Radio Host Denies Paying Woman To Make Mueller Allegations

Robert Mueller’s ongoing Russia investigation took a surprising twist on Tuesday as his spokesman, in a rare statement, said the Special Counsel’s office has referred to the FBI allegations that women were offered money to make false claims about him.

Variety reports at the center of this story is a lobbyist named Jack Burkman, who also does a podcast and video show with paid placement on Newsmax. He’s already is known in DC media circles as the man who has promoted a conspiracy theory about the murder of Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich and launched his own investigation.

Jack Burkman

Burkman denied to Variety that he was behind a scheme to pay women money, and said that “neither I nor anybody associated with me paid women to do anything.” “We didn’t pay anyone,” he said.

He has scheduled a press conference on Thursday, when he says a woman will claim that Mueller sexually assaulted her after first meeting in August 2010. He announced the press conference on Twitter, and in a Facebook video in which he said that there will be “more to come.”

Mueller’s office denies the allegations. Peter Carr, spokesman for the office, said, “When we learned last week of allegations that women were offered money to make false claims about the Special Counsel, we immediately referred the matter to the FBI for investigation.”

According to The Atlantic, Mueller’s office was contacted by several journalists who said that they were contacted by a woman who identified herself as Lorraine Parsons, and that she had been offered $20,000 by a man who said he worked for firm called Surefire Intelligence, which had been retained by Burkman, to make allegations of sexual misconduct against Mueller. The Atlantic reported that another woman, Jennifer Taub, contacted Mueller’s office earlier this month with similar information.

Burkman’s show, called “Behind the Curtain” is described as a “weekly journey to pursue the truth and expose the dark secrets of K Street.” It airs on Radio America Network, and Burkman said that it airs in 150 markets.

Chris Ruddy, the CEO of Newsmax, said that he has “no official relationship With Newsmax, he buys paid programming… We do not share his views on this matter.”