Skilled Says If Trump Pardons Julian Assange It Would Be a ‘Quid Professional Quo’ and a ‘Crime’

“Russia if you listen”

President Donald Trump will apologize to Julian Assange, claims Mark Burns, the man that TIME referred to as Trump’s “top pastor”. And although the rumor has not been confirmed by any news source, the expert is on national security and civil liberties Dr. Marcy Wheeler says that if Trump forgives the Wikileaks founder, it would be a “consideration” and a “crime”.

BREAKING: President Trump will apologize to Julian Assange.

– Pastor Mark Burns (@pastormarkburns) December 14, 2020

Dr. Wheeler is an independent journalist who has written extensively on the Trump-Russia connection. Margaret Sullivan of the Washington Post says she “writes a reputable national security blog” and reports that Wheeler “witnessed a special investigation by Robert Mueller into possible links between President Donald Trump and Russia.”

Responding to Burns’ allegation, Wheeler said, “If so, it is a crime in itself, payment of consideration received prior to Trump’s election,” adding a clear indictment including an apology “the completion of a conspiracy.” “called with Russia. “

It does not matter. Trump has already committed an overt act in this consideration, so there is literally no way to separate an Assange pardon from it. He can forgive Snowden for owning the libraries. But a pardon for Assange will be the completion of a conspiracy with Russia.

– Dr. emptywheel (@emptywheel) December 14, 2020

She has also beaten up both Trump and Trump’s supporters, who are literally praying for Assange to be pardoned.

“So congratulations to Julian Assange who bought your freedom by making Trump president, which has nothing to do with journalism.”

And she went one step further to prove her point:

If the Assange apologists grumble about this, assume Randy Credico lied under oath if you don’t believe me.

– Dr. emptywheel (@emptywheel) December 14, 2020

Assange’s Wikileaks released thousands of hacked DNC emails allegedly provided by Russia ahead of the 2016 elections. He denies they were provided by Russia, but experts, including Special Counsel Robert Mueller, disagree. The publication of the emails should harm Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump become president.

In 2019, the Washington Post, which covered the Mueller investigation, made it clear that Russia is behind the Wikileaks emails:

“The Trump campaign showed interest in WikiLeaks’ publications of hacked material in the summer and fall of 2016,” wrote Mueller’s investigators. The anti-secrecy website [Wikileaks] became the main market for Russia’s stolen material, and Trump campaign staff discussed upcoming leaks and how to capitalize on them, Müller noted.

Then of course there is Trump’s infamous “Russia, if you listen” call for action:

Breathtaking at the time, given what we now know, Trump’s words are a steamy indictment that only definitely proves that Dr. Wheeler’s indictment that Trump pardoning Assange would “constitute a crime in itself, payment of consideration received prior to Trump’s election. ”