NBC FINALLY Discovers Durham, Touts Denials From Clinton & Sussmann

On Thursday, NBC’s Today show finally noticed the bombshell development from Special Counsel John Durham’s investigation that Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign spied on Donald Trump, both as a candidate and as president. However, the Democratic Party shills at the network immediately turned to Hillary Clinton and attorneys for her former campaign aid Michael Sussmann – who has been indicted for lying to the FBI – to try to knock down the explosive story.

“Well, now to a story making big waves in Washington. It’s what amounts to unproven claims that Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign paid to spy on Donald Trump,” co-host Savannah Guthrie announced as she introduced NBC’s first coverage of the major story. She said: “Well, this morning, Clinton’s responding.”

Hallie, a Washington Senior Correspondent immediately attempted to put cold water on this scandal. “We’re talking about a story that has ripped through conservative media, something Donald Trump calls bigger than Watergate. But what’s in this actual court filing we’re talking about does not back up some of the allegations being made.”

Jackson began to tape her portion of the report and incredulously recorded it. “It would be explosive if it were true.This allegation states that an opponent to politics spied for a sitting president. And that’s exactly what former President Donald Trump and his allies are claiming.”

Following a soundbite of Republican Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan declaring, “It was worse than we thought because they were spying on the sitting President of the United States,” Jackson quickly turned to Hillary Clinton for a supposed fact-check: “But Hillary Clinton now slamming the whole thing as ‘a fake scandal to distract from Mr. Trump’s real ones. So it’s a day that ends in Y,’ she tweeted.”

Going through some of the key details of Durham’s recent court filing, Jackson explained:

All this began when John Durham, the Special Counsel dropped a court filing. Remember, Durham’s the guy investigating the origins of the Russia investigation against Mr. Trump. It involves a case against Michael Sussmann (a cybersecurity lawyer) who is linked to the Democratic Party. According to the complaint, Sussmann was provided with data by a technology executive about communication between computers servers in New York that are part of Trump’s New York-based buildings and an unknown health care provider.

This filing stated that the executive had used White House data access to seek out derogatory details about Mr. Trump. Sussmann claimed data revealed Trump associates had used Russian-made cellphones near the White House. This claim was denied by the Special Counsel and Sussmann claims he gave that information to the CIA in 2017. Sources close to this matter say otherwise.

Then she lamented: “Some conservatives seizing on all this as proof someone spied on then-President Trump, blasting what they see as a lack of attention to it.” A clip ran of Republican Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson calling out the left-wing press: “The silence by most of the media is very revealing.”

Jackson quickly dismissed these concerns. “But here’s the thing. That computer data only showed that different servers were communicating, not what they were communicating about, according to experts.” The “expert” she turned to was fellow NBC reporter Tom Winter, who has spent time on MSNBC in recent days trying cast the story aside: “In other words, emails couldn’t have read, text messages couldn’t have been read. They couldn’t have even seen the content that was on the screens.”

Unbelievably, Jackson then turned to Sussmann’s attorneys to offer another absurd and phony fact-check: “The court filing doesn’t say when the data collection ended, and that’s important, because Sussmann’s attorneys say the Special Counsel knows it didn’t happen during the Trump administration, but instead when then-President Obama was in office.”

Reporter: “Also keep in mind the court filing does not allege a crime related to hacking. It also does not say that anybody was illegally spied on.”

Before the nearly three minute segment concluded, Guthrie sought to reiterate the claims from Sussmann’s lawyers – even though they were directly contradicted by Durham: “Just so I understand, so it actually happened during the Obama administration?”Jackson replied: “That’s what Sussmann’s attorneys are saying, yeah.”

Or, NBC was assured by Hillary Clinton as well as the legal team of Michael Sussmann that Hillary Clinton’s and Michael Sussmann had done no wrong. This is so easy.

Citi and Google presented this poor attempt to discredit news that was unflattering to Democrats. This is your chance to fight back.

This is the complete transcript from February 17th’s 2 minutes 55 second report:

7.11 am ET

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE – This story is making huge waves in Washington. It’s what amounts to unproven claims that Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign paid to spy on Donald Trump. Well, this morning, Clinton’s responding. NBC’s senior Washington correspondent Hallie Jackson has the story. Hallie, this is Hallie.

HALLIE JACKSON – Savannah, hello! We’re talking about a story that has ripped through conservative media, something Donald Trump calls bigger than Watergate. But what’s in this actual court filing we’re talking about does not back up some of the allegations being made.

[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Trump vs. Hillary Over Spying Allegations]

If true, it would make headlines. It is claimed that a political rival spied upon a sitting president. And that’s exactly what former President Donald Trump and his allies are claiming.

REP. JIM JORDAN [R-OH]They were spying upon the President of the United States.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN [FOX NEWS ANCHOR]: Hillary Clinton’s campaign paid to spy on Donald Trump.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE [GOP CONGRESSMAN]It reminds me of Watergate.

JACKSON: But Hillary Clinton now slamming the whole thing as “a fake scandal to distract from Mr. Trump’s real ones. So it’s a day that ends in Y,” she tweeted.

So what’s the realty check? All of it began when John Durham, the Special Counsel dropped a court filing. Remember, Durham’s the guy investigating the origins of the Russia investigation against Mr. Trump. It involves a case against Michael Sussmann (a cybersecurity lawyer) who is linked to the Democratic Party. According to the complaint, Sussmann was provided with data by a technology executive about communication between computers servers in New York that are part of Trump’s New York-based buildings and an unknown health care provider.

This filing stated that the executive had used White House data access to seek out derogatory details about Mr. Trump. Sussmann claimed data revealed Trump associates had used Russian-made cellphones near the White House. This claim was denied by the Special Counsel and Sussmann claims he gave that information to the CIA in 2017. Sources close to this matter say otherwise.

Conservatives see all of this as evidence that someone has spied upon then-President Trump and blast what they perceive as lack of attention.

SEN. RON JOHNSON [R-WI]: It is quite revealing that most media outlets are silent.

JACKSON: But here’s the thing. Experts say that the computer data showed only that servers communicated, and not about what.

TOM WINTER: In other words, emails couldn’t have read, text messages couldn’t have been read. They couldn’t have even seen the content that was on the screens.

JACKSON: The court filing doesn’t say when the data collection ended, and that’s important, because Sussmann’s attorneys say the Special Counsel knows it didn’t happen during the Trump administration, but instead when then-President Obama was in office.

Keep in mind that the filing to court does not claim hacking as a crime. The court filing also doesn’t say anyone was illegally spy on. Savannah?

GUTHRIE

JACKSON: That’s what Sussmann’s attorneys are saying, yeah.

GUTHRIE: Okay, alright. Hallie: Thank you so much.