lawyer intends to plead guilty after he was charged with falsifying a document as part of a deal with prosecutors conducting their own criminal inquiry of the Russia investigation, according to his lawyer and court documents made public on Friday. The lawyer, Kevin Clinesmith, 38, who was assigned to the Russia investigation, plans to admit that he altered an email from the C.I.A. that investigators relied on to seek renewed court permission in 2017 for a secret wiretap on the former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. Mr. Clinesmith’s lawyer said he had made a mistake while trying to clarify facts for a colleague. Mr. Clinesmith had written texts expressing opposition to President Trump, who immediately promoted the plea agreement as proof that the Russia investigation was illegitimate and politically motivated.

Source: New York Times August 15, 2020 16:07 UTC