Dear Mr. Peskov,
Over the past few months, I have been working with a company based in Russia regarding the development of a Trump Tower-Moscow project in Moscow City.
Without getting into lengthy specifics, the communication between our two sides has stalled. As this project is too important, I am hereby requesting your assistance. I respectfully request someone, preferably you; contact me so that I might discuss the specifics as well as arranging meetings with the appropriate individuals. I thank you in advance for your assistance and look forward to hearing from you soon.347
Two days later, Cohen sent an email to Pr_peskova@prpress.gov.ru, repeating his request to speak with Sergei Ivanov.348
Sergei Ivanov (click here) is a former KGB agent and long time politician who served as Vladimir Putin's Chief of Staff until his sudden outsing August 12, 2016. Ivanov is one of several senior Russian officials the USA government sanctioned in 2014 in Russian's invasion into Ukraine.
From AlJazeera:
12 August 2016
Russian President Vladimir Putin (click here) has dismissed his close ally and powerful chief of staff Sergei Ivanov, according to a Kremlin statement.
The move represents the highest-level demotion inside the Kremlin in several years.
"Russian President Vladimir Putin has decreed to relieve Ivanov of his duties as head of the Russian presidential administration," Friday's statement said.
Ivanov, 63, who is also a former defence minister and also served together with Putin in the Soviet-era KGB spy agency, would now take up the post as a special representative for conservation, environmental and transportation issues....
Cohen testified to Congress, and initially told the Office, that he did not recall receiving a response to this email inquiry and that he decided to terminate any further work on the Trump Moscow project as of January 2016. Cohen later admitted that these statements were false. In fact, Cohen had received (and recalled receiving) a response to his inquiry, and he continued to work on and update candidate Trump on the project through as late as June 2016.349
Footnote 345 FS00004 (12/30/15 Text Message, Cohen to Sater (6:17 p.m.)).
Footnote 346 1/11/16 Email, Cohen to pr_peskova@prpress.gof.ru (9: 12 a.m.).
Footnote 347 1/14/16 Email, Cohen to info@prpress.gov.ru (9:21 a.m.).
Footnote 348 1/16/16 Email, Cohen to pr_peskova@prpress.gov.ru (10:28 a.m.).
Footnote 349 Cohen Information, 4, 7. Cohen's interactions with President Trump and the President's lawyers when preparing his congressional testimony are discussed further in Volume II. See Vol. II, Section 11.K.3, infra. Where obstruction is discussed.
On January 20, 2016, Cohen received an email from Elena Poliakova, Peskov's personal assistant. Writing from her personal email account, Poliakova stated that she had been trying to reach Cohen and asked that he call her on the personal number that she provided.350 (I take it that Cohen did not speak Russian,) Shortly after receiving Poliakova's email, Cohen called and spoke to her for 20 minutes.351 Cohen described to Poliakova his position at the Trump Organization and outlined the proposed Trump Moscow project, including information about the Russian counterparty with which the Trump Organization had partnered. Cohen requested assistance in moving the project forward, both in securing land to build the project and with financing. According to Cohen, Poliakova asked detailed questions and took notes, stating that she would need to follow up with others in Russia.352
Cohen could not recall any direct follow-up from Poliakova or from any other representative of the Russian government, nor did the Office identify any evidence of direct follow-up. However, the day after Cohen's call with Poliakova, Sater texted Cohen, asking him to "[c]all me when you have a few minutes to chat .. . It's about Putin they called today."353 Sater then sent a draft invitation for Cohen to visit Moscow to discuss the Trump Moscow project, 354 along with a note to "[t]ell me if the letter is good as amended by me or make whatever changes you want and send it back to me."355 After a further round of edits, on January 25, 2016, Sater sent Cohen an invitation- signed by Andrey Ryabinskiy of the company MHJ-to travel to "Moscow for a working visit" about the "prospects of development and the construction business in Russia," "the various land plots available suited for construction of this enormous Tower," and "the opportunity to co-ordinate a follow up visit to Moscow by Mr. Donald Trump."356 According to Cohen, he elected not to travel at the time because of concerns about the lack of concrete proposals about land plots that could be considered as options for the project.357
Footnote 350 1/20/1 6 Email, Poliakova to Cohen (5 :57 a.m.) ("Mr. Cohen[,] I can't get through to both your phones. Pis, call me.").
Footnote 351 Telephone records show a 20-minute call on January 20, 2016 between Cohen and the number Poliakova provided in her email. Call Records of Michael Cohen Grand Jury After the call, Cohen saved Poliakova's contact information in his Trump Organization Outlook contact list. 1/20/16 Cohen Microsoft Outlook Entry (6:22 a.m.).
Footnote 352 Cohen 9/12/18 302, at 2-3.
Footnote 353 FS000l 1 (1/21/16 Text Messages, Sater to Cohen).
Footnote 354 The invitation purported to be from Genbank, ((The bank (click here)was established as Commercial Bank Genbank LLLC in 1993. The bank joined the deposit insurance system in March 2005. The bank was transformed into Genbank CJSC in March 2013.)) a Russian bank that was, according to Sater, working at the behest of a larger bank, VTB (VTB Bank (public joint-stock company - click here) and would consider providing financing. FS00008 (12/31/ 15 Text Messages, Sater & Cohen). Additional information about Genbank can be found infra. 355 FS000l I (1/21/16 Text Message, Sater to Cohen (7:44 p.m.)); 1/21/16 Email, Sater to Cohen (6:49 p.m.).
Footnote 356 1/25/16 Email, Sater to Cohen (12:01 p.m.) (attachment)
Footnote 357 Cohen 9/12/18 302, at 6-7
I am going to end here and will resume tomorrow. Thank you for your interest.
continued in later entry
