Yahoo News Ex-Republican congressman Dana Rohrabacher denies offering Julian Assange pardon from Donald Trump
A former Rupublican congressman has denied claims he offered a pardon to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange on behalf of US President Donald Trump.
Assange, 48, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, where his barrister said Dana Rohrabacher claimed to be acting "on instructions" from Mr Trump in offering clemency.
In return, the president was said to have wanted Assange to say Russia was not involved in leaking emails during the 2016 US election.
But Mr Rohrabacher, a former California representative, has now rejected these claims.
He said in a statement: "At no time did I talk to President Trump about Julian Assange.
"Likewise, I was not directed by Trump or anyone else connected with him to meet with Julian Assange."
Mr Rohrabacher said he met Assange on a "fact finding mission at personal expense" to uncover information that he thought was "important to our country".
"At no time did I offer a deal made by the President, nor did I say I was representing the President," he added.
Responding to the the lawyer's claims, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham also said: "This is absolutely and completely false."
His comments came after Edward Fitzgerald QC highlighted evidence on Wednesday alleging that Mr Rohrabacher visited Assange while he was still in the Ecuadorian embassy in August 2017.
He said a statement from Assange’s lawyer Jennifer Robinson shows “Mr Rohrabacher going to see Mr Assange and saying, on instructions from the president, he was offering a pardon or some other way out".
This was on the condition "Mr Assange… said Russia had nothing to do with the DNC leaks”, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard.
Assange is wanted in America to face 18 charges, including conspiring to commit computer intrusion, over the publication of US cables a decade ago.
He could face a sentence of up to 175 years in jail if found guilty.
He is accused of working with former US army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to leak hundreds of thousands of classified documents.
The extradition hearing is due to begin at Woolwich Crown Court on Monday, beginning with a week of legal argument.
It will then be adjourned and continue with a three weeks of evidence scheduled to begin on May 18.
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