Fusion GPS’s ‘attorney-client privilege’ cover
America, meet Simpson, Fritsch, & Oppo—the country’s newest, if not its most prestigious, law firm. At least that’s what the purveyors of the Russia collusion hoax are now peddling to the judiciary, part of a last-ditch effort to conceal the truth of their actions.
Readers are familiar with Glenn Simpson and Peter Fritsch as the co-founders of Fusion GPS, the opposition-research firm hired by the Hillary Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee (via law firm Perkins Coie) in 2016 to concoct the infamous “dossier” against Donald Trump. A grand jury impaneled by special counsel John Durham indicted Perkins Coie partner Michael Sussmann last year on a false-statement charge related to his effort to feed such dirt to the FBI. Mr. Sussmann pleaded not guilty.
This month Mr. Durham asked a federal judge to compel Fusion, the DNC and the Clinton campaign to hand over documents for the judge to review in chambers. The filing says Fusion GPS is sitting on some 1,455 documents covered by his subpoena. The Clinton campaign and DNC are asserting privilege over communications between Fusion and Rodney Joffe, a tech executive, who the Durham team says used his position to access nonpublic internet data to produce allegations against Mr. Trump.
On what grounds do the parties refuse to produce the documents? In a flurry of filings Tuesday by Fusion GPS, the Clinton campaign, the DNC, Mr. Joffe and Perkins Coie, they explain that—contrary to public record, sworn testimony, news articles, books and the findings of federal investigators—Fusion was retained not to do oppo-research, but to “support” Perkins Coie’s “legal advice” to Democrats, and its documents are therefore covered under attorney-client privilege.
That absurd claim is the only refuge left to the first high-level campaign called out for funneling its political operations through a law firm. For years Democrats and Republicans alike have listed controversial contractors as “legal services” to avoid disclosure, and the practice is now on display given the Clinton campaign’s reckless decision to push the tactic to extremes by wrapping in the FBI and provoking a national crisis. Mr. Durham is performing the dual service of unraveling the Russia hoax and exposing a longtime Washington racket.