Saturday, July 13, 2019

Continued from previous entry

From January 2014 through November 2014, the Trump Organization and Crocus Group discussed development plans for the Moscow project. Some time before January 24, 2014, the Crocus Group sent the Trump Organization a proposal for a 800-unit, 194-meter building (over 636 feet tall, if every story is 20 feet that is a building over 31 stories high. Trump Tower in New York City is 664 feet tall) to be constructed at an Agalarov-owned site in Moscow called "Crocus City," which had also been the site of the Miss Universe pageant.297 In February 2014, Ivanka Trump met with Emin Agalarov and toured the Crocus City site during a visit to Moscow.298 From March 2014 through July 2014, the groups discussed "design standards" and other architectural elements.299 For example, in July 2014, members of the Trump Organization sent Crocus Group counterparties questions about the "demographics of these prospective buyers" in the Crocus City area, the development of neighboring parcels in Crocus City, and concepts for redesigning portions of the building.300 In August 2014, the Trump Organization requested specifications for a competing Marriott-branded tower being built in Crocus City.301

Beginning in September 2014, the Trump Organization stopped responding in a timely fashion to correspondence and proposals from the Crocus Group.302 Communications between the two groups continued through November 2014 with decreasing frequency; what appears to be the last communication is dated November 24, 2014.303 The project appears not to have developed past the planning stage, and no construction occurred.

So, the 2013-14 project was ended for the most part. It would start up again in 2015.

Footnote 294 Grand Jury
Footnote 295 OSC-KA V _00452 (12/23/13 Email, Trmnp Jr. to Kaveladze & E. Agalarov).
Footnote 296 See, e.g., OSC-KAV _011 58 (Letter agreement signed by Trump Jr. & E. Agalarov); OSCKAV _01147 (1/20/14 Email, Kaveladze to Trump Jr. et al.).
Footnote 297 See, e.g., OSC-KA V _00972 (10/14/ 14 Email, McGee to Khoo et al.) (email from Crocus Group contractor about specifications); OSC-KA V _00540 (1/24/14 Email, McGee to Trump Jr. et al.).
Footnote 298 See OSC-KA V 00631 (2/5/14 Email, E. A~alarov to Ivanka Tn~ump Jr. & Kaveladze ); Goldstone Facebook post, 2/4/14 (8:01 a.m.) Investigative Technique
Footnote 299 See, e.g., OSC-KAV_00791 (6/3/14 Email, Kaveladze to Trump Jr. et al.; OSC-KAV_00799 (6/10/14 Email, Trump Jr. to Kaveladze et al.); OSC-KA V _0081 7 (6/16/14 Email, Trump Jr. to Kaveladze et al.).
Footnote 300 OSC-KAV 00870 (7/17/14 Email, Khoo to McGee et al.).
Footnote 301 OSC-KA V _00855 (8/4/14 Email, Khoo to McGee et al.). 
Footnote 302 OSC-KA V _ 00903 (9/29/14 Email, Tropea to McGee & Kaveladze (noting last response was on August 26, 2014)); OSC-KAV _00906 (9/29/14 Email, Kaveladze to Tropea & McGee (suggesting silence "proves my fear that those guys are bailing out of the project")); OSC-KA V _00972 (10/14/14 Email, McGee to Khoo et al.) (email from Crocus Group contractor about development specifications)). 
Footnote 303 OSC-KA V _ 01140 ( 11/24/14 Email, Khoo to McGee et al.).

b. Communications with I.C. Expert Investment Company and Giorgi Rtskhiladze (Summer and Fall 2015)

I can't find a reference online IC Expert Investment as an official website. Giorgi Rtskhiladze is the Russian with lawyers that were arguing about a footnote to the Special Counsel report. (click here) The footnote 112 was at issue according to the article.

Giorgi Rtskhiladze made a testimony to Congress. The picture on right.

Footnote 112 - Volume I - A spearphishing email is designed to appear as though it originates from a trusted source, and solicits information to enable the sender to gain access to an account or network, or causes the recipient to download malware that enables the sender to gain access to an account or network. Netyksho Indictment ~ 10.

Unless that is Volume II

Footnote 112 - Volume II - Comey 1/7/17 Memorandum, at 1-2; Comey 11/15/17 302, at 3. Comey’s briefing included the Steele reporting’s unverified allegation that the Russians had compromising tapes of the President involving conduct when he was a private citizen during a 2013 trip to Moscow for the Miss Universe Pageant. During the 2016 presidential campaign, a similar claim may have reached candidate Trump. 

On October 30, 2016, Michael Cohen received a text from Russian businessman Giorgi Rtskhiladze that said, “Stopped flow of tapes from Russia but not sure if there’s anything else. Just so you know . . . .” 10/30/16 Text Message, Rtskhiladze to Cohen. Rtskhiladze said “tapes” referred to compromising tapes of Trump rumored to be held by persons associated with the Russian real estate conglomerate Crocus Group, which had helped host the 2013 Miss Universe Pageant in Russia. Rtskhiladze 4/4/18 302, at 12. Cohen said he spoke to Trump about the issue after receiving the texts from Rtskhiladze. Cohen 9/12/18 302, at 13. Rtskhiladze said he was told the tapes were fake, but he did not communicate that to Cohen. Rtskhiladze 5/10/18 302, at 7.

There are several dates in that footnote. Below is from the article.

...In his texts, Rtskhiladze tells Cohen: “Stopped flow of some tapes from Russia.” But in the footnote, Mueller dropped “some” from the text, which is a “crucial” word because “it establishes the fact that Mr. Rtskhiladze had no knowledge of the tapes’ content,” according to the letter to Barr. Mueller didn’t disclose the rest of the text exchange, which shows Rtskhiladze didn’t have direct knowledge of the rumor involving the tapes, the letter says...

That is a lot of baloney. The word "some" in the text does not refer to the subject of the tape, so much as it refers to a number of tapes. In other words, there is more than one or two tapes and some of them were stopped. I think the letter is to CYA the Rtskhiladze so he can state something to Putin.

What is important is that Rtskhiladze knew of tapes about Trump during his time in Moscow for the Miss Universe pageant. This is the pee tape. 

In the late summer of 2015, the Trump Organization received a new inquiry about pursuing a Trump Tower project in Moscow. In approximately September 2015, Felix Sater, a New York based real estate advisor, contacted Michael Cohen, then-executive vice president of the Trump Organization and special counsel to Donald J. Trump.304 Sater had previously worked with the Trump Organization and advised it on a number of domestic and international projects. Sater had explored the possibility of a Trump Tower project in Moscow while working with the Trump Organization and therefore knew of the organization's general interest in completing a deal there. 305 Sater had also served as an informal agent of the Trump Organization in Moscow previously and had accompanied lvanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. to Moscow in the mid-2000s.306


March 4, 2019
By Dareh Gregorian

A TV producer is suing Felix Sater, (click here) a former business associate of President Donald Trump, for more than $1 million, alleging he hacked into her computers while staying at her home.

Sater, a convicted felon who served as an FBI informant into the world of Russian organized crime and was involved in an effort to secure a Trump Tower in Moscow, is a former childhood friend of Stella Bulochnikov Stolper, according to Stolper's lawsuit in Brooklyn federal court....


December 4, 2017
By Scot Stedman

Andrey Rozov, right, the Chairman of IC Expert


In the lead (click here) up to Donald Trump’s announcement of his presidential bid in Spring 2015, the Russian Government granted amnesty to Andrey Rozov, the Chairman of IC Expert, who four months later would sign a Letter of Intent (LOI) to build Trump Tower in Moscow City. Rozov was accused of negligent homicide in the death of a 19-year-old man....

...The intervention of the Russian government in a case where the defendant was facing years in prison raises new questions about the extent of Putin’s involvement in the proposed Trump Tower Moscow deal. Previously, Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen suggested that he emailed Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov in order to seek the Russian government’s help to move the project along....

...Last week it was discovered that in November of 2015 Russia’s largest state-owned bank, Sberbank, approved a loan to IC Expert just three weeks after signing an LOI with Trump Organization for a luxury hi-rise tower in Moscow City....

Interesting. A dead man. And lots of money transferring to the killer's investment company so that it can, in turn, go to Trump who was campaigning for President.

Sater contacted Cohen on behalf of I.C. Expert Investment Company (click here) (LC. Expert), a Russian real-estate development corporation controlled by Andrei Vladimirovich Rozov. 307 Sater had known Rozov since approximately 2007 and, in 2014, had served as an agent on behalf of Rozov during Rozov's purchase of a building in New York City.308 Sater later contacted Rozov and proposed that I.C. Expert pursue a Trump Tower Moscow project in which l.C. Expert would license the name and brand from the Trump Organization but construct the building on its own. Sater worked on the deal with Rozov and another.employee of l.C. Expert. 309

Cohen was the only Trump Organization representative to negotiate directly with l.C. Expert or its agents. In approximately September 2015, Cohen obtained approval to negotiate with I.C. Expert from candidate Trump, who was then president of the Trump Organization. Cohen provided updates directly to Trump about the project throughout 2015 and into 2016, assuring him the project was continuing. 310 Cohen also discussed the Trump Moscow project with Ivanka Trump as to design elements (such as possible architects to use for the project 311) and Donald J. Trump Jr. (about his experience in Moscow and possible involvement in the project 312 ) during the fall of 2015....

The USA must back it's allies in all respects. Why was Trump and his company were violating sanctions while his candidacy for president was ongoing. There was a transfer of money.

Donald J. Trump and his company, including his family, is the very nightmare many Americans believe he is. There is proof. He can't earn respect with such overt friendliness and favor to Russia with any of our allies. He is a sincere problem that must be addressed by Congress.

Russian and Ukraine Sanctions State Department (click here)

Archived Russian and Ukraine Sanctions State Department from 2000 - 2017 (click here)

Russian and Ukraine Sanctions Treasury Department (click here)

"EU Extends Economic Sanctions on Russia until 2020 (click here)

June 21, 2019

European Union leaders agreed on Thursday to prolong until the end of January 2020 economic sanctions against Russia over the turmoil in Ukraine, a spokesman for the bloc said.

The EU first slapped sanctions on Russia after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014 and supported rebels fighting Kiev troops in the east of the country. That conflict, which killed 13,000 people, is still simmering.

"Russia sanctions unanimously extended for another six months because of a lack of Minsk Agreements implementation," said the spokesman, Preben Aman, referring to a stalled peace accord for east Ukraine.

The downing in east Ukraine in July 2014 of a Malaysian passenger plane led to a toughening of the EU's response to the crisis. All 298 people aboard, many of them Dutch, perished....

The excuse Trump and his lawyers use to justify violations of sanctions is a pursuit of world peace. That is such nonsense.

September 8, 2017
By Natasha Bertrand

A letter of intent forwarded by Russian-born businessman Felix Sater to the Trump Organization's lawyer at the time, Michael Cohen, outlines the terms of a licensing agreement to purchase property to build a "Trump World Tower Moscow."

Sater sent the letter of intent — dated October 13, 2015, and signed by a Russian investor named Andrey Rozov — to Cohen for then-candidate Donald Trump's signature.

Sater included a personal note along with the letter, which was shared on Twitter by the New York Times' Maggie Haberman.

"Dear Michael, Attached is the signed LOI (Letter of Intent) by Andrey Rozov. Please have Mr. Trump counter-sign, signed and sent back," Sater wrote. "Lets make this happen and build a Trump Moscow. And possibly fix relations between the countries by showing everyone that commerce & business are much better and more practical than politics. That should be Putins message as well, and we will help him agree on that message. Help world peace and make a lot of money, I would say thats a great lifetime goal for us to go after. Sincerely, Felix Sater."...

That is called a conspiracy with a foreign and hostile power.

There is far too much appeasement by the US Senate with this president. This is not politics. This is a US Senate in betrayal of the country to maintain the power that will corrupt and negate the democracy of the USA.


Footnote 304  Sater provided information to our Office in two 2017 interviews conducted under a proffer agreement  Grand Jury
Footnote 305  Grand Jury 
Footnote 306 Sater9/19/17 302, at 1-2, 5. 
Footnote 307 Sater 9/19/17 302, at 3. 
Footnote 308 Rozov 1 /25/18 3 02, at 1. 
Footnote 309 Rozov 1/25/18 302, at I; see also 11 /2/15 Email, Cohen to Rozov et al. (sending letter of intent). 310 Cohen 9/12/18 302, at 1-2, 4-6. 
Footnote 311 Cohen 9/12/18 302, at 5. 
Footnote 312 Cohen 9/12/18 302, at 4-5.

continued in a later entry

Continued from previous entry

Page 66 of the Special Counsel Report and page 74 on the PDF

IV. RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT LINKS To AND CONTACTS WITH THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN

The Office identified multiple contacts-"links," in the words of the Appointment Order between Trump Campaign officials and individuals with ties to the Russian government. The Office investigated whether those contacts constituted a third avenue of attempted Russian interference with or influence on the 2016 presidential election. In particular, the investigation examined whether these contacts involved or resulted in coordination or a conspiracy with the Trump Campaign and Russia, including with respect to Russia providing assistance to the Campaign in exchange for any sort of favorable treatment in the future. Based on the available information, the investigation did not establish such coordination.

This Section describes the principal links between the Trump Campaign and individuals with ties to the Russian government, including some contacts with Campaign officials or associates that have been publicly reported to involve Russian contacts. Each subsection begins with an overview of the Russian contact at issue and then describes in detail the relevant facts, which are generally presented in chronological order, beginning with the early months of the Campaign and extending through the post-election, transition period.

A. Campaign Period (September 2015 - November 8, 2016)

Russian-government-connected individuals and media entities began showing interest in Trump's campaign in the months after he announced his candidacy in June 2015.288 Because Trump's status as a public figure at the time was attributable in large part to his prior business and entertainment dealings, this Office investigated whether a business contact with Russia-linked individuals and entities during the campaign period-the Trump Tower Moscow project, see Volume l, Section IV.A. I, infra-led to or involved coordination of election assistance.

Outreach from individuals with ties to Russia continued in the spring and summer of 2016, when Trump was moving toward- and eventually becoming-the Republican nominee for President. As set forth below, the Office also evaluated a series of links during this period: outreach to two of Trump's then-recently named foreign policy advisors, including a representation that Russia had "dirt" on Clinton in the form of thousands of emails (Volume I, Sections IV.A.2 & IV.A.3); dealings with a D.C.-based think tank that specializes in Russia and has connections with its government (Volume I, Section IV.A.4); a meeting at Trump Tower between the Campaign and a Russian lawyer promising dirt on candidate Clinton that was "part of Russia and its government's support for [Trump]" (Volume I, Section IV.A.5); events at the Republican National Convention (Volume I, Section IV.A.6); post-Convention contacts between Trump Campaign officials and Russia's ambassador to the United States (Volume I, Section IV.A.7); and contacts through campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who had previously worked for a Russian oligarch and a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine (Volume I, Section IV.A.8).


Georgi Asatryan (click here) 

Head of Operations Department at National E-Health Operator

Footnote 288 For example, on August 18, 2015, on behalf of the editor-in-chief of the internet newspaper Vzglyad, Georgi Asatryan emailed campaign press secretary Hope Hicks asking for a phone or in-person candidate interview. 8/18/15 Email, Asatryan to Hicks. One day earlier, the publication's founder (and former Russian parliamentarian) Konstantin Rykov had registered two Russian websites-Trump2016.ru and DonaldTrump2016.ru. No interview took place.

May 7, 2018
By Molly Schwartz

Konstantin Rykov (click here)

Konstantin Rykov (click here) understands the art of trolling on the internet. Rykov’s knack for creating caustic, snarky, attention-grabbing content made him millions as an internet entrepreneur and got him elected to the Russian Parliament. And now, the Russian government understands the art of trolling too.

Rykov first went online in the mid-1990s. He quickly became fluent in the language of a Russian internet subculture.


He started by creating sites like idiot.ru, and later founded an online prostitution delivery service in Moscow called “Dosug.” He developed personas on Russian social media sites like Vkontakte, Live Journal, and Odnoklassniki, where he accrued large followings by sharing pictures of scantily clad women, telling crude jokes and spreading a satiric, nihilistic brand of humor....


Communism is very nihilistic. There is a national church in Russia, but, for the most part it is areligious. What kind of world view is that? Respect for life? Not hardly.

1. Trump Tower Moscow Project

The Trump Organization has pursued and completed projects outside the United States as part of its real estate portfolio. Some projects have involved the acquisition and ownership (through subsidiary corporate structures) of property. In other cases, the Trump Organization has executed licensing deals with real estate developers and management companies, often local to the country where the project was located.289


Between at least 2013 and 2016, the Trump Organization explored a similar licensing deal in Russia involving the construction of a Trump-branded property in Moscow. The project, commonly referred to as a "Trump Tower Moscow" or "Trump Moscow" project, anticipated a combination of commercial, hotel, and residential properties all within the same building. Between 2013 and June 2016, several employees of the Trump Organization, including then president of the organization Donald J. Trump, pursued a Moscow deal with several Russian counterparties. From the fall of 2015 until the middle of 2016, Michael Cohen spearheaded the Trump Organization's pursuit of a Trump Tower Moscow project, including by reporting on the project's status to candidate Trump and other executives in the Trump Organization.290


a. Trump Tower Moscow Venture with the Crocus Group (2013-2014)

Forbes lists Russians among their rankings. Russians are the same as Russia. Is Russia listed in Forbes? I think this is a grave mistake by Forbes. Red flags should be going up, not welcome signs.

Aras Agalarov (click here) began his business journey bringing premium goods to Russia. He later pivoted to the development of luxury retail centers.

The Trump Organization and the Crocus Group (click here), a Russian real estate conglomerate owned and controlled by Aras Agalarov, began discussing a Russia-based real estate project shortly after the conclusion of the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow.291 Donald J. Trump Jr. served as the primary negotiator on behalf of the Trump Organization; Emin Agalarov (son of Aras Agalarov) and Irakli "Ike" Kaveladze represented the Crocus Group during negotiations,292 with the occasional assistance of Robe1t Goldstone.293

Ike Kaveladze (click here) walks away after appearing before the House Intelligence Committee on November 2. He attended a controversial Trump Tower meeting in June 2016 with Donald Trump Jr. and others.

In December 2013, Kaveladze and Trump Jr. negotiated and signed preliminary terms of an agreement for the Trump Tower Moscow project.294 On December 23, 2013, after discussions with Donald J. Trump, the Trump Organization agreed to accept an arrangement whereby the organization received a flat 3.5% commission on all sales, with no licensing fees or incentives.295 The parties negotiated a letter of intent during January and February 2014.296

Footnote 289 See, e.g., Interview of Donald J Trump, Jr, Senate Judiciary Committee, 115th Cong. 151-52 (Sept. 7, 2017) ( discussing licensing deals of specific projects).

Footnote 290 As noted in Volume I, Section III.D.l, supra, in November 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to making false statements to Congress concerning, among other things, the duration of the Trump Tower Moscow project. See Information ,r 7(a), United States v. Michael Cohen, 1 :18-cr-850 (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 29, 2018), Doc. 2 ("Cohen Information").

Footnote 291 See Interview of Donald J Trump, Jr, Senate Judiciary Committee, 115th Cong. 13 (Sept. 7, 2017) ("Following the pageant the Trump Organization and Mr. Agalarov' s company, Crocus Group, began preliminarily discussion [sic] potential real estate projects in Moscow."). As has been widely reported, the Miss Universe pageant-which Trump co-owned at the time was held at the Agalarov owned Crocus City Hall in Moscow in November 2013. Both groups were involved in organizing the pageant, and Aras Agalarov's son Emin was a musical performer at the event, which Trump attended.

Footnote 292 Kaveladze 11/16/17 302, at 2, 4-6; Grand Jury    OSCKA V 00385 (12/6/13 Email, Trump Jr. to Kaveladze & E. Agalarov)

Footnote 293 Grand Jury

Footnote 294  Grand Jury

Footnote 295 OSC-KA V _00452 (12/23/13 Email, Trmnp Jr. to Kaveladze & E. Agalarov).

Footnote 296 See, e.g., OSC-KAV _011 58 (Letter agreement signed by Trump Jr. & E. Agalarov); OSCKAV _01147 (1/20/14 Email, Kaveladze to Trump Jr. et al.).

continued in next entry

EMIN - In Another Life (ft. Donald Trump and Miss Universe'13 Contestan...

Continued from previous entry

They carry on as if they actually have something and they take money for this. None of these people are interested in the country and it's problems, they are interested in maintaining a facade of importance. They collect money, carry on with faux storefronts of importance and allow voters to believe there is something not quite right about Hillary Clinton.

In September 2016, Smith and Ledeen got back in touch with each other about their respective efforts. Ledeen wrote to Smith, "wondering if you had some more detailed reports or memos or other data you could share because we have come a long way in our efforts since we last visited ... . We would need as much technical discussion as possible so we could marry it against the new data we have found and then could share it back to you 'your eyes only.'"282

Ledeen claimed to have obtained a trove of emails (from what she described as the "dark web") that purported to be the deleted Clinton emails. Ledeen wanted to authenticate the emails and solicited contributions to fund that effort. Erik Prince provided funding to hire a tech advisor to ascertain the authenticity of the emails. According to Prince, the tech advisor determined that the emails were not authentic.283

A backup of Smith's computer contained two files that had been downloaded from WikiLeaks and that were originally attached to emails received by John Podesta. The files on Smith's computer had creation dates of October 2, 2016, which was prior to the date of their release by WikiLeaks. Forensic examination, however, established that the creation date did not reflect when the files were downloaded to Smith' s computer. (It appears the creation date was when WikiLeaks staged the document for release, as discussed in Volume I, Section III.B.3.c, supra.284) The investigation did not otherwise identify evidence that Smith obtained the files before their release by WikiLeaks.

Smith continued to send emails to an undisclosed recipient list about Clinton' s deleted emails until shortly before the election. For example, on October 28, 2016, Smith wrote that there was a "tug-of-war going on within WikiLeaks over its planned releases in the next few days," and that WikiLeaks "has maintained that it will save its best revelations for last, under the theory this allows little time for response prior to the U.S. election November 8."285 An attachment to the email claimed that WikiLeaks would release "All 33k deleted Emails" by "November 1st." No emails obtained from Clinton's server were subsequently released.

Footnote 282 9/16/16 Email, Ledeen to Smith.
Footnote 283 Prince 4/4/18 302, at 4-5.
Footnote 284 The forensic analysis of Smith's computer devices found that Smith used an older Apple operating system that would have preserved that October 2, 2016 creation date when it was downloaded (no matter what day it was in fact downloaded by Smith). See Volume I, Section 111.B.3.c, supra. The Office tested this theory in March 2019 by downloading the two files found on Smith's computer from WikiLeaks's site using the same Apple operating system on Smith's computer; both files were successfully downloaded and retained the October 2, 2016 creation date. See SM-2284941, serial 62. 
Footnote 285 10/28/16 Email, Smith to Smith.

They feed the public a steady stream of lies to maintain turbulence and indecision. That is called fraud in my neighborhood.

I appreciate the Special Counsel for chasing down every lead. It clearly shows the underbelly of the Republican Party. The Special Counsel could not substantiate connections with Russia or otherwise because there was nothing to substantiate with these people. It is interesting even the Special Counsel had to develop a new technique to deal with these folks.

This is an election for President of the United States of America and they are treating it like they need to elect a new dog catcher. They'd make up the rampant danger to the people by false "mad dog bites."

Smith drafted multiple emails stating or intimating that he was in contact with Russian hackers. For example, in one such email, Smith claimed that, in August 2016, KLS Research had organized meetings with parties who had access to the deleted Clinton emails, including parties with "ties and affiliations to Russia."286 The investigation did not identify evidence that any such meetings occurred. Associates and security experts who worked with Smith on the initiative did not believe that Smith was in contact with Russian hackers and were aware of no such connection.287 The investigation did not establish that Smith was in contact with Russian hackers or that Smith, Ledeen, or other individuals in touch with the Trump Campaign ultimately obtained the deleted Clinton emails.

286 8/31/16 Email, Smith to Smith.
287 Safron 3/20/18 302, at 3; Szobocsan 3/29/18 302, at 6. 

                                                   ***

I want to complete this up to Page 100 today. I will be back.

continued in next entry.

Continued from previous entry

2. Other Potential Campaign Interest in Russian Hacked Materials

Throughout 2016, the Trump Campaign expressed interest in Hillary Clinton's private email server and whether approximately 30,000 emails from that server had in fact been permanently destroyed, as reported by the media. Several individuals associated with the Campaign were contacted in 2016 about various efforts to obtain the missing Clinton emails and other stolen material in support of the Trump Campaign. Some of these contacts were met with skepticism, and nothing came of them; others were pursued to some degree. The investigation did not find evidence that the Trump Campaign recovered any such Clinton emails, or that these contacts were part of a coordinated effort between Russia and the Trump Campaign.

The Trump Campaign were contacted by several people to find the 30,000 emails and some contacts were taken seriously, but, there is no evidence the emails were found or that there was Russian contact over it.


a. Henry Oknyansky (a/k/a Henry Greenberg)

"Miami Herald" (click here)

In the spring of 2016, Trump Campaign advisor Michael Caputo learned through a Florida based Russian business partner that another Florida-based Russian, Henry Oknyansky (who also went by the name Henry Greenberg), claimed to have information pertaining to Hillary Clinton. Caputo notified Roger Stone and brokered communication between Stone and Oknyansky. Oknyansky and Stone set up a May 2016 in-person meeting.260 Oknyansky was accompanied to the meeting by Alexei Rasin, a Ukrainian associate involved in Florida real estate. At the meeting, Rasin offered to sell Stone derogatory information on Clinton that Rasin claimed to have obtained while working for Clinton. Rasin claimed to possess financial statements demonstrating Clinton's involvement in money laundering with Rasin's companies. According to Oknyansky, Stone asked if the amounts in question totaled millions of dollars but was told it was closer to hundreds of thousands. Stone refused the offer, stating that Trump would not pay for opposition research.261

There must be a million of these Political Right Wing opiners. 

Michael Caputo, (click here) a former Trump campaign adviser, is managing director of Buffalo-based Zeppelin Communications. He is a 30-year veteran of Republican and international campaigns.

This is probably not the Russian, but, the name fits. His contact information is Chicago.


Dr. Alexander Rasin (click here) is an Assistant Professor in the College of Computing and Digital Media (CDM) at DePaul University. He received his Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Computer Science from Brown University, Providence. He is a co-Director of Data Systems and Optimization Lab at CDM and his primary research ...

"Palm Beach Daily News"


April 18, 2019
By Wayne Washington


Florida played (click here) a starring role in special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s final redacted report on Thursday with Russian-linked actors trying to use the Sunshine State to influence the 2016 election in favor of Republican candidate Donald Trump.
There may be no legal basis to claim Trump colluded with the Russians, but one need only look at the Florida connections to see plenty of smoke.
“We’re not immune, especially if you’re in a swing state,” said U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-West Palm Beach. “The Russians are not going to stop trying to interfere with our democracy. It’s going to keep happening, and (there) could be other countries trying to do it as well.”...

Oknyansky claimed to the Office that Rasin's motivation was financial. According to Oknyansky, Rasin had tried unsuccessfully to shop the Clinton information around to other interested parties, and Oknyansky would receive a cut if the information was sold. 262 Rasin is noted in public source documents as the director and/or registered agent for a number of Florida companies, none of which appears to be connected to Clinton. The Office found no other evidence that Rasin worked for Clinton or any Clinton-related entities.

In their statements to investigators, Oknyansky and Caputo had contradictory recollections about the meeting. Oknyansky claimed that Caputo accompanied Stone to the meeting and provided an introduction, whereas Caputo did not tell us that he had attended and claimed that he was never told what information Oknyansky offered. Caputo also stated that he was unaware Oknyansky sought to be paid for the information until Stone informed him after the fact.263

Footnote 260 Caputo 5/2/18 302, at 4; Oknyansky 7/13/18 302, at l. 
Footnote 261 Oknyansky 7/13/18 302, at 1-2. 
Footnote 262 Oknyansky 7/13/18 302, at 2.
Footnote 263 Caputo 5/2/18 302, at 4; Oknyansky 7/13/18 302, at l.

Nothing that substantiated any direct involvement with Russian agents.

The Office did not locate Rasin in the United States, although the Office confirmed Rasin had been issued a Florida driver's license. The Office otherwise was unable to determine the content and origin of the information he purportedly offered to Stone. Finally, the investigation did not identify evidence of a connection between the outreach or the meeting and Russian interference efforts.

This is a really annoying issue when it comes to Trump as a serious candidate for President. He is more interested in finding and creating scandal than addressing issues of the country and purport to have solutions. 

b. Campaign Efforts to Obtain Deleted Clinton Emails

After candidate Trump stated on July 27, 2016, that he hoped Russia would "find the 30,000 emails that are missing," Trump asked individuals affiliated with his Campaign to find the deleted Clinton emails.264 Michael Flynn-who would later serve as National Security Advisor in the Trump Administration- recalled that Trump made this request repeatedly, and Flynn subsequently contacted multiple people in an effort to obtain the emails.265

Barbara Ledeen (click here) and Peter Smith (click here) were among the people contacted by Flynn. Ledeen, a long-time Senate staffer who had previously sought the Clinton emails, provided updates to Flynn about her efforts throughout the summer of 2016.266 Smith, an investment advisor who was active in Republican politics, also attempted to locate and obtain the deleted Clinton emails.267 

Ledeen began her efforts to obtain the Clinton emails before Flynn's request, as early as December 2015.268 On December 3, 2015, she emailed Smith a proposal to obtain the emails, stating, "Here is the proposal I briefly mentioned to you. The person I described to you would be happy to talk with you either in person or over the phone. The person can get the emails which 1. Were classified and 2. Were purloined by our enemies. That would demonstrate what needs to be demonstrated."269

Attached to the email was a 25-page proposal stating that the "Clinton email server was, in all likelihood, breached long ago," and that the Chinese, Russian, and Iranian intelligence services could "re-assemble the server's email content."270 The proposal called for a three-phase approach. The first two phases consisted of open-source analysis. The third phase consisted of checking with certain intelligence sources "that have access through liaison work with various foreign services" to determine if any of those services had gotten to the server. The proposal noted, "Even if a single email was recovered and the providence [sic] of that email was a foreign service, it would be catastrophic to the Clinton campaign[.]" Smith forwarded the email to two colleagues and  wrote, "we can discuss to whom it should be referred."271 On December 16, 2015, Smith informed Ledeen that he declined to participate in her "initiative." According to one of Smith's business associates, Smith believed Ledeen's initiative was not viable at that time.272

They are a bunch of liars. This is what FOX News did to the name Hillary Clinton. They made her name so toxic that liars could concoct a story and sell it to the public. I am surprised no Republican has constructed 30,000 emails as those erased by the Clinton attorneys.

Peter Smith committed suicide.

July 13, 2017
By Katherine Skiba, David Heinzmann and Todd Light

A Republican donor and operative from Chicago's North Shore (click here) who said he had tried to obtain Hillary Clinton's missing emails from Russian hackers killed himself in a Minnesota hotel room days after talking to The Wall Street Journal about his efforts, public records show.

In mid-May, in a room at a Rochester hotel used almost exclusively by Mayo Clinic patients and relatives, Peter W. Smith, 81, left a carefully prepared file of documents, including a statement police called a suicide note in which he said he was in ill health and a life insurance policy was expiring....

Footnote 264 Flynn 4/25/18 302, at 5-6; Flynn 5/1/18 302, at 1-3. 
Footnote 265 Flynn 5/1/18 302, at l-3. 
Footnote 266 Flynn 4/25/18 302, at 7; Flynn 5/4/18 302, at 1-2; Flynn 11 /29/17 302, at 7-8. 
Footnote 267 Flynn 11/29/17 302, at 7. 
Footnote 268 Szobocsan 3/29/17 302, at 1. 
Footnote 269 12/3/15 Email, Ledeen to Smith. 
Footnote 270 12/3/15 Email, Ledeen to Smith (attachment).
Footnote 271 12/3/15 Email, Smith to Szobocsan & Safron. 
Footnote 272 Szobocsan 3/29/18 302, at 1.

Just weeks after Trump's July 2016 request to find the Clinton emails, however, Smith tried to locate and obtain the emails himself. He created a company, raised tens of thousands of dollars, and recruited security experts and business associates. Smith made claims to others involved in the effort (and those from whom he sought funding) that he was in contact with hackers with "ties and affiliations to Russia" who had access to the emails, and that his efforts were coordinated with the Trump Campaign.273

It was a blasted circus. These are old, white men that simply embark on "ideas" of political power and set up companies, I am assuming non-profits, collect money and then make attempts to make a fantasy come true. This is all nonsense. It would appear anyone and everyone can be a Trump advisor.


Sam Clovis, (click here) a former Donald Trump adviser, watches results during the GOP Victory Party in Sioux City on election night, Nov. 8, 2016. Clovis, a former Morningside College professor and talk radio host, is battling serious health issues, according to local Republican officials.

On August 28, 2016, Smith sent an email from an encrypted account with the subject "Sec. Clinton's unsecured private email server" to an undisclosed list of recipients, including Campaign co-chairman Sam Clovis. The email stated that Smith was "[j]ust finishing two days of sensitive meetings here in DC with involved groups to poke and probe on the above. It is clear that the Clinton's home-based, unprotected server was hacked with ease by both State-related players, and private mercenaries. Parties with varying interests, are circling to release ahead of the election." 274

On September 2, 2016, Smith directed a business associate to establish KLS Research LLC in furtherance of his search for the deleted Clinton emails.275 One of the purposes o fKLS Research was to manage the funds Smith raised in support of his initiative.276 KLS Research received over $30,000 during the presidential campaign, although Smith represented that he raised even more 277 money.

Smith recruited multiple people for his initiative, including security experts to search for and authenticate the emails. 278 In early September 2016, as pait of his recruitment and fundraising effort, Smith circulated a document stating that his initiative was "in coordination" with the Trump Campaign, "to the extent permitted as an independent expenditure organization."279 The document listed multiple individuals affiliated with the Trump Campaign, including Flynn, Clovis, Bannon, and Kellyanne Conway280 The investigation established that Smith communicated with at least Flynn and Clovis about his search for the deleted Clinton emails, 281 but the Office did not identify evidence that any of the listed individuals initiated or directed Smith's efforts.

They are a bunch of con-artists. This is the Republican Party? Wow. They probably belong in jail.

Footnote 273 8/31/16 Email, Smith to Smith.
Footnote 274 8/28/16 Email, Smith to Smith.
Footnote 275 Incorporation papers ofKLS Research LLC, 7/26/17 Szobocsan 3/29/18 302, at 2.
Footnote 276 Szobocsan 3/29/18 302, at 3.
Footnote 277 Financial Institution Record of Peter Smith and KLS Research LLC, 10/31 /17 - 10/11/16 Email, Smith to
Footnote 278 Tait 8/22/17 302, at 3; York 7 /12/17 302, at 1-2; York 11/22/17 302, at 1.
Footnote 279 York 7 /13/17 302 (attachment KLS Research, LLC, "Clinton Email Reconnaissance Initiative," Sept. 9, 2016).
Footntoe 280 The same recruitment document listed Jerome Corsi under "Independent Groups/Organizations/Individuals," and described him as an "established author and writer from the right on President Obama and Sec. Clinton." 
281 Flynn 11/29/17 302, at 7-8; 10/15/16 Email, Smith to Flynn et al.; 8/28/16 Email, Smith to Smith (bee: Clovis et al.). 

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Harm of Ongoing Matter

Footnote 240

Footnote 241 HOM

Footnote 242 HOM

Footnote 243 HOM

Corsi said that, because he had no direct means of communicating with WikiLeaks, he told members of the news site WNO-who were participating on a conference call with him that day-to reach Assange immediately. 244 Corsi claimed that the pressure was enormous and recalled telling the conference call the Access Hollywood tape was coming. 245 Corsi stated that he was convinced that his efforts had caused WikiLeaks to release the emails when they did. 246 In a later November 2018 interview, Corsi stated that he thought that he had told people on a WND conference call about the forthcoming tape and had sent out a tweet asking whether anyone could contact Assange, but then said that maybe he had done nothing.247

Corsi twice admitted he had prior knowledge of the release of the Access Hollywood tape. I think it was the Washington Post that released it. Evidently, the Washington Post might be helpful in assessing Corsi's statements of prior knowledge. Maybe. If Corsi is the source of the tape, the Washington Post would not release that information.

Regardless, Corsi knew the Access Hollywood tape was being released and believed Assange released the emails because of the Access Hollywood tape. Evidently, Corsi was more interested in having the tape impact Trump's run for office and realized the emails would tamp down that possibility.

Footnote Section

Harm of Ongoing Matter


Footnote 239 Candidate Trump can be heard off camera making graphic statements about women.
Footnote 240  HOM
Footnote 241  HOM
Footnote 242  HOM
Footnote 243  HOM
Footnote 244 In a later November 2018 interview, Corsi stated Harm to Ongoing Matter that he believed Malloch was on the call but then focused on other individuals who were on the call-invitation, which Malloch was not. (Separate travel records show that at the time of the call, Malloch was aboard a transatlantic flight). Corsi at one point stated that after WikiLeaks 's release of stolen emails on October 7, 2016, he concluded Malloch had gotten in contact with Assange. Corsi 11/1/18 302, at 6.
Footnote 246_ Corsi 9/21/18 302, at 6-7.
Footnote 247 Corsi 11/1/18 302, at 6.

The Office (The Special Counsel Office) investigated Corsi's allegations about the events of October 7, 2016 but found little corroboration for his allegations about the day. 248  Harm of Ongoing Matter  249 Harm of Ongoing Matter 250 However, the phone records themselves do not indicate that the conversation was with any of the reporters who broke the Access Hollywood story, and the Office has not otherwise been able to identify the substance of the conversation. Harm of Ongoing Matter  251 However, the Office has not identified any conference call participant, or anyone who spoke to Corsi that day, who says that they received non-public information about the tape from Corsi or acknowledged having contacted a member of WikiLeaks on October 7, 2016 after a conversation with Corsi. 

Basically, while Corsi assumed the two events coincided, and he was on a conference call, he had no sincere proof that would be solid evidence. The Special Counsel could not find evidence of the coordinated events or release of nonpublic information. Wouldn't that indicate Russian agents were involved and using their own communication system? If Corsi is convinced he was on a conference call and all his assumptions were true, doesn't that indicate the Russian agents were involved in that activity and it is untraceable?

e. Donald Trump Jr. Interaction with WikiLeaks

Donald Trump Jr. had direct electronic communications with WikiLeaks during the campaign period. On September 20, 2016, an individual named Jason Fishbein (click heresent WikiLeaks the password 

To me that is a proven Russian practice. I believe it was the GRU that sent passwords to journalists so they could access information. Does Fishbein know who sent him the information and how did he know to send it to Wikileaks? And the website was unpublished. That has a Russian methodology spelled all over it.

for an unlaunched website focused on Trump's "unprecedented and dangerous" ties to Russia, PutinTrump.org.252 WikiLeaks publicly tweeted: '"Let's bomb Iraq' Progress for America PAC to launch "PutinTrump.org' at 9:30am. Oops pw is 'putintrump' putintrump.org." Several hours later, WikiLeaks sent a Twitter direct message to Donald Trump Jr., "A PAC run anti-Trump site putintrump.org is about to launch. The PAC is a recycled pro-Iraq war PAC. We have guessed the password. It is 'putintrump.' See 'About' for who is behind it. Any comments ?"253

Several hours later, Trump Jr. emailed a variety of senior campaign staff: Guys I got a weird Twitter DM from wikileaks. See below. I tried the password and it works and the about section they reference contains the next pic (picture) in terms of who is behind it. Not sure if this is anything but it seems like it's really wikileaks asking me as I follow them and it is a DM. Do you know the people mentioned and what the conspiracy they are looking for could be? These are just screen shots but it's a fully built out page claiming to be a PAC let me know your thoughts and if we want to look into it.254

Trump Jr. attached a screenshot of the "About" page for the unlaunched site PutinTrump.org. The next day (after the website had launched publicly), Trump Jr. sent a direct message to WikiLeaks: "Off the record, l don't know who that is but I'll ask around. Thanks."255 

On October 3, 2016, WikiLeaks sent another direct message to Trump Jr., asking "you guys" to help disseminate a link alleging candidate Clinton had advocated using a drone to target Julian Assange. Trump Jr. responded that he already "had done so," and asked, "what's behind this Wednesday leak I keep reading about?"256 WikiLeaks did not respond. On October 12, 2016, WikiLeaks wrote again that it was "great to see you and your dad talking about our publications. Strongly suggest your dad tweets this link if he mentions us wlsearch.tk."257 WikiLeaks wrote that the link would help Trump in "digging through" leaked emails and stated, "we just released Podesta emails Part 4."258 Two days later, Trump Jr. publicly tweeted the wlsearch.tk link.259 

To begin with, the entire Assange drone sent by Clinton is more of the Assange paranoia noted before. For some reason Assange believes Hillary Clinton focuses on him and wants him dead. To me that is magical thinking. There is no real evidence that Hillary Clinton was obsessed with hating Assange.

This entire episode appears to be engineered by the GRU in my opinion. The unlaunched website appears to be scavenged by the GRU. They seem to want to find something an American had assembled to make it all believable. So, they found this old Iraq War PAC website and gave it a new life. What would they care if it was discovered by the original owner of the website that it had been tampered with? They wouldn't. The GRU would use it for one purpose and then forget about it.

So, in my opinion, the GRU found Fishbein, a political blog, provided a passcode to an old repurposed Iraq War website, where photos were planted to bring speculation to Hillary Clinton by Donald Trump, Jr. who would then provide the information to his father. The Trump Campaign, Junior in particular, was then an unwitting volunteer to Russian propaganda while believing it was all the doing of an old Iraq War PAC with real information. Fishbein is basically no one. It all sounds like a GRU exercise in providing inflaming information about Clinton.

BUT, Junior had direct communication with Wikileaks. They were more than symbiotic in that relationship and Jr. knew the FBI had investigated the hacks into the DNC, DCCC and the Clinton Campaign and knew Russia was involved.

The information about the Russian hacking was public knowledge. The FBI had investigated and found Russian had committed the crime. So, the Trump Campaign knew along with the public the information appearing on Wikileaks was from a Russian action. 

What bothers me is that all this hacking was unilateral. No one could doubt the Wikileaks release was the Russian hacking, yet the Trump Campaign never batted an eye. They never once stated this was a crime and it was unfortunate the Clinton Campaign was targeted. The Trump Campaign continued to converse with Wikileaks and continued to pass around information secretly. The Trump Campaign considered the crime by Russians important and Trump himself employed their talents to find 30,000 emails that were once erased from the Clinton server.

The Russians had their hooks into Trump and his campaign and they didn't care. They thought it was great. Putin, at that time, denied all of it. The FBI had the proof. 

Footnote 248  Harm of Ongoing Matter
Footnote 249  Harm of Ongoing Matter
Footnote 250  HOM   Grand Jury   Harm of Ongoing Matter
Footnote 251  HOM   Grand Jury   Harm of Ongoing Matter
Footnote 252  9/20/16 Twitter DM@Fishbein to @WikiLeaks; see JF00587 (9/21/16 Messages, PP    @jabber.cryptoparty.is and Personal Privacy    @jabber.cryptoparty.is); Fishbein 9/5/18 302, at 4. When interviewed by our Office, Fishbein produced what he claimed to be logs from a chatroom in which the participants discussed U.S. politics; one of the other participants had posted the website and password that Fishbein sent to WikiLeaks.
Footnote 253  9/20/16 Twitter DM, @WikiLeaks to @DonaldJTrumpJr.
Footnote 254  TRUMPORG _ 28 _ 000629-33 (9/21/16 Email, Trump Jr. to Conway et al. (subject "Wikileaks"))
Footnote 255  9/21/16 Twitter DM, @DonaldJTrumpJr to @WikiLeaks.
Footnote 256  10/3/16 Twitter DMs, @DonaldJTrumpJr & @WikiLeaks.
Footnote 257  At the time, the link took users to a WikiLeaks archive of stolen Clinton Campaign documents.
Footnote 258  10/12/16 Twitter DM, @WikiLeaks to @DonaldJTrumpJr.
Footnote 259  @DonaldJTrumpJr 10/14/16 (6:34 a.m.) Tweet. 

continued in next enter - thank you