
And for that type of reason, the liberal judge will squash this, I’m afraid.
If this thing ever starts to unravel, it will be eye-popping in depth and magnitude.
You can be certain some Uniparty stooge and/or Soros is behind it. Or at least I would believe so.
Was it the CIA that engaged Fusion? or Obama Occupy aMeriKa program.
People like Manafort and Flynn may be shielded from any legal trouble by these legal maneuverings. They would certainly have the right to any information in these bank records that could be used in their defense if they were ever charged with a crime.
It’s not like people don’t know what they do................
Too bad, you should have thought about that before you did it
He was a Furniture Salesman.
Said so on his card...................
It will be denied - then appealed and we will get the subpoena served OR the people will be identified to avoid revealing all the subpoena-ed information.
Even if the particular clients who paid for the dossier are given up, there is still likely to be a subpoena for the bank records later...
he he he it’s coming.....
How about Romney and his collusion with that Egg McMuffin guy?
Cannot wait to see John McCain’s name in the dossier case.
That’s rich, coming from an opposition research firm, whose business it is to ruin other people.
oh yeah, I was thinking of hiring Crowdstrike and Fusion but this might change my mind.. bwahahahaha..
Not a legal basis to deny the records.
Congress will get them.
You dont have to be charged with a crime to be financially ruined
Do you think the consulting business is booming for Manafort and Flynn? Enough to cover their legal fees?
Waiting for the FBI to break down the doors of the Fusion GPS chief executives...
[Furniture Salesman]
There ya go!
NOW we have the Mystery of Al Capone’s Vaults!
Somebody tell Geraldo!
Oh, it’s the BUSH family that first hired them.
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