The Great Smoky Mountain Journal

Staff, Wire Reports

Posted: Monday, December 31, 2018 04:29 PM

Former Trump Campaign Member Steve Cortes: The American People Chose President Trump, Not Russia."

Former Trump campaign member Steve Cortes maintained on "Outnumbered" Thursday that there was no collusion between the campaign and Russia.

The panel was weighing in on former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort filing a civil complaint against Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the Justice Department, alleging the Russia probe has gone beyond the scope of the special counsel regulations

"The investigation of Mr. Manafort is completely unmoored from the special counsel's original jurisdiction to investigate ‘any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump,'" the complaint stated.

Manafort and business partner Rick Gates were indicted in October as part of Mueller's probe on a slew of charges, including money laundering.

Earlier today, law professor Jonathan Turley said on "America's Newsroom" that the lawsuit has very little chance of success in federal court.

Cortes said the top levels of the Justice Department and FBI are "totally compromised," claiming that they're on a "witch hunt" against President Trump.

He pointed to Mueller being "totally conflicted" due to a close relationship with former FBI Director James Comey and pointed to his hiring of "partisan" investigators.

Katie Pavlich asked Cortes what he would say if Mueller's investigation results in exoneration for the president.

"Are you gonna regret saying all those things?" she asked.

Cortes, who was a member of the campaign's Hispanic Advisory Council, said he hopes that happens because there simply was no collusion.

"We didn't collude. That's the simple reality. The American people chose President Trump, not Russia."