Donald Trump’s department of justice is seeking to drop charges against two Russian firms indicted by Robert Mueller, amid concerns they are seeking to exploit the process to obtain sensitive information, it has been reported.
The firms, Concord Management and Concord Consulting, were among 13 Russians and three entities charged by the special prosecutor in February 2018, claiming they tried to subvert the 2016 election and to support the Trump campaign.
“The indictment alleges that the Russian conspirators want to promote discord in the United States and undermine public confidence in democracy,” Rod Rosenstein, then deputy attorney general, told reporters. “We must not allow them to succeed.”
Now, the New York Times has reported prosecutors are looking to drop the charges because they believe the firms are seeking to exploit the process.
Unlike the other firms charged, Concord fought the charges in court, the newspaper said.
It said it used the case to try and obtain confidential information from prosecutors, then mount a campaign of “information warfare”, a senior Justice Department official said.
The case was due to go to trial next month.
But prosecutors have now urged the DoJ to drop the charges to protect national security.
A court filing made on Monday, read: “Concord has been eager and aggressive in using the judicial system to gather information about how the United States detects and prevents foreign election interference.”
