Changes

In January 2017 Assange's legal team approached [[Adam Waldman]] to see if the new [[Trump administration]] would negotiate with the WikiLeaks founder, holed up in Ecuador's London embassy. They hoped Waldman, a former Clinton Justice Department official, might navigate the U.S. law enforcement bureaucracy and find the right people to engage. Waldman met three times with Assange during January and February 2017 in London. Russian oligarch [[Oleg Deripaska]], whom Waldman represents, visited Assange nine times over 2017.

In January 2017 Assange's legal team approached [[Adam Waldman]] to see if the new [[Trump administration]] would negotiate with the WikiLeaks founder, holed up in Ecuador's London embassy. They hoped Waldman, a former Clinton Justice Department official, might navigate the U.S. law enforcement bureaucracy and find the right people to engage. Waldman met three times with Assange during January and February 2017 in London. Russian oligarch [[Oleg Deripaska]], whom Waldman represents, visited Assange nine times over 2017.

Waldman contacted Associate Deputy Attorney General [[Bruce Ohr]]. They met in [[Washington DC]] on February 3, 3017. Within 24 hours of the Ohr meeting, Waldman contacted Deputy Assistant Attorney General in charge of [[counterintelligence]] [[David Laufman]] of the National Security Division.

Waldman contacted Associate Deputy Attorney General [[Bruce Ohr]] on behalf of Assange. They met in [[Washington DC]] on February 3, 3017. Within 24 hours of the Ohr meeting, Waldman contacted Deputy Assistant Attorney General in charge of [[counterintelligence]] [[David Laufman]] of the National Security Division.

Assange made clear through that he would never compromise his sources, or stop publishing information, but was willing to consider concessions, like redactions or "risk mitigation."<ref> https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/394049-coming-up-tuesdays-rising-how-the-doj-almost-offered-an-immunity-deal-to-julian</ref> This was viewed as a positive sign by the US [[intelligence community]], if not as a means of neutralizing or stopping WikiLeaks, but at least controlling it.

Assange made clear that he would never compromise his sources, or stop publishing information, but was willing to consider concessions, like redactions or "risk mitigation."<ref> https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/394049-coming-up-tuesdays-rising-how-the-doj-almost-offered-an-immunity-deal-to-julian</ref> This was viewed as a positive sign by the US [[intelligence community]], if not as a means of neutralizing or stopping WikiLeaks, but at least controlling it.

A few days after the negotiations opened in mid-February, Waldman reached out to Democratic Sen. [[Mark Warner]]; Waldman wanted to see if the Senate Intelligence Committee wanted any contact with Assange. Assange was offering to prove that Russia was not WikiLeaks’ source of the DNC emails.  

A few days after the negotiations opened in mid-February, Waldman reached out to Democratic Sen. [[Mark Warner]]; Waldman wanted to see if the Senate Intelligence Committee wanted any contact with Assange. Assange was offering to prove that Russia was not WikiLeaks’ source of the DNC emails.