The Plot Against the President

by Lee Smith

  22: Ohr was hired: US House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, Joint with the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, Interview of Nellie Ohr, October 19, 2018, p. 10

  23: Byron York: York wrote two Washington Examiner articles detailing events on the convention floor. “How pundits got key part of Trump-Russia story all wrong,” March 18, 2017; and “What really happened with the GOP platform and Russia,” November 26, 2017. The House Intelligence Committee’s Report on Russian Active Measures, March 22, 2018, goes into great detail regarding the RNC platform issue, p. 68–70.

  24: Kristol and Stephen Hayes: “Demand the Documents,” by Stephen F. Hayes and William Kristol, Weekly Standard, August 10, 2015.

  25: Rhodes told the New York Times Magazine: “The Aspiring Novelist Who Became Obama’s Foreign-Policy Guru,” by David Samuels, New York Times Magazine, May 5, 2016.

  26: Mifsud taught intelligence: “The Maltese Phantom of Russiagate” Lee Smith, Real Clear Investigations. My reporting on Mifsud’s background and sensibility is indebted to information and insight provided by Stephan C. Roh, Mifsud’s lawyer, and Thierry Pastor, who together authored a 2018 book, The Faking of Russia-gate, The Papadopoulos Case: An Investigative Analysis.

  27: Stephen Miller and Carter Page: “Another Trump Campaign Aide Was Invited To Cambridge Event Where ‘Spygate’ Started,” by Chuck Ross, Daily Caller, June 5, 2018. A tireless reporter who covered virtually every component of the anti-Trump operation, Ross broke several major stories, particularly regarding the role of Stefan Halper.

  28: Halper and Downer: “An Email Referring To ‘Collusion’ Sheds Light On Cambridge Prof’s Interactions With Trump Aide,” by Chuck Ross, Daily Caller, May 20, 2018. A source confirms that Downer also approached Page.

  29: Henry Greenberg: “Trump associate Roger Stone reveals new contact with Russian national during 2016 campaign,” by Manuel Roig-Franzia and Rosalind S. Helderman, Washington Post, June 17, 2018

  30: remarkable episode: “2016 Trump Tower Meeting Looks Increasingly Like a Setup by Russian and Clinton Operatives,” by Lee Smith, Real Clear Investigations, August 13, 2018.

  31: Simpson had distinguished: “Controversy Erupts Over Steward’s Testimony Before Grand Jury,” Brian Duffy and Glenn Simpson, Wall Street Journal, February 5, 1998. “Wall Street Journal Story Reflects Fast News Cycle,” by Howard Kurtz, Washington Post, February 5, 1998

  32: Yanukovych was poised to sign: “Ukraine suspends talks on EU trade pact as Putin wins tug of war,” by Ian Traynor and Oksana Grytsenko, Guardian, November 21, 2013

  33: Derwick Associates: “News-For-Hire Scandal Deepens: ‘Fusion GPS’ Sleazy Venezuela Links Shed New Light on Trump Dossier,” by Lee Smith, Tablet, July 27, 2017.

  34: Thor Halvorssen… says Fusion GPS: Halvorssen’s allegations appear in his May 10, 2018 complaint against Simpson, Fritsch and others filed in the Eastern District of New York.

  35: Halvorssen filed a civil RICO lawsuit: “Testimony of Thor Halvorssen to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary,” July 26, 2017.

  36: Fusion GPS targeted: Does U.S. Media Help Russia Destabilize The United States?” by Lee Smith, The Federalist, October 10, 2017

  37: Akhmetshin… former Soviet intelligence officer: “Former Soviet Counterintelligence Officer at Meeting With Donald Trump Jr. and Russian Lawyer,” by Ken Dilanian, Natasha Lebedeva and Hallie Jackson, NBC News, July 14, 2017.

  38: Simpson met with Veselnitskaya: US Senate, Judiciary Committee, Interview of Glenn Simpson, August 22, 2017, p. 117.

  39: Project Charlemagne: “Christopher Steele: The Man Behind the Trump Dossier,” by Jane Mayer. The New Yorker, March 12, 2018.

  40: Admonished: “FBI releases documents showing payments to Trump dossier author Steele,” by Tom Winter, NBC News, Aug. 3, 2018.

  41: Fusion GPS hired a specialist: Simpson testified that he believed Fusion GPS hired Steele in June, or late May. US House of Representatives, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Interview of Glenn Simpson, November 14, 2017, p. 66. Simpson explained that after Fusion GPS exhausted its open-source material, it brought on Steele. US Senate, Judiciary Committee, Interview of Glenn Simpson, August 22, 2017, p. 143.

  42: Fusion pay Steele: “Ex-British spy paid $168,000 for Trump dossier, U.S. firm discloses,” by Mark Hosenball, Reuters, November 1, 2017.

  43: Sater… missing: Sater was widely reported to have worked with numerous US agencies, see for instance, “Ex-Trump Affiliate Secretly Worked With Prosecutors, FBI and CIA for Years,” By Michael Rothfeld, Wall Street Journal, August 23, 2019; and “The Asset,” by Anthony Cormier and Jason Leopold. BuzzFeed, March 12, 2018.

  44: Julian Assange: “WikiLeaks to publish more Hillary Clinton emails-Julian Assange,” by Mark Tran, Guardian, June 12, 2016.

  45: Clinton claimed: “Transcript: Everything Hillary Clinton Said on the Email Controversy,” by Zeke J. Miller, Time, March 10, 2015

  46: In July 2015: “Clinton–Obama Emails: The Key to Understanding Why Hillary Wasn’t Indicted,” By Andrew McCarthy, National Review, January 23, 2018. McCarthy, a former Justice Department official, was one of the first columnists who recognized irregularities in the FBI’s Russia probe. His many articles explaining the inner-workings of the FBI and DOJ are vital resources in understanding the anti-Trump plot.

  47: McCabe had a conflict of interest: A Review of Various Actions by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice in Advance of the 2016 Election, Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General, June 2018, p. 431.

  48: Clinton had sent an email to Obama: Clinton’s itinerary (https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/travels/secretary/clinton-hillary-rodham) as Secretary of State shows that from June 28 to 29, 2012 she was in St. Petersburg, Russia for the APEC Women and the Economy Forum. According to a response (http://www.judicialwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/JW-v-State-Presidential-Vaughn-00687.pdf) to a Freedom of Information Act application from Judicial Watch, on June 28, Clinton emailed Obama, who replied the same date. In Clinton’s July 2, 2016 FBI interview, the interviewing agents noted that the email was sent from Russia. Her email and Obama’s are being withheld by the State Department “pursuant to the presidential communications privilege.”

  49: Reasonably likely: A Review of Various Actions by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice in Advance of the 2016 Election, Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General, June 2018, p. 190.

  50: Comey… cleared Clinton: “Statement by FBI Director James B. Comey on the Investigation of Secretary Hillary Clinton’s Use of a Personal E-Mail System,” July 5, 2016.

  51: Michael Gaeta visited Steele: Russian Roulette: The Inside Story of Putin’s War on America and the Election of Donald Trump (Hachette, 2018), by Michael Isikoff and David Corn, p. 153.

  52: Steele… Russian organized crime: United States House of Representatives: Committee on the Judiciary, Joint with Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, Interview with Bruce Ohr, p. 63.

  53: Steele invited Jennings: According to his House testimony, Ohr was head of the Organized Crime and Racketeering Section from 1999-2011. Two books on the FIFA scandal—Ken Bensinger’s Red Card and Bonita Mersiades’s Whatever it Takes—report that the Chief of the DOJ’s Organized Crime and Racketeering Section, not named, met with Jennings in 2010 along with Steele. Ohr has not publicly acknowledged that he worked closely with Steele on the FIFA case.

  54: British Parliament: “Written evidence submitted by The Sunday Times Insight Investigations Team,” by Heidi Blake and Jonathan Calvert, November 2014. http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/culture-media-and-sport-committee/the-2022-world-cup-bidding-process/written/15880.html. The report submitted to Parliament does not name Steele. However, remarks attributed in the report to “MI6 source” are identical to those attributed to Steele in Luke Harding’s 2017 book Collusion, e.g., p. 25: “Nothing was written down. Don
’t expect me…” etc.

  55: cybersecurity firm hired by the campaign: Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook: “Clinton campaign manager: Russians leaked Democrats’ emails to help Donald Trump,” by Amber Phillips, Washington Post, July 24, 2016.

  56: Clinton campaign’s communications director: “The Clinton campaign warned you about Russia. But nobody listened to us,” by Jennifer Palmieri, Washington Post, March 24, 2017.

  57: Anderson Cooper: Transcript from “Anderson Cooper: 360 Degrees,” July 29, 2016

  58: Strzok was lonely: All exchanges from text messages between Peter Strzok and Lisa Page. See appendix to “Chairman Johnson Releases Interim Report Including Strzok-Page FBI Text Messages,” Senator Ron Johnson, February 7, 2018.

  59: Glenn Simpson was introducing Steele: “Meet the reporters behind the Trump dossier,” by Steve Levine. Axios. October 29, 2017. “Hero or hired gun? How a British former spy became a flash point in the Russia investigation,” by Tom Hamburger and Rosalind Hederman, Washington Post, February 6, 2018. “Isikoff Stunned That His Carter Page Article Was Used To Justify Spy Warrant,” by Chuck Ross, Daily Caller, February 2, 2018. “Christopher Steele: The Man Behind the Trump Dossier,” by Jane Mayer, The New Yorker, March 5, 2018.

  60: Strzok returned from London: “Hey call me re D brief,” Strzok to Page, August 10, 2016.

  61: He later testified before Congress: US House of Representatives, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Interview with John Brennan, May 23, 2017, p. 22

  62: Brenann took credit: “How CIA Director John Brennan Targeted James Comey,” by Lee Smith, Tablet, February 9, 2018.

  63: Damian Paletta: https://twitter.com/carterwpage/status/1067793120 560058368

  64: Anthony Weiner: “Despite Comey Assurances, Vast Bulk of Weiner Laptop Emails Were Never Examined,” by Paul Sperry, Real Clear Investigations, August 23, 2018

  65: FISA… denied: In, among other reports, “Trump ‘compromising’ claims: How and why did we get here?” by Paul Wood, BBC, January 12, 2017.

  66: Clinton’s communications team: “How the Russian collusion myth was hatched by Team Hillary immediately after her loss,” by Larry O’Connor, Washington Times, May 4, 2018.

  67: Susan Rice: “Grassley, Graham Uncover ‘Unusual Email’ Sent by Susan Rice to Herself on President Trump’s Inauguration Day.” Website of Senator Chuck Grassley, February 12, 2018.

  68: Obama added his voice: “Obama, With Angela Merkel in Berlin, Assails Spread of Fake News,” by Gardiner Harris and Melissa Eddy, New York Times, November 17, 2016.

  69: Obama partisans: “Obama’s secret struggle to punish Russia for Putin’s election assault,” by Greg Miller, Ellen Nakashima and Adam Entous, Washington Post, June 23, 2017.

  70: Evelyn Farkas: “Former Obama official discloses rush to get intelligence on Trump team.” Fox News, March 29, 2017.

  71: Brennan’s handpicked team: Senate Committee on the Judiciary, subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism. Statement of James R. Clapper, former Director of National Intelligence, concerning Russian interference in the 2016 United States Elections, May 8, 2018. US House of Representatives, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Interview with John Brennan, May 23, 2017, p 17.

  72: Alexander Bortnikov: Brennan testimony, May 23, 2017, p 11-12.

  73: “bombshell” report: “Obama’s secret struggle to punish Russia for Putin’s election assault,” by Greg Miller, Ellen Nakashima and Adam Entous, Washington Post, June 23, 2017.

  74: The assessment’s methodological flaws: Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections, Office of the Director of National Intelligence. January 6, 2017.

  75: Stefan Halper told the Kremlin-directed media outlet: “Clinton Best Option for US-UK ‘Special Relationship’—Ex-White House Official,” Sputnik. November 3, 2016.

  76: Adam Schiff… RT: “Schiff Appeared on Kremlin-Backed RT in 2013 to Discuss Push for Greater FISA Transparency,” by David Rutz, Washington Free Beacon, February 6, 2018

  77: Russia Beyond… American homes: “U.S. Media Long Carried Putin’s Water-Odd, Given Facebook Uproar,” Lee Smith, Real Clear Investigations, March 9, 2018

  78: RT’s US market share: “Just How Effective Is Russia’s RT?” by Damir Marusic, The American Interest, January 21, 2017.

  79: CNN is… going forward: “E-mails Show FBI Brass Discussed Dossier Briefing Details With CNN,” by Sean Davis, The Federalist, May 21, 2018. A former Senate investigator, Davis was one of the most knowledgeable journalists covering the anti-Trump operation and broke several key stories.

  80: Prior to meeting with the president-elect: Report of Investigation of Former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey’s Disclosure of Sensitive Investigative Information and Handling of Certain Memoranda, August 2019, p. 22

  81: Tapper emailed BuzzFeed: “Emails: Jake Tapper Tore Into ‘Irresponsible’ BuzzFeed Editor For Publishing The Steele Dossier,” by Chuck Ross, Daily Caller, February 8, 2019.

  82: CNN did not disclose: “CNN’s Undisclosed Ties To Fusion GPS,” Chuck Ross and Peter Hasson, October 28, 2017, Daily Caller.

  83: Steele had authored the memos: “Christopher Steele, Ex-British Intelligence Officer, Said to Have Prepared Dossier on Trump,” by Bradley Hope, Michael Rothfeld and Alan Cullison, Wall Street Journal, January 11, 2017.

  84: Felix Sater had directed… Michael Cohen: “Trump Associate Boasted That Moscow Business Deal ‘Will Get Donald Elected,’” by Matt Apuzzo and Maggie Haberman, New York Times, August 28, 2017. Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, p. 74.

  85: Obama… press release: “FACT SHEET: Actions in Response to Russian Malicious Cyber Activity and Harassment,” The White House, Office of the Press Secretary. December 29, 2016.

  86: WikiLeaks… foreign intelligence services: “How did WikiLeaks become associated with Russia?” Cathryn Watson, CBS News, November 15, 2017.

  87: Putin… visited Volgograd: President of Russia, English-language website, Trip to Volgograd. August 15, 2016. http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/trips/52727. “Viktor Yanukovych, Ukraine’s fugitive ex-president, just sailed into Volgograd on a triple-decker yacht,” Meduza, August 19, 2016.

  88: University of California: Reporting on International Corruption (3rd Annual Logan Symposium 2009). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQc4muYCl7Y&list=PLxKbSie2Bcux5s9-Imj8eM60SroHqw6c9&index=3&t=0s

  89: Times more than a decade: “The Times Announces Digital Subscription Plan,” by Jeremy W. Peters, New York Times, March 17, 2011

  90: All these newspapers: “The Aspiring Novelist Who Became Obama’s Foreign-Policy Guru,” by David Samuels. New York Times Magazine, May 5, 2016.

  91: Obama… warned Trump: “Obama Warned Trump About Hiring Flynn, Officials Say,” by Michael D. Shear, New York Times, May 8, 2017

  92: The president-elect was bewildered: Committee on the Judiciary, US House of Representatives, June 19, 2019 “Interview of Hope Hicks,” p. 191

  93: Strzok… worried: Committee on the Judiciary, US House of Representatives, June 27, 2018. Interview of Peter Strzok, p. 44.

  94: Nick Hopkins: Michael Flynn: Hopkins was one of three bylines, with Luke Harding and Stephanie Kirchgaessner, on a March 31, 2017 Guardian story about Flynn and Lokhova, “New evidence spy chiefs had concerns about Russian ties.”

  95: Either Flynn had misled Pence: “National security adviser Flynn discussed sanctions with Russian ambassador, despite denials, officials say,” by Greg Miller, Adam Entous, and Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post, February 9, 2017.

  96: December 28: Mueller Report, vol. 1, p. 169.

  97: The FBI director admitted: “Ex-FBI Director Comey Explains How He Took Advantage of Fledgling Trump Administration,” by Susan Jones, CNS News, December 14, 2018

  98: McCabe called Flynn: The Threat: How the F.B.I. Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump (St. Martin’s Press, New York, 2019), by Andrew McCabe, p. 200


  99: Strzok and another FBI agent: FBI Interview with Michael Flynn, January 24, 2017, entered February 15, 2017. “Why Is The FBI Muzzling The Only Person With Credibility Left in The Flynn Investigation: FBI SSA Joe Pientka III,” by Sara Carter, SaraCarter.com, December 17, 2018. Carter’s reporting, print and broadcast, was invaluable in uncovering details of the anti-Trump operation.

  100: Sally Yates: “Justice Department warned White House that Flynn could be vulnerable to Russian blackmail, officials say,” by Adam Entous, Ellen Nakashima and Philip Rucker, Washington Post, February 13, 2017.

  101: This is totally opposite: The Threat, McCabe, p. 203

  102: New Jersey governor: “Trump Thought Firing Flynn Would End ‘Russia Thing,’ Chris Christie Writes in Book,” by Maggie Haberman, New York Times, January 27, 2019.

  103: Post adopted a new motto: “The Washington Post’s new slogan turns out to be an old saying,” by Paul Farhi, Washington Post, February 24, 2017.

  104: Howard Kurtz at Fox News: “The Media Backlash Against Howard Kurtz’s Media Madness,” by Lloyd Grove, Daily Beast, February 9, 2018.

  105: Trump’s January conversations: “‘This was the worst call by far’: Trump badgered, bragged and abruptly ended phone call with Australian leader,” by Greg Miller and Philip Rucker, Washington Post, February 2, 2017. “After testy call with Trump over border wall, Mexican president shelves plan to visit White House,” by Philip Rucker, Joshua Partlow and Nick Miroff, Washington Post, February 24, 2018.

  106: Her testimony was leaked: “Rice told House investigators why she unmasked senior Trump officials,” by Manu Raju, CNN, September 18, 2017.

  107: Nunes went on CNN: Interview with Wolf Blitzer. “Rep. Devin Nunes’ entire CNN interview,” March 27, 2017

  108: Another story that sticks out in Langer’s mind: “2 White House Officials Helped Give Nunes Intelligence Reports,” by Matthew Rosenberg, Maggie Haberman and Adam Goldman, New York Times, March 30, 2017.