In connection with the preparation of a controversial dossier on former US President Donald Trump’s Russia affair in 2016, one of the key figures, the Russian analyst Igor Danchenko, has been acquitted of allegations of false testimony. Danchenko, who lives in the US, is believed to be the main source for the dossier commissioned by Democrats during the 2016 presidential campaign and compiled by British ex-spy Christopher Steele. The so-called Steele dossier contained a slew of unverified claims and became public before it was completed. A special investigator appointed by Trump in the case, John Durham, had accused Danchenko of repeatedly lying to the FBI in the course of the investigation into the Steele dossier.
In the politically charged trial, a US court acquitted Danchenko on Tuesday of making false statements, as US media reported unanimously from the courtroom in Alexandria. The verdict is seen as a defeat for Trump and his special counsel. The first of these cases also ended with the acquittal of the accused. Durham is expected to submit a final report to the Justice Department later this year.