Special counsel Robert Mueller’s office has asked the FBI to investigate after a woman claimed she was offered about $20,000 to falsely accuse Mueller of sexual misconduct, the Atlantic reports.
The woman, who isn’t named by the Atlantic, claimed she worked as a paralegal at law firm Pillsbury, Madison, and Sutro in 1974, while Mueller worked there. Mueller didn’t behave inappropriately, she has reportedly said. The woman has reportedly told journalists that a man with a British accent, who claimed he worked for conservative radio host and lobbyist Jack Burkman, offered her the money to make the false accusation.
13 days ago I received this tip alleging an attempt to pay off women to make up accusations of sexual misconduct against Special Counsel Bob Mueller. Other reporters received the same email. Now the Special Counsel’s office is telling us they’ve referred the matter to the FBI pic.twitter.com/oqh4Fnel5u
— Yashar Ali ???? (@yashar) October 30, 2018
Speaking to Fast Company, Burkman says the allegations are “nonsense” and said that neither he nor anyone on his staff has spoken to the woman in question.
“I don’t know anyone by [that name] and we never paid anyone,” he says, adding of Mueller, “I guess he’s deflecting attention from this by attacking me.”
Burkman says he’ll appear this Thursday in a press conference with a woman with a credible accusation against Mueller. Last year, he separately claimed to have a client with sexual harassment allegations against a member of U.S. Congress, but the client failed to come forward with details, the Washingtonian reported.
Burkman, who previously promoted conspiracy theories involving the 2016 death of Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich, says he and his staff are currently vetting additional accusations against Mueller.
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