Donald J. Trump and at least 17 of his associates repeatedly had interactions with Russian nationals and WikiLeaks during the 2016 presidential campaign and transition.
The NYTimes has an excellent interactive summary chart of 28 people. Mueller’s is definitely better 😏
The problem with investigating Trump-Russia, is that, there are so many people and way too much information — unlike Nixon.
During the 2016 presidential campaign and transition, Donald J. Trump and at least 17 campaign officials and advisers had contacts with Russian nationals and WikiLeaks, or their intermediaries, a New York Times analysis has found. At least 10 other associates were told about interactions but did not have any themselves.
Knowledge of these interactions is based on New York Times reporting, documents submitted to Congress, and court records and accusations related to the special counsel investigating foreign interference in the election.
Focusing on people who need more Mueller love!
The following is from the article with additional links.
Jeff Sessions: Was responsible for Carter Page and Papadopoulos. Sessions discussed Trump Campaign matters with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak
J. D. Gordon: Spoke to Russian Ambassador Kislyak. Met with and went to a concert with Russian Agent Maria Butina. Invited her to his birthday party! Gordon was Trump’s Director of National Security, managing the National Security Advisory Committee under its chairman, Senator Jeff Sessions. A commentator on The Daily Caller and Fox News!
Michael Caputo: Was contacted by Russian business associate who said he wanted to put the campaign in touch with a Russian who had dirt on Clinton. Caputo directed the Russian to Roger Stone.
Rick Dearborn: Received email about arranging a back-channel meeting between Trump and Putin
Erik Prince (Betsy DeVos’ brother): Met with a Russian investor close to Putin in the Seychelles. The meeting was about setting a back channel to Putin and Mueller knows.
A lot of people in Trump’s campaign knew what Michael Flynn and George Papadopoulos were doing.
Corey Lewandowski: Told by Papadopoulos that Russia's Foreign Ministry wanted to know if a campaign staffer could go to Russia if Trump could not.
Sam Clovis: Received email from Papadopoulos about his Russian contacts. Papadopoulos forwarded him an email from the Russian who said he had Foreign Ministry connections.
Avi Berkowitz: Met with Russian ambassador at Trump Tower.
Stephen Miller: Told by Papadopoulos that Putin wanted to meet Trump
Steve Bannon, K.T. McFarland, Sean Spicer, Reince Priebus: Told by Flynn that he was contacted by the Russian ambassador about Magnitsky Act sanctions
Donald J Trump “Individual-1″
Aras Agalarov, a Russian billionaire who hosted a Miss Universe pageant with Mr. Trump in Moscow, and the billionaire’s son, Emin, reached out to Mr. Trump several times. (Separately, both men helped arrange the now-famous June 2016 Trump Tower meeting with a Kremlin-linked attorney about getting information that could be damaging to Hillary Clinton.) Mr. Trump was also pursuing a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow.
Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, lied to special counsel Robert Mueller, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.
Mueller needs to make an example of Manafort — by seeking the maximum sentence on each conviction. #LawAndOrder
Never forget:
Manafort was working with former Russian GRU Intelligence Officer Konstantin Kilimnik while he was Trump’s Campaign Manager
Manafort continued working with the Russians while he was ‘co-operating’ with the Mueller investigation. Including former Russian intelligence officer Victor Boyarkin on behalf of Russian Oligarch Oleg Deripaska
Manafort was working with Trump’s lawyers including Rudy Giuliani while he was ‘co-operating’ with the Mueller investigation
Manafort is still bound by what he agreed to in the plea, so he will not be able to retract his guilty pleas. But the finding frees Mueller's office from its contractual obligations in the plea, like asking for a reduced sentence for him because of his cooperation.
Mueller spokesman Peter Carr declined to comment.
Manafort's lawyers have maintained that he did not intentionally lie. 😏
Another Republican gets called out by a strong woman, Judge Amy Berman Jackson.
Jackson's ruling is another stunning turn in Mueller's efforts to uncover Russian interference in the 2016 election, as the first man the special counsel indicted then pursued as a potential cooperator for a year sees the end of any benefits he tried to gain through a guilty plea.
Manafort was convicted of various financial crimes in August, and then cut the deal to plead guilty to two charges of conspiracy and witness tampering in September.
In all, Jackson determined Manafort intentionally lied about $125,000 he received for the legal bills, about another unnamed Justice Department criminal investigation and about his interactions with his longtime Russian associate Konstantin Kilimnik while he was campaign chairman and later.
Jackson noted twice in her order that two of the topics Paul Manafort lied about, Kilimnik and payments he received for his legal bills were "material to the investigation."
The letter, by Attorney General William P. Barr, details the main findings of the special counsel’s two-year investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Trump stated in an interview with Lester Holt that he fired James Comey because of the Russia Investigation.
Trump: ‘totally exonerated’ of collusion and obstruction. Mueller: NO
In the report, the Special Counsel noted that, in completing his investigation, he employed 19 lawyers who were assisted by a team of approximately 40 FBI agents, intelligence analysts, forensic accountants, and other professional staff. The Special Counsel issued more than 2,800 subpoenas, executed nearly 500 search warrants, obtained more than 230 orders for communication records, issued almost 50 orders authorizing use of pen registers, made 13 requests to foreign governments for evidence, and interviewed approximately 500 witnesses.
After highlighting Mueller’s investigation above...
What was Barr’s reason for leaving out the most important stats and details — the names of those indicted, convicted and sentenced?
Not a single mention of Flynn, Manafort, Gates, Cohen, Papadopoulos, Roger Stone or Konstantin Kilimnik
Not a single mention they worked for Trump’s campaign and administration
No mention of the 12 Russian intelligence officers or 13 Russian nationals charged.
Of the 3 indicted Russian companies, Barr does talk about Internet Research Agency (IRA).
The Special Counsel obtained a number of indictments and convictions of individuals and entities in connection with his investigation, all of which have been publicly disclosed.
The Special Counsel states that “while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.”
Everyone Who’s Been Charged in Investigations Related to the 2016 Election (updated Mar 13, 2019)
The NYTimes transcribed Barr’s letter, go read it. There are going to be discrepancies!
Special Counsel investigation (2017–2019), Wikipedia
Criminal charges brought in the Special Counsel investigation (2017–2019), Wikipedia
