In a court filing Thursday, a Russian company indicted early this year referred to a “nude selfie” obtained by special counsel Robert Mueller.
No other details were provided, including the identity of the individual or individuals in the selfie.
“Could the manner in which he [Mueller] collected a nude selfie really threaten the national security of the United States?” asked attorneys for Concord Management and Consulting LLC in the memorandum filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The startling reference was part of Concord’s argument in support of the company’s motion earlier this month to compel access to evidence concerning how confidential information was obtained by Mueller’s team in its case against Concord.
Concord was one of three Russian organizations and 13 Russians indicted in February as part of an alleged plot to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election to promote the candidacy of Republican Donald Trump.
Indictments were filed against the Internet Research Agency, an alleged Russian state-controlled troll farm, as well as against Concord Management and Consulting and Concord Catering, which were accused of funding election interference operations. The 13 people indicted are accused of working with the groups. Concord has pleaded not guilty.
The Thursday filing by Concord argues that Mueller is keeping “millions of pages” of evidence from the defendant. Mueller is seeking instead to have discussions only with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia regarding his investigation’s evidence “because the additional information is classified for reasons of national security,” according to Mueller’s response to Concord’s motion.
Concord’s memorandum calls Mueller’s indictment a “make-believe case” in which the special counsel “now seeks to completely obliterate any remaining rights of Concord to defend itself ... [and] continue to whisper secrets to the Court.”
Prosecutors have contended that Concord is controlled by Evgeny Prigozhin, a businessman close to Russian President Vladimir Putin with key ties to Russia’s military and political establishment.