76. Bort, “Newly Released Documents.”
77. Diana Stancy Correll, “Trump asked Reince Priebus about his interview with Robert Mueller: Report,” Washington Examiner, March 7, 2018, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/trump-asked-reince-priebus-about-his-interview-with-robert-mueller-report#.
78. Paul Waldman, “Here’s another telling revelation in the Comey memos,” Washington Post, April 20, 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2018/04/20/heres-another-telling-revelation-in-the-comey-memos/?utm_term=.55891cfb6fa7.
79. Ibid.
80. Ken Dilanian and Mike Memoli, “Top Trump Campaign Aide Clovis Spoke to Mueller Team, Grand Jury” NBC News, October 31, 2017, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/top-trump-campaign-aide-clovis-spoke-mueller-team-grand-jury-n816106.
81. Eileen Sullivan, “Trump Nominee Sam Clovis Withdraws From Consideration for Agriculture Department Post,” New York Times, November 2, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/02/us/politics/trump-nominee-sam-clovis-withdraws-from-consideration-for-agriculture-department-post.html.
82. Ibid.
83. Mark Hosenball and John Walcott, “Investigators probe Trump knowledge of campaign’s Russia dealings: sources,” Reuters, November 11, 2017, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-investigation/investigators-probe-trump-knowledge-of-campaigns-russia-dealings-sources-idUSKBN1DB04J; Linley Sanders, “Trump knew Papadopoulos would meet with foreigners, ex-aide claims,” Newsweek, November 17, 2017, https://www.newsweek.com/papadopoulos-says-trump-authorized-him-meet-foreign-leaders-714644.
84. Philip Rucker and Robert Costa, “Donald Trump names foreign policy advisors,” Boston Globe, March 21,2016, https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2016/03/21/donald-trump-names-foreign-policy-advisors/zoneTaCSlynydDc1WgMjqK/story.html; Jake Tapper, “The Mysterious Case of George Papadopoulos; George Papadopoulos Ignited the Russia Conspiracy Investigation,” CNN transcripts, aired September 7, 2018, http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1809/07/csr.01.html.
85. Julian Borger, “Ex-Trump aide Flynn investigated over plot to kidnap Turkish dissident—report,” Guardian, November 10, 2017, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/10/michael-flynn-trump-turkish-dissident-cleric-plot; Susan Hennessey et al., “The Flynn Plea: A Quick and Dirty Analysis,” Lawfare, December 1, 2017, https://www.lawfareblog.com/flynn-plea-quick-and-dirty-analysis.
86. U.S. v. Michael Flynn, December 1, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/file/1015126/download.
87. Ibid.
88. Ibid.
89. Ibid.
90. Ibid.
91. Statement of offense, affidavit against George Papadopoulos, CNN, October 30, 2017, https://www.cnn.com/2017/10/30/politics/george-papadopoulos-offense-affidavit-complaint/index.html.
92. Ibid.
93. Ibid.
94. Ibid.
95. Ibid.
96. Ibid.
97. Ibid.
98. Ibid.
99. Gregory Korte and John Fritze, “Trump Jr. told investigators he can’t recall if he discussed Russian meeting with his father,” USA Today, May 16, 2018, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/05/16/trump-jr-cant-recall-if-he-spoke-father-russians/614773002/.
100. Ibid.
101. Bort, “Newly Released Documents.”
102. Grace Guarnieri, “Democrats want to turn over Trump, Jr. transcripts to Mueller, suggesting he made false statements to committee,” Newsweek, January 25, 2018, https://www.newsweek.com/domocrats-trump-jr-testimony-mueller-false-statements-790575.
103. Pierre Thomas and James Gordon Meek, “Mueller has evidence that Trump supporter’s meeting with Putin ally may not have been a chance encounter: Sources,” ABC News, April 6, 2018, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/mueller-evidence-raising-questions-prince-testimony-meeting-russian/story?id=54277090.
104. Dan Friedman, “Report Suggests Blackwater Founder Erik Prince May Have Lied to Congress,” Mother Jones, May 19, 2018, https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/05/report-suggests-blackwater-founder-erik-prince-may-have-lied-to-congress/.
105. Pamela Brown et al, “Mueller interviews top White House aide,” CNN, November 2017, https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/09/politics/stephen-miller-interviewed-special-counsel-russia-investigation/index.html.
106. Ibid.
107. Michael S. Schmidt and Maggie Haberman, “Mueller Has Early Draft of Trump Letter Giving Reasons for Firing Comey,” New York Times, September 1, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/01/us/politics/trump-comey-firing-letter.html?_r=0.
108. Patrick Wintour and Anushka Asthana, “Trump-Putin meeting dominates G20 as Russia denies interfering in US election,” Guardian, July 7, 2017, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/07/trump-putin-meeting-dominates-g20-as-russia-denies-interfering-in-us-election; Eli Watkins and Jeremy Diamond, “Trump, Putin met for nearly an hour in second G20 meeting,” CNN, July 18, 2017, https://www.cnn.com/2017/07/18/politics/trump-putin-g20/index.html; “At G20 dinner, Trump appeared to gesture to Putin,” CNN, July 2017, https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2017/07/20/trump-appears-to-gesture-at-putin-orig-tc.cnn; Steve Holland, “Trump, Putin held a second, undisclosed meeting at G20 summit,” Reuters, July 18, 2017, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-putin-idUSKBN1A32H5.
109. Emily Stewart, “Read: Donald Trump Jr.’s congressional testimony about the Trump Tower meeting,” Vox, May 16, 2018 https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/5/16/17360484/donald-trump-jr-transcript-senate-judiciary-committee.
110. Ibid., p.12.
111. Ibid., p. 45.
112. Ibid., pp. 45–46.
113. Ibid., p. 104.
114. Ibid., p. 46.
115. Allan Smith, “ ‘You’re going to find it very, very interesting’: Donald Trump announces he will make ‘major’ speech about the Clintons,” Business Insider, June 7, 2016, https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-announced-speech-hillary-bill-clinton-2016-6.
116. Stewart, “Read: Donald Trump Jr.’s congressional testimony.”
117. Hazel Heyer, “Executive Talk: Donald Trump Jr. bullish on Russia and few emerging markets,” ETN, September 15, 2008, https://www.eturbonews.com/9788/executive-talk-donald-trump-jr-bullish-russia-and-few-emerging-ma; Stewart, “Read: Donald Trump Jr.’s congressional testimony.”
118. Stewart, “Read: Donald Trump Jr.’s congressional testimony.”
119. Ibid.
120. Ibid., pp. 15, 36; “DCLeaks And Russian Hackers: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know,” Heavy, July 13, 2018, https://heavy.com/news/2018/07/dcleaks-russian-hackers/; Senate Judiciary Committee, Rob Goldstone transcript, https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Goldstone%201%20Transcript_redacted.pdf; Jacqueline Thomsen, “Mueller: Russian officers launched leaks website in June 2016,” Hill, July 13, 2018, http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/396947-mueller-russian-officers-launched-leaks-website-in-june-2016.
121. Stewart,“Read: Donald Trump Jr.’s congressional testimony.”
122. Ibid., p. 18.
123. Ibid., p. 29.
124. Ibid., pp. 19–20.
125. Ibid., p. 43.
126. Ibid.
127. Ibid., p. 20.
128. Ibid., p. 23.
129. Ibid., pp. 26–28.
130. Ibid., p. 32.
131. Ibid., pp. 33–34.
132. Ibid., p. 36.
133. Ibid.
134. Ibid., p. 37.
135. Ibid., p. 38.
136. Sharon LaFraniere et al., “Lobbyist at Trump Campaign Meeting Has a Web of Russian Connections,” New York Times, August 21, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/21/us/rinat-akhmetshin-russia-trump-meeting.html.
137. Stewart,“Read: Donald Trump Jr.’s congressional testimony,” p. 39.
138. Ibid., pp. 26–27.
139. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, testimony of Erik Prince, November 30, 2017, https://docs.house.gov/meetings/IG/IG00/20171130/106661/HHRG-115-IG00-Transcript-20171130.pdf.
140. Ibid., pp. 5–7.<
br />
141. Ibid., pp. 11–12.
142. Ibid., pp. 12, 14, 32.
143. Ibid., pp. 11–12; Sarah D. Wire, “California Rep. Devin Nunes named to Trump’s transition team,” Los Angeles Times, November 11, 2016, http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-rep-devin-nunes-named-to-trump-s-1478893307-htmlstory.html.
144. Prince testimony, p. 14.
145. Ibid., p. 15.
146. Ibid., pp. 17, 30.
147. Ibid., pp. 19–20.
148. Ibid., pp. 20–21.
149. Ibid., pp. 24–27.
150. Ibid., p. 32.
151. Ibid., pp. 35–36.
152. Thomas and Meek, “Mueller has evidence.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: a nation in suspense
1. “Microsoft Thwarts New Russia Attacks Ahead of Midterms; President Trump Asserts He Could Run the Russia Probe,” CNN, August 21, 2018, http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1808/21/cnr.03.html.
2. “US senators vote overwhelmingly for new sanctions on Russia,” Independent, July 28, 2017, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/us-senate-vote-russia-sanctions-donald-trump-vladimir-putin-retaliate-latest-crimea-a7864041.html.
3. Alexandra Wilts, “Deadline looms for Trump to issue further sanctions against Russia over election meddling,” Independent, January 29, 2018, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-russia-sanctions-deadline-presidential-election-meddling-vladimir-putin-a8184391.html.
4. Abigail Tracy, “Vladimir Putin Sours on His Old Friend Rex Tillerson,” Vanity Fair, September 7, 2017, https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/09/vladimir-putin-rex-tillerson.
5. Darya Korsunskaya et al., “For Some Russian Oligarchs, Sanctions Risk Makes Putin Awkward to Know,” Reuters, November 30, 2017, https://www.reuters.com/article/russia-sanctions-oligarchs/for-some-russian-oligarchs-sanctions-risk-makes-putin-awkward-to-know-idUSL8N1NU356.
6. Wilts, “Deadline looms”; Tom Embury-Dennis, “Trump refuses to impose new Russia sanctions despite law passed by US Congress over election hacking,” Independent, January 30, 2018, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-russia-sanctions-trump-no-new-congress-law-election-hacking-intervention-putin-kremlin-a8184866.html.
7. Korsunskaya et al., “For Some Russian Oligarchs”; Embury-Dennis, “Trump refuses to impose.”
8. Eli Meixler, “CIA Director Mike Pompeo Says He ‘Fully Expects’ Russia Will Try to Interfere in U.S. Midterms,” Time, January 30, 2018, http://time.com/5124313/cia-mike-pompeo-russia-midterm-elections/.
9. Jim Sciutto and Nicole Gaouette, “CIA chief met with sanctioned Russian spies, officials confirm,” CNN, February 2, 2018, https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/01/politics/pompeo-russian-spies-meeting/index.html.
10. Ibid.
11. Ariane de Vogue, “Mueller’s Office Spoke with Sessions, Comey in Russia Investigation,” CNN, January 23, 2018, https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/23/politics/jeff-sessions-robert-mueller-interview/index.html; Carrie Johnson, “Sessions Sits for Voluntary Interview with Mueller,” NPR, January 23, 2018, https://www.npr.org/2018/01/23/579952874/sessions-sits-for-voluntary-interview-with-mueller; Michael S. Schmidt and Maggie Haberman, “Sessions Is Questioned as Russia Inquiry Focuses on Obstruction,” New York Times, January 23, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/23/us/politics/jeff-sessions-special-counsel-russia.html?rref=collection%2Fbyline%2Fmichael-s.-schmidt&action=click&contentCollection=undefined®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection.
12. Ibid.
13. Betsy Woodruff, “Special Counsel Mueller’s Team Questioned Blackwater Founder Erik Prince,” Daily Beast, May 9, 2018, https://www.thedailybeast.com/special-counsel-muellers-team-questioned-blackwater-founder-erik-prince; James Gordon Meek, “Special counsel obtains Trump ally Erik Prince’s phones, computer,” ABC News, June 2018, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/special-counsel-obtains-trump-ally-erik-princes-phones/story?id=56143477.
14. Adam Entous, “Blackwater founder held secret Seychelles meeting to establish Trump-Putin back channel,” Washington Post, April 2017, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/blackwater-founder-held-secret-seychelles-meeting-to-establish-trump-putin-back-channel/2017/04/03/95908a08-1648-11e7-ada0-1489b735b3a3_story.html?utm_term=.3cab3e2cc8f9.
15. Ibid.
16. Alex Johnson, “FBI general counsel says in letter that Mueller asked him to testify in Russia probe,” NBC News, April 10, 2018, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/fbi-general-counsel-says-letter-mueller-asked-him-testify-russia-n864886.
17. Rosalind S. Helderman and Tom Hamburger, “Pressure on Michael Cohen intensifies as Mueller stays focused on the Trump attorney,” Washington Post, June 13, 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/pressure-on-michael-cohen-intensifies-as-mueller-stays-focused-on-trump-attorney/2018/06/13/00a207fe-6f12-11e8-bf86-a2351b5ece99_story.html?utm_term=.f43137c08ca8.
18. Adam Goldman et al., “Viktor Vekselberg, Russian Billionaire, Was Questioned by Mueller’s Investigators,” New York Times, May 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/04/us/politics/viktor-vekselberg-mueller-investigation.html.
19. Chris Cillizza, “Why the Allen Weisselberg immunity deal may be the biggest news of this bananas week,” CNN, August 24, 2018, https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/24/politics/allen-weisselberg-trump/index.html.
20. Ibid.
21. Shahien Nasiripour and Caleb Melby, “Nobody Knows the Trump Organization Like Allen Weisselberg,” Bloomberg, August 30, 2018, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-30/nobody-knows-the-trump-organization-like-allen-weisselberg.
22. Natasha Bertrand, “New York Prosecutors May Pose a Bigger Threat to Trump than Mueller,” Atlantic, August 24, 2018, https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/08/new-york-prosecutors-allen-weisselberg-trump/568516/.
23. Colby Hamilton, “Former Skadden Partner, 2 Others Referred to SDNY by Mueller,” New York Law Journal, August 1, 2018, https://www.law.com/newyorklawjournal/2018/08/01/former-skadden-partner-2-others-referred-to-sdny-by-mueller/?slreturn=20180802000242; Jed Shugerman, “Why Robert Mueller Handed Off the Michael Cohen Raid,” Slate, April 2018, https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/04/why-robert-mueller-handed-off-the-michael-cohen-raid.html.
24. Manu Raju and Jeremy Herb, “Hicks acknowledges white lies, but won’t talk White House in testimony,” CNN, February 2018, https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/26/politics/hope-hicks-house-intelligence-committee/index.html.
25. Maggie Haberman, “Hope Hicks to Leave Post as White House Communications Director,” New York Times, February 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/28/us/politics/hope-hicks-resign-communications-director.html?smid=tw-share.
26. Philip Ewing, “House Intelligence GOP Releases Full Report Clearing Trump in Russia Imbroglio,” NPR, April 27, 2018, https://www.npr.org/2018/04/27/606351800/house-intelligence-gop-releases-full-report-clearing-trump-in-russia-imbroglio.
27. Tom Winter, “Trump ally detained, served with Mueller subpoena at Boston airport,” NBC News, March 30, 2018, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-ally-detained-served-mueller-subpoena-boston-airport-n861456.
28. Veronica Rocha et al., “Michael Cohen Pleads Guilty to 8 Counts,” CNN, August 22, 2018, https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/michael-cohen-trump-lawyer-plea-deal-fbi/index.html; Jenni Fink, “Will Michael Cohen Go to Prison? How Much Jail Time Is Former Trump Attorney Facing?” Newsweek, August 21, 2018, https://www.newsweek.com/will-michael-cohen-go-prison-how-much-jail-time-former-trump-attorney-facing-1084211.
29. Adam Liptak and Jim Rutenberg, “Cohen Implicates President Trump. What Do Prosecutors Do Now?” New York Times, August 21, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/21/us/politics/cohen-trump-indicted.html.
30. Salvadore Rizzo, “Can the President Be Indicted or Subpoenaed?” Washington Post, May 22, 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2018/05/22/can-the-president-be-indicted-or-subpoenaed/
?utm_term=.d07acdad9c42.
31. Fink, “Will Michael Cohen Go to Prison?”
32. “Ukraine Allegedly Paid Michael Cohen $400,000 for Trump Meeting,” BBC, May 23, 2018, https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-44233864/ukraine-allegedly-paid-michael-cohen-400000-for-trump-meeting.
33. Quinta Jurecic, “Document: Indictment against Maria Butina,” Lawfare, July 17, 2018, https://www.lawfareblog.com/document-indictment-against-mariia-butina.
34. Ibid.
35. Ibid.; Sean Rossman, “Sex and schmoozing are common Russian spy tactics. Publicity makes Maria Butina different,” USA Today, August 28, 2018, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2018/08/28/maria-butina-accused-russian-spy-nra-networking-old-russian-spy-tactic-not-being-public-figure/1002964002/.
36. Philip Ewing, “The Russia Investigations: Mueller Indicts the ‘Internet Research Agency,’ ” NPR, February 17, 2018, https://www.npr.org/2018/02/17/586698361/the-russia-investigations-mueller-indicts-the-internet-research-agency; Chantal Da Silva, “What Is a Speaking Indictment? Mueller Deploys Key Tool in Russia Investigation,” Newsweek, August 24, 2018, https://www.newsweek.com/what-speaking-indictment-muellers-key-tool-russia-investigation-1089564; DOJ indictments, Case 1:18-cr-00032-DLF, United States of America v. Internet Research Agency LLC et al., filed February 16, 2018, https://www.justice.gov/file/1035477/download.
37. Ewing, “The Russia Investigations.”
38. Ibid.
39. Ibid.
40. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump), “Russia started their anti-US campaign in 2014, long before I announced that I would run for President. The results of the election were not impacted. The Trump campaign did nothing wrong - no collusion!” Twitter, February 16, 12:18 p.m., https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/964594780088033282?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E964594780088033282%7Ctwgr%5E373939313b73706563696669635f73706f7274735f616374696f6e&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2.
41. Alex Ward, “Read: Mueller Indictment Against 12 Russian Spies for DNC Hack,” Vox, July 13, 2018, https://www.vox.com/2018/7/13/17568806/mueller-russia-intelligence-indictment-full-text/.
42. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump), “The Rigged Witch Hunt, headed by the 13 Angry Democrats (and now 4 more have been added, one who worked directly for Obama W.H.), seems intent on damaging the Republican Party’s chances in the November Election. This Democrat excuse for losing the ’16 Election never ends!” Twitter, July 21, 2018, 3:40 p.m., https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/1020800615226793986.
Proof of Collusion Page 50