Reports that Matter

Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election · 2019

Front matter

Section 1 of 102

Report On The Investigation Into

Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election Volume I of II

Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller, III Submitted Pursuant to 28 C.F.R. § 600.8(c)

Washington, D.C. March 2019

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  • TABLE OF CONTENTS – VOLUME I INTRODUCTION TO VOLUME I — 1

  • EXECUTIVE SUMMARY TO VOLUME I — 4

  • I. THE SPECIAL COUNSEL'S INVESTIGATION — 11

  • II. RUSSIAN "ACTIVE MEASURES" SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN — 14

  • A. Structure of the Internet Research Agency — 15

  • B. Funding and Oversight from Concord and Prigozhin — 16

  • C. The IRA Targets U.S. Elections — 19

    1. The IRA Ramps Up U.S. Operations As Early As 2014 — 19
    1. U.S. Operations Through IRA-Controlled Social Media Accounts — 22
    1. U.S. Operations Through Facebook — 24
    1. U.S. Operations Through Twitter — 26

  • a. Individualized Accounts — 26

  • b. IRA Botnet Activities — 28

    1. U.S. Operations Involving Political Rallies — 29
    1. Targeting and Recruitment of U.S. Persons — 31
    1. Interactions and Contacts with the Trump Campaign — 33

  • a. Trump Campaign Promotion of IRA Political Materials — 33

  • b. Contact with Trump Campaign Officials in Connection to Rallies — 35

  • III. RUSSIAN HACKING AND DUMPING OPERATIONS — 36

  • A. GRU Hacking Directed at the Clinton Campaign — 36

    1. GRU Units Target the Clinton Campaign — 36
    1. Intrusions into the DCCC and DNC Networks — 38

  • a. Initial Access — 38

  • b. Implantation of Malware on DCCC and DNC Networks — 38

  • c. Theft of Documents from DNC and DCCC Networks — 40

  • B. Dissemination of the Hacked Materials — 41

    1. DCLeaks — 41
    1. Guccifer 2.0 — 42
    1. Use of WikiLeaks — 44

  • a. WikiLeaks's Expressed Opposition Toward the Clinton Campaign — 44

  • b. WikiLeaks's First Contact with Guccifer 2.0 and DCLeaks — 45

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  • c. The GRU's Transfer of Stolen Materials to WikiLeaks — 45

  • d. WikiLeaks Statements Dissembling About the Source of Stolen Materials — 48

  • C. Additional GRU Cyber Operations — 49

    1. Summer and Fall 2016 Operations Targeting Democrat-Linked Victims — 49
    1. Intrusions Targeting the Administration of U.S. Elections — 50

  • D. Trump Campaign and the Dissemination of Hacked Materials — 51

    1. Role of Roger Stone — 51

  • a. Background — 51

  • b. Contacts with the Campaign about WikiLeaks — 52

  • c. Roger Stone's Known Efforts to Communicate with WikiLeaks — 54

  • d. WikiLeaks's October 7, 2016 Release of Stolen Podesta Emails — 58

  • e. Donald Trump Jr. Interaction with WikiLeaks — 59

    1. Other Potential Campaign Interest in Russian Hacked Materials — 61

  • a. Henry Oknyansky (a/k/a Henry Greenberg) — 61

  • b. Campaign Efforts to Obtain Deleted Clinton Emails — 62

  • IV. RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT LINKS TO AND CONTACTS WITH THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN — 66

  • A. Campaign Period (September 2015 – November 8, 2016) — 66

    1. Trump Tower Moscow Project — 67

  • a. Trump Tower Moscow Venture with the Crocus Group (2013-2014) — 67

  • b. Communications with I.C. Expert Investment Company and Giorgi Rtskhiladze (Summer and Fall 2015) — 69

  • c. Letter of Intent and Contacts to Russian Government (October 2015- January 2016) — 70

  • i. Trump Signs the Letter of Intent on behalf of the Trump Organization — 70

  • ii. Post-LOI Contacts with Individuals in Russia — 72

  • d. Discussions about Russia Travel by Michael Cohen or Candidate Trump (December 2015-June 2016) — 76

  • i. Sater's Overtures to Cohen to Travel to Russia — 76

  • ii. Candidate Trump's Opportunities to Travel to Russia — 78

    1. George Papadopoulos — 80

  • a. Origins of Campaign Work — 81

  • b. Initial Russia-Related Contacts — 82

  • c. March 31 Foreign Policy Team Meeting — 85

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  • d. George Papadopoulos Learns That Russia Has "Dirt" in the Form of Clinton Emails — 86

  • e. Russia-Related Communications With The Campaign — 89

  • f. Trump Campaign Knowledge of "Dirt" — 93

  • g. Additional George Papadopoulos Contact — 94

    1. Carter Page — 95

  • a. Background — 96

  • b. Origins of and Early Campaign Work — 97

  • c. Carter Page's July 2016 Trip To Moscow — 98

  • d. Later Campaign Work and Removal from the Campaign — 102

    1. Dimitri Simes and the Center for the National Interest — 103

  • a. CNI and Dimitri Simes Connect with the Trump Campaign — 103

  • b. National Interest Hosts a Foreign Policy Speech at the Mayflower Hotel — 105

  • c. Jeff Sessions's Post-Speech Interactions with CNI — 107

  • d. Jared Kushner's Continuing Contacts with Simes — 108

    1. June 9, 2016 Meeting at Trump Tower — 110

  • a. Setting Up the June 9 Meeting — 110

  • i. Outreach to Donald Trump Jr — 110

  • ii. Awareness of the Meeting Within the Campaign — 114

  • b. The Events of June 9, 2016 — 116

  • i. Arrangements for the Meeting — 116

  • ii. Conduct of the Meeting — 117

  • c. Post-June 9 Events — 120

    1. Events at the Republican National Convention — 123

  • a. Ambassador Kislyak's Encounters with Senator Sessions and J.D. Gordon the Week of the RNC — 123

  • b. Change to Republican Party Platform — 124

    1. Post-Convention Contacts with Kislyak — 127

  • a. Ambassador Kislyak Invites J.D. Gordon to Breakfast at the Ambassador's Residence — 127

  • b. Senator Sessions's September 2016 Meeting with Ambassador Kislyak — 127

    1. Paul Manafort — 129

  • a. Paul Manafort's Ties to Russia and Ukraine — 131

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  • i. Oleg Deripaska Consulting Work — 131

  • ii. Political Consulting Work — 132

  • iii. Konstantin Kilimnik — 132

  • b. Contacts during Paul Manafort's Time with the Trump Campaign — 134

  • i. Paul Manafort Joins the Campaign — 134

  • ii. Paul Manafort's Campaign-Period Contacts — 135

  • iii. Paul Manafort's Two Campaign-Period Meetings with Konstantin Kilimnik in the United States — 138

  • c. Post-Resignation Activities — 141

  • B. Post-Election and Transition-Period Contacts — 144

    1. Immediate Post-Election Activity — 144

  • a. Outreach from the Russian Government — 145

  • b. High-Level Encouragement of Contacts through Alternative Channels — 146

    1. Kirill Dmitriev's Transition-Era Outreach to the Incoming Administration — 147

  • a. Background — 147

  • b. Kirill Dmitriev's Post-Election Contacts With the Incoming Administration — 149

  • c. Erik Prince and Kirill Dmitriev Meet in the Seychelles — 151

  • i. George Nader and Erik Prince Arrange Seychelles Meeting with Dmitriev — 151

  • ii. The Seychelles Meetings — 153

  • iii. Erik Prince's Meeting with Steve Bannon after the Seychelles Trip — 155

  • d. Kirill Dmitriev's Post-Election Contact with Rick Gerson Regarding U.S.-Russia Relations — 156

    1. Ambassador Kislyak's Meeting with Jared Kushner and Michael Flynn in Trump Tower Following the Election — 159
    1. Jared Kushner's Meeting with Sergey Gorkov — 161
    1. Petr Aven's Outreach Efforts to the Transition Team — 163
    1. Carter Page Contact with Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich — 166
    1. Contacts With and Through Michael T. Flynn — 167

  • a. United Nations Vote on Israeli Settlements — 167

  • b. U.S. Sanctions Against Russia — 168

  • V. PROSECUTION AND DECLINATION DECISIONS — 174

  • A. Russian "Active Measures" Social Media Campaign — 174

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  • B. Russian Hacking and Dumping Operations — 175

    1. Section 1030 Computer-Intrusion Conspiracy — 175

  • a. Background — 175

  • b. Charging Decision As to WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, and Roger Stone — 176

    1. Potential Section 1030 Violation By Donald Trump Jr — 179

  • C. Russian Government Outreach and Contacts — 180

    1. Potential Coordination: Conspiracy and Collusion — 180
    1. Potential Coordination: Foreign Agent Statutes (FARA and 18 U.S.C. § 951) . 181 a. Governing Law — 181

  • b. Application — 182

    1. Campaign Finance — 183

  • a. Overview Of Governing Law — 184

  • b. Application to June 9 Trump Tower Meeting — 185

  • i. Thing-of-Value Element — 186

  • ii. Willfulness — 187

  • iii. Difficulties in Valuing Promised Information — 188

  • c. Application to WikiLeaks and Roger Stone — 188

  • i. Questions Over Whether WikiLeaks's Activities Are Covered by the Campaign-Finance Laws — 189

  • ii. Willfulness — 190

  • iii. Constitutional Considerations — 190

  • iv. Analysis as to Roger Stone — 190

    1. False Statements and Obstruction of the Investigation — 191

  • a. Overview Of Governing Law — 191

  • b. Application to Certain Individuals — 192

  • i. George Papadopoulos — 192

  • ii. [Redacted: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)] — 194

  • iii. Michael Flynn — 194

  • iv. Michael Cohen — 195

  • v. Roger Stone — 196

  • vi. Jeff Sessions — 197

  • vii. Others Interviewed During the Investigation — 198

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