Ex-aide Sam Nunberg won’t comply with subpoena, says Trump ‘may have done something’

Ex-aide Sam Nunberg won’t comply with subpoena, says Trump ‘may have done something’

by Dartunorro Clark
Mar 5 2018, 4:35 pm ET

Sam Nunberg, a former Donald Trump campaign aide, plans to defy a subpoena from special counsel Robert Mueller requesting campaign documents related to the Russia investigation, saying Monday that it would be "really funny" if he were arrested.

"The president's right, it's a witch hunt," Nunberg told MSNBC's Katy's Tur.

"I'm not going to cooperate when they want me to come into a grand jury for them to insinuate that (former Trump adviser) Roger Stone was colluding with (Wikileaks founder) Julian Assange," he added.

Nunberg's refusal comes after the grand jury investigating alleged collusion between Russia and Trump's presidential campaign sent him a subpoena seeking documents involving Trump and a host of his closest advisers.

According to the subpoena, which was sent to Nunberg by Mueller, investigators want emails, text messages, work papers, telephone logs and other documents going back to Nov. 1, 2015, nearly five months after Trump launched his campaign.

Nunberg, who has already been interviewed by Mueller's office, called the idea that Trump or his campaign colluded with Russia "the biggest joke," but did suggest that Mueller may have something on the president.

"I think they may," said Nunberg, who served briefly as a campaign adviser. "I think that he (Trump) may have done something during the election. But I don't know that for sure."

Nunberg also said Mueller's investigators have asked him a wide range of questions, including if he heard anyone speaking Russian in Trump's office, the meeting between Donald Trump Jr., Paul Manafort, Jared Kushner and a Russian lawyer in Trump Tower in June 2016, and why Trump took favorable positions toward Moscow during the campaign.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders blasted Nunberg on Monday and refuted any suggestion that the campaign colluded with Russia.

"I definitely think he doesn't know that for sure, because he’s incorrect," she said. "He hasn't worked at the White House, so I can't speak to him or the lack of knowledge he clearly has. As we've said many times before, there's been no collusion."

Anyone subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury has the right to refuse to answer questions to avoid self-incrimination. The government can grant immunity to get the witness to testify, but the witness can no longer refuse to answer questions and cannot be prosecuted for information that the witness provides.

A witness can also ask a judge to quash the subpoena on the grounds that compliance would be "unreasonable or oppressive," but that it is seldom granted.

Witnesses who simply refuse to appear before the grand jury or who won't answer questions, without asserting their Fifth Amendment rights, can be held in contempt of court and put in jail until they agree to answer or until the term of the grand jury expires, whichever comes first.

Nunberg said he was not fearful of what Mueller may think of his refusal to cooperate or the possibility of being arrested.

"I think it would be really, really funny if they wanted to arrest me," he said. "Let them think what they want. It's absolutely ridiculous what they want from me."

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/pol...y-have-n853771

That's what everyone should do at this point. JUST SAY NO!! I've honestly never heard of grand juries or prosecutors trying to coerce witnesses into these time-consuming and costly exercises of turning over their private information with no probable cause and no crime, especially related to First Amendment Rights to free speech, free assembly, free association, etc., etc., etc.

Republicans in Congress really need to look hard at the harassment and abuse of innocent people that's going on in this fishing expedition to try to wage a Witch Hunt against a President of the United States for political purposes to remove him from office. It's shocking, it really is.

I just heard on CNN, that Nunberg says from the questions Mueller was asking him, Special Counsel thinks Trump is the "Manchurian Candidate". LOL!! No Mueller, Trump replaced your Manchurian Candidate.

Can you refuse to testify if subpoenaed?


A subpoena duces tecum requires you to produce documents or tangible evidence. Since a subpoena is a court order, refusal to comply can result in contempt of court charge, punishable by jail, a fine, or both. ...

Been Subpoenaed? What Can Happen if You Refuse to Testify ...

===============================================

Can you be forced to testify as a witness?


If a witness will not voluntarily come to court, then that person can be subpoenaed. In Latin, subpoena means "under penalty". A subpoena is a court order that gives a person a legal obligation to appear and testify in court.

Can I be Forced to Testify as a Witness? - LexTalk

https://www.lextalk.com/b/lextalk_blog/.../can-i-be-forced-to-testify-as-a-witness.aspx

They have subpoenaed his communications, not just him. I don't think he has any problem at all talking to the grand jury, he doesn't want to have to gather up all these communications they've included in the subpoena. I'm not sure they're even entitled under the law to see what they've asked for.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Judy

That's what everyone should do at this point. JUST SAY NO!! I've honestly never heard of grand juries or prosecutors trying to coerce witnesses into these time-consuming and costly exercises of turning over their private information with no probable cause and no crime, especially related to First Amendment Rights to free speech, free assembly, free association, etc., etc., etc.

Republicans in Congress really need to look hard at the harassment and abuse of innocent people that's going on in this fishing expedition to try to wage a Witch Hunt against a President of the United States for political purposes to remove him from office. It's shocking, it really is.

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Rick Gates Pleads Guilty And Begins Cooperating With Mueller's Russia Investigation


Ex-general pleads guilty to lying to FBI in Russia investigation

Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty Friday to a single count of making false statements to the FBI, becoming the latest Trump associate ensnared by Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.

Michael Flynn pleads guilty to false-statements charge in Russia probe


@ Flynn admits that Trump transition officials directed his contacts with Russians

All malicious Witch Hunt prosecutions. A national disgrace. But you enjoy it while it lasts, JD2.

Trump-Russia: Former aide Nunberg wavers over defying Mueller inquiry

• 7 hours ago

https://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/660/...45355627-1.jpgImage copyrightEPAImage captionSam Nunberg worked on the Trump campaign in 2015 until he was fired in August that year
A former Trump aide has stunned Washington with an extraordinary round of media interviews in response to a subpoena from the inquiry looking into alleged Russian election meddling.

Sam Nunberg, who helped launch Donald Trump's presidential campaign, said at first he would not comply with special counsel Robert Mueller's demand.
He called the probe a "witch hunt" and dared Mr Mueller to arrest him.

But he later told the Associated Press he would probably end up complying.

• All you need to know about Trump Russia story
• What does the special counsel do?

Mr Nunberg, who lost his job in 2015, complained in a series of interviews about being asked to share his email conversations with a long list of ex-campaign aides.

"I think it would be really, really funny if they wanted to arrest me because I don't want to spend 80 hours going over emails," he told MSNBC.

While he thought investigators believed they had something on Mr Trump, he argued that the subpoena was unfair and added he would like Robert Mueller's team to narrow its scope of inquiry.

Mr Mueller is investigating whether there were any links between the Trump campaign and Russia, or any effort by the White House to obstruct justice.

https://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/624/...s-81708297.jpgImage copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionSpecial Counsel Robert Mueller is leading the investigation that hangs over the Trump presidencyWhite House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders would not be drawn on Mr Nunberg's remarks, saying: "I'm not going to weigh in on somebody that doesn't work at the White House."
https://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/624/...line464-nc.jpg

Airing grievances or spilling secrets?

Analysis by Anthony Zurcher, BBC Washington
Refusing to comply with a grand jury summons could result in contempt of court and obstruction of justice charges - and, eventually, a prison sentence. It's a steep price to pay to make a point about the scope of Robert Mueller's inquiry.

If Sam Nunberg wants to know how bad it could get, he might familiarise himself with the story of Susan McDougal, who served 18 months in jail for refusing to co-operate with independent counsel Ken Starr's investigation into then-President Bill Clinton's Arkansas real estate deals.

Throughout Monday he soaked up the media spotlight and aired grievances against old campaign colleagues.

If Mr Nunberg can be believed, his comments shed light on the direction of Mr Mueller's investigation and its apparently wide-ranging questions.

In other words, Mr Mueller's investigation is digging deep - and probably won't be wrapping up anytime soon.

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cp...line464-nc.jpgWho is Nunberg?

Sam Nunberg worked on the Trump campaign in 2015 until he was fired in August that year over racially charged Facebook posts.

He was later sued by Mr Trump for $10m (£7.2m) for breach of confidentiality.

The lawsuit was "amicably settled" out of court, a lawyer for the Trump Organization said at the time.

Mr Nunberg told CNN on Monday: "I'm not a Donald Trump fan. He treated me like crap."

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cp...66_nunberg.jpgImage copyrightSAM NUNBERGImage caption"I'm not co-operating. Arrest me," Mr Nunberg said on live television on Monday'

Arrest me'

During the volley of interviews with US media, Mr Nunberg said he had met Mr Mueller's team for five-and-a-half hours over the weekend.

He said he had had enough of the investigators' "pretty ridiculous" questions.

Mr Nunberg told CNN they had asked him if he had ever heard Russian spoken around Trump Tower.

"I'm not co-operating. Arrest me," Mr Nunberg said on live television. "You want to arrest me? Arrest me."

He said he would not appear before a grand jury to testify on Friday.

Mr Nunberg rejected any suggestion he himself had colluded with Russians to help Mr Trump win the 2016 presidential election.

'They suspect something'

At times during the interviews, Mr Nunberg appeared to contradict himself - suggesting Mr Trump may have "done something", while insisting the president was innocent.

"I suspect that they suspect something about him [Mr Trump]," he told CNN, referring to Mr Mueller's investigators.

Mr Nunberg added: "Trump may very well have done something during the election with the Russians. If he did that, I don't know."

"Mueller thinks that Trump is the Manchurian candidate, and I will tell you I disagree with that," Mr Nunberg told CNN, referring to a 1959 novel about a US politician brainwashed into becoming a pawn of foreign conspirators.

But Mr Nunberg also told CNN's Jake Tapper: "Donald Trump did not collude with the Russians!

"It's the biggest joke to ever think Donald Trump colluded with the Russians."

• The tactics of a Russian troll farm

Trump and Moscow women

Mr Nunberg said he had been told by former Trump bodyguard Keith Schiller that a Kremlin-connected Russian "had offered to send women up to Trump's room" at a Moscow hotel during the 2013 Miss Universe beauty pageant.

But he said Mr Trump "didn't want it".
"Trump is too smart to have women come up to his room," Mr Nunberg said.

Unsubstantiated allegations linking Mr Trump to Russian prostitutes surfaced in a research file that was part of an attempt to dig up dirt on the then-Republican candidate during the 2016 election.

The dossier was compiled by an ex-British spy, Christopher Steele, through a Washington DC research firm that was hired by a conservative website and later by the Clinton campaign.

'He knew' about Trump Tower meeting

Mr Nunberg said Mr Trump was aware at the time of a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower when a group of Russians offered his campaign staff damaging information about Hillary Clinton.

"You know he knew about it," Mr Nunberg told CNN.
"He was talking about it a week before. I don't know why he went around trying to hide it."

The White House has repeatedly denied Mr Trump knew anything about that meeting.

The Trump Tower encounter appears to have become a focus of the Mueller investigation.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/06/polit...act/index.html

There Appear to Be 4 Explanations for Sam Nunberg's Meltdown

Sam Nunberg now says he's going to cooperate with Mueller investigation