Conservative activist Larry Klayman said he will file a criminal complaint against special counsel Robert Mueller over his handling of Jerome Corsi, a right-wing author and conspiracy theorist who expects to be charged with lying to FBI agents investigating the 2016 presidential race.
The founder of conservative watchdog groups Judicial Watch and Freedom Watch, Mr. Klayman said he intends to lodge a complaint with the Department of Justice accusing Mr. Mueller and his team of investigators of “asking Corsi to lie and commit other criminal violations like witness tampering,” The Hill reported Thursday evening.
Mr. Klayman did not elaborate on the complaint except to cite Mr. Corsi’s recent comments about the case, The Hill reported.
A spokesperson for the special counsel’s office declined to comment, and Mr. Klayman did not immediately return a message seeking additional details.
Mr. Corsi, 72, said last week that he expects to be charged with lying to FBI agents over comments he made during interviews conducted with investigators probing the 2016 race, including specifically his remarks relating to President Trump’s former campaign adviser Roger Stone and WikiLeaks.
Russian state-sponsored hackers sourced internal Democratic emails and documents ultimately published by WikiLeaks, and the special counsel’s office is investigating matters including whether anyone in Mr. Trump’s inner circle had advance knowledge of their release.
Mr. Corsi discussed the pending WikiLeaks releases with Mr. Stone weeks prior to their publication despite previously telling investigators otherwise, according to draft court documents he leaked last week.
Prosecutors subsequently offered Mr. Corsi a proposed plea agreement on one count of perjury, according to the documents, but he disputes willfully lying to investigators and said he would rather die in prison than accept the deal.
Speaking to The Hill, Mr. Klayman said an indictment brought by the special counsel’s office against Mr. Corsi would provide defense lawyers with an opportunity to challenge Mr. Mueller’s authority, the outlet reported.
“I trust that he will be wise enough not to seek an indictment of Jerry Corsi,” Mr. Klayman told The Hill.
Previously known for his role in propagating the baseless “birther” conspiracy theory about former President Barack Obama birth certificate, Mr. Corsi more recently served as D.C. bureau chief for the Infowars website, where Mr. Stone is a frequent contributor.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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