Julian Assange will provide evidence clearing Russia of interfering in the US election in return for a pardon, according to a pro-Russia congressman.
Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher has offered a ‘deal’ in which Assange would provide electronic evidence that would clear Russia as the source of the emails published last year by Wikileaks that damaged Hillary Clinton’s presidential run.
In exchange, Rohrabacher was seeking for Assange ‘a pardon or other act of clemency from President Donald Trump,’ according to the Wall Street Journal.
Julian Assange (pictured outside the Embassy of Ecuador in London) will provide evidence clearing Russia of interfering in the US election in return for a pardon, according to a pro-Russia congressman
Rohrabacher visited Assange in London in August and afterwards said he was seeking a meeting with President Donald Trump to discuss his case.
Rohrabacher told The Daily Caller that Assange told him he had proof that Russia was not behind the hacking and leaking of emails from Democratic National Committee officials during the 2016 election.
‘Thus if he comes up with that, you know he’s going to expect something in return. He can’t even leave the embassy to get out to Washington to talk to anybody if he doesn’t have a pardon,’ Rohrabacher told the publication.
But when questioned on Sunday about the possible deal, President Trump said: ‘I’ve never heard that mentioned. Really, I’ve never heard that mentioned.’
Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (pictured) has offered a ‘deal’ in which Assange would provide electronic evidence that would clear Russia as the source of the emails published last year by Wikileaks
The US Justice Department has acknowledged investigating Assange and WikiLeaks for the release of a series of top secret US documents and computer hacking tools as well as the Clinton emails.
No charges have been unveiled. But Washington is widely believed to have asked London to arrest and extradite the Australian if he steps out of his refuge in Ecuador’s embassy in London, where he has lived for five years.
US intelligence officials have blamed Russia for the theft of Clinton campaign communications and documents last year as part of a deliberate effort to hurt her chances as president.
When questioned on Sunday about the possible deal, President Trump said: ‘I’ve never heard that mentioned. Really, I’ve never heard that mentioned’
They allege that WikiLeaks, in publishing the documents, knowingly acted in concert with Russian intelligence, and have branded it a ‘hostile intelligence service.’
WikiLeaks has denied that the source of the material was the Russian government, but stresses it will never divulge the sources of the information in gets.
Rohrabacher confirmed that he spoke to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly but would not say what was discussed.
Rohrabacher told conservative commentator Sean Hannity’s radio show that the assertion that Russia hacked the US election last year was a ‘con job’ to undermine the Trump administration.