Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election · 2019
June 9, 2016 Meeting at Trump Tower
June 9, 2016 Meeting at Trump Tower
¶On June 9, 2016, senior representatives of the Trump Campaign met in Trump Tower with a Russian attorney expecting to receive derogatory information about Hillary Clinton from the Russian government. The meeting was proposed to Donald Trump Jr. in an email from Robert Goldstone, at the request of his then-client Emin Agalarov, the son of Russian real-estate developer Aras Agalarov. Goldstone relayed to Trump Jr. that the "Crown prosecutor of Russia . . . offered to provide the Trump Campaign with some official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia" as "part of Russia and its government's support for Mr. Trump." Trump Jr. immediately responded that "if it's what you say I love it," and arranged the meeting through a series of emails and telephone calls.
¶Trump Jr. invited campaign chairman Paul Manafort and senior advisor Jared Kushner to attend the meeting, and both attended. Members of the Campaign discussed the meeting before it occurred, and Michael Cohen recalled that Trump Jr. may have told candidate Trump about an upcoming meeting to receive adverse information about Clinton, without linking the meeting to Russia. According to written answers submitted by President Trump, he has no recollection of learning of the meeting at the time, and the Office found no documentary evidence showing that he was made aware of the meeting—or its Russian connection—before it occurred.
¶The Russian attorney who spoke at the meeting, Natalia Veselnitskaya, had previously worked for the Russian government and maintained a relationship with that government throughout this period of time. She claimed that funds derived from illegal activities in Russia were provided to Hillary Clinton and other Democrats. Trump Jr. requested evidence to support those claims, but Veselnitskaya did not provide such information. She and her associates then turned to a critique of the origins of the Magnitsky Act, a 2012 statute that imposed financial and travel sanctions on Russian officials and that resulted in a retaliatory ban on adoptions of Russian children. Trump Jr. suggested that the issue could be revisited when and if candidate Trump was elected. After the election, Veselnitskaya made additional efforts to follow up on the meeting, but the Trump Transition Team did not engage.
Setting Up the June 9 Meeting
Outreach to Donald Trump Jr
¶Aras Agalarov is a Russian real-estate developer with ties to Putin and other members of the Russian government, including Russia's Prosecutor General, Yuri Chaika.664 [Redacted: (b) (3)] Goldstone 2/8/18 302, at 4. Aras Agalarov is the president of the Crocus Group, a Russian enterprise that holds substantial Russian government construction contracts and that—as discussed above, Volume I, Section IV.A.1, supra
111-
¶
- worked with Tmmp in connection with the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow and a potential Trnmp Moscow real-estate project. 665 The relationship continued over time, as the paiiies pursued the Trnmp Moscow project in 2013-2014 an d exchanged gifts an d letters in 2016. 666 For example, in April 2016, Trnmp responded to a letter from Aras Agalarov with a handwritten note.667 Aras Agalarov expressed interest in Trnmp 's campaign, passed on "congratulations" for winning in th e prima1y an d- according to one email drafted by Goldstone-an "offer" of his "suppo1i an d that of many of his important Russian friends an d colleagues[,] especially with reference to U.S./Russian relations."668
¶On June 3, 2016, Emin Agalarov called Goldstone, Emin's then-publicist.669 Call Records of Robe1t Goldstone [Redacted: (b) (3)] Goldstone 2/8/ 18 302, at 6. Goldstone is a music and events promoter who represented Emin Agalai·ov from approximately late 2012 until late 2016.670 Goldstone 2/8/ 18 302, at 1-2; [Redacted: (b) (3)] Beniaminov 1/6/ 18 302, at 3. Goldstone 2/8/18 302, at 1-5; ~~ While representing Emin Agalai·ov, Goldstone facilitated th e ongoing contact between the Tnunps an d the Agalarovs-includin an invitation that Tnun sent to Putin to attend the 2013 Miss Universe Pa eant in Moscow.671 DJTJR00008 (2/29/ 19 Email, Goldstone to Tmmp Jr.); Bemammov 1 6 18 302, at 3; S ugait 9 25 17 302, at 2; TRUMPORG_ l8_001325 (6/21/ 13 Email, Goldstone to Graff); TRUMPORG_ l8_001013 (6/24/ 13 Email, Goldstone to Graff); TRUMPORG 18 001014 (6/24/13 Email, Graff to Shugart); TRUMPORG_ l8_ 001018 (6/26/ 13 Email, Graffto Goldstone); TRUMPORG_ l8_001022 (6/27/ 13 Email, Graff to L. Kelly); TRUMPORG_ l 8_001333 (9/ 12/13 Email, Goldstone to Graff, Shuga1t); MUO00004289 (7/27/ 13 Email, Goldstone to Graff, Shugart). [Redacted: (b) (3)] see Goldstone 2/8/ 18 302, at 6-7. 673 [Redacted: (b) (3)] 674 [Redacted: (b) (3)]
¶Kaveladze 11/ 16/ 17
112Goldstone 2/8/ 18 302, at 10; !XWM Kave a e 11 16 17 302, at 5-6; 4/25/ 16 Email, Graff to Gol \ one. RG000033-34 (4/25/ 16 Email, Graff to Goldstone (attachment)).
-
¶
- [Redacted: (b) (3)] — 675
The [Redacted: (b) (3)] mentioned by Emin Agalarov was Natalia ..
¶Veselnitskaya. F10m app10xunately 1998 until 2001, Veselnitskaya worked as a prosecutor for the Centi-al Administrative Disti·ict of the Russian Prosecutor's Office,677 and she continued to perfo1m government-related work an d maintain ties to the Russian government following her departure. 678 She lobbied and testified about the Magnitsky Act, which imposed finan cial sanctions and ti·avel resti·ictions on Russian officials and which was nam ed for a Russian tax specialist who exposed a fraud and later died in a Russian prison .679 Putin called the statute "a purely political, unfriendly act," and Russia responded by ban ing a list of cunent and fo1mer U.S. officials from entering Russia and by halting the adoption of Russian children by U.S. citizens. 680 Veselnitskaya perfonned legal work for Denis Katsyv,681 the son of Russian businessm an Peter Katsyv, and for his company Prevezon Holdings Ltd., which was a defendant in a civil-forfeiture action alleging the laundering of proceeds from the fraud exposed by Magnitsky.682 She also
¶675 [Redacted: (b) (3)]
¶In December 2018, a grandjmy in the Southern District of New York retmned an indictment charging Veselnitskaya with obstmcting the Prevezon litigation discussed in the text above. See Indictment, United States v. Natalia Vladimirovna Veselnitskaya, No. 18-cr-904 (S.D.N.Y.). The indictment alleges, among other things, that Veselnitskaya lied to the district comt about her relationship to the Russian Prosecutor General's Office and her involvement in responding to a U.S. document request sent to the Russian government.
¶m Veselnitska a 11/20/ 17 Statement to the Senate Committee on the Judicia1y, at 2;- 678 Testimony ofNatalia Veselnitskaya Before the Senate Committee on Judiciaiy (Nov. 20, 2017) at 33; Keir Simmons & Rachel Elbaum, Russian Lawyer Veselnitskaya Says She Didn 't Give Trump Jr. Info on Clinton, NBC News (July 11, 2017); Maria Tsvetkova & Jack Stubbs, Moscow Lawyer Who Met Tmmp Jr. Had Russian Spy Agency As Client, Reuters (July 21 , 2017); Andrew E. Kramer & Shai·on LaFraniere, Lawyer Who Was Said to Have Dirt on Clinton Had Closer Ties to Kremlin than She Let On, New York Times (Apr. 27, 2018).
¶See Pub. L. No. 112-208 §§ 402, 404(a)(l), 126 Stat. 1502, 1502-1506. Sergei Magnitsky was a Russian tax specialist who worked for William Browder, a fo1mer investment fund manager in Russia. Browder hired Magnitsky to investigate tax fraud by Russian officials, and Magnitsky was charged with helping Browder embezzle money. After Magnitsky died in a Russian p1ison, Browder lobbied Congress to pass the Magnitsky Act. See, e.g., Andrew E. Kramer, Turning Tables in Magnitsky Case, Russia Accuses Nemesis ofMurder, New York Times (Oct. 22, 2017); Testimony ofNatalia Veselnitskaya Before the Senate Committee on Judicia1y (Nov. 20, 2017), Exhibits at 1-4; Rosie Gray, Bill Browder's Testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, The Atlantic (July 25, 2017).
¶Ellen Bai1y, Russia Bars 18 Americans After Sanctions by US, New York Times (Apr. 13, 2013); Tom Poit er, Supporters of the Magnitsky Act Claim They 've Been Targets ofRussian Assassination and Kidnapping Bids, Newsweek (July 16, 2017).
¶Testimony ofNatalia Veselnitskaya Before the Senate Committee on Judiciaiy (Nov. 20, 2017), at 21.
¶See Veselnitskaya Deel., United States v. Prevezon Holdings, Ltd., No. 13-cv-6326 (S.D.N.Y.); see Prevezon Holdings, Second Amended Complaint; Prevezon Holdings, Mem. and Order; Prevezon Holdings, Deposition of Oleg Lmie.
113¶appears to have been involved in an April 2016 approach to a U.S. congressional delegation in Moscow offering "confidential information" from "the Prosecutor General of Russia" about "interactions between certain political forces in our two countries."683 See Gribbin 8/31/17 302, at 1-2 & 1A (undated one-page document given to congressional delegation). The Russian Prosecutor General is an official with broad national responsibilities in the Russian legal system. See Federal Law on the Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation (1992, amended 2004).
¶Shortly after his June 3 call with Emin Agalarov, Goldstone emailed Trump Jr.684 RG000061 (6/3/16 Email, Goldstone to Trump Jr.); DJTJR00446 (6/3/16 Email, Goldstone to Donald Trump Jr.); @DonaldJTrumpJr 07/11/17 (11:00) Tweet. The email stated:
¶Good momlng Emin just called and asked me to contact you with something very Interesting. The Crown prosecutor of Russia met with his father Aras this morning and in their meeting offered to provide the Trump campaign with some official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to your father. This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part orRussia and Its govemment1s support tor Mr. Trump· helped along by Aras and Emin. Wllal do you think is the best way to handle thts informatron and would you be able to speak to Emin about It direcUy? I can also send this Info to your fa her vin Rhona, but ii ls ultra senslove so wanted to send to you llrs!. Best Rob Goldstone
¶Within minutes of this email, Trump Jr. responded, emailing back: "Thanks Rob I appreciate that. I am on the road at the moment but perhaps I just speak to Emin first. Seems we have some time and if it's what you say I love it especially later in the summer. Could we do a call first thing next week when I am back?"685 DJTJR00446 (6/3/16 Email, Trump Jr. to Goldstone); @DonaldJTrumpJr 07/11/17 (11:00) Tweet; RG000061 (6/3/16 Email, Trump Jr. to Goldstone). Goldstone conveyed Trump Jr.'s interest to Emin Agalarov, emailing that Trump Jr. "wants to speak personally on the issue."686 [Redacted: (b) (3)] RG000062 (6/3/16 Email, Goldstone & Trump Jr.).
¶On June 6, 2016, Emin Agalarov asked Goldstone if there was "[a]ny news," and Goldstone explained that Trump Jr. was likely still traveling for the "final elections . . . where [T]rump will be 'crowned' the official nominee."687 RG000063 (6/6/16 Email, A. Agalarov to Goldstone); RG000064 (6/6/16 Email, Goldstone to A. Agalarov). On the same day, Goldstone again emailed Trump Jr. and asked when Trump Jr. was "free to talk with Emin about this Hillary info."688 RG000065 (6/6/16 Email, Goldstone to Trump Jr.); DJTJR00446 (6/6/16 Email, Goldstone to Trump Jr.). Trump Jr. asked if they could "speak now," and Goldstone ananged a call between Trnmp Jr. and Emin Agalarov.689 DJTJR00445 6/6/ 16 Email, Goldstone and Tnnnp Jr.); RG000065-67 (6/6/ 16 Email, Goldstone and Tmmp Jr.); On June 6 and June 7, Trnmp Jr. and Emin Agalarov had multiple brief calls.690 DJT n....m':"r' r. [Redacted: (b) (3)] Call Records of Donald Tmmp J
114¶Also on June 6, 2016, Aras Agalarov called Ike Kaveladze and asked him to attend a meeting in New York with the Trnmp Organization.691 Kaveladze 11/16/ 17 302, at 6; [Redacted: (b) (3)] Kaveladze is a Georgia-born, naturalized U.S. citizen who worked in the United States for the Crocus Group and repo1ied to Aras Agalarov.692 Kaveladze 11/16/ 17 302, at 1-2; Beniaminov 1/6/ 18 Kaveladze told the Office that, in a second phone call on June 6, 2016, Aras Agalarov asked Kaveladze if he knew anything about the Magnitsky Act, and Aras sent him a sho1i synopsis for the meeting and Veselnitskaya's business card. According to Kaveladze, Aras Agalarov said the pmpose of the meeting was to discuss the Magnitsky Act, and he asked Kaveladze to translate.693
Awareness of the Meeting Within the Campaign
¶On June 7, Goldstone emailed Trnmp Jr. and said that "Emin asked that I schedule a meeting with you and [t]he Russian government attorney who is flying over from Moscow."694 DJTJR00467 (6/7/16 Email, Goldstone to Tmm Tweet; RG000068 (6/7/16 Email, Goldstone to Tmmp Jr.);w:11; Tnnnp Jr. replied that Manafo1i (identified as the "campaign boss"), Jared Kushner, and Tnnnp Jr. would likely attend.695 DJTJR00469 (6/7/16 Email, Tmmp Jr. to Goldstone); @DonaldJTmmpJr 07/ 11/ 17 (11:00) Tweet; RG000071 6/7/16 Email, Tmm Jr. to Goldstone); OSC-KAV_ 00048 (6/7/16 Email, Goldstone to Kaveladze); G o ~ d to learn that Tnnnp Jr., Manafo1i, and Kushner would attend.696 Goldstone 2/8/ 18 302, at 7; [Redacted: (b) (3)] Kaveladze - "puzzled" by the list of attendees and that he checked with one of Emin Agalarov's assistants, Roman Beniaminov, who said that the pmpose of the meeting was for Veselnitskaya to convey "negative info1mation on Hillaiy Clinton."697 see Kaveladze 11/ 16/ 17 302 at 7; OSC- KAV 0004 Beniaininov, however, stated that he did not recall having known or said that.698 Beniaminov 1/6/ 18 302, at 3.
¶Early on June 8, 2016 Kushner emailed his assistant, asking her to discuss a 3:00 p.m.
115¶meeting the following day with Trump Jr.699 NOSC0000007-08 (6/8/18 Email, Kushner to Vargas). Later that day, Trump Jr. forwarded the entirety of his email correspondence regarding the meeting with Goldstone to Manafort and Kushner, under the subject line "FW: Russia - Clinton – private and confidential," adding a note that the "[m]eeting got moved to 4 tomorrow at my offices."700 NOSC00000039-42 (6/8/16 Email, Trump Jr. to Kushner & Manafort); DJTJR00485 (6/8/16 Email, Trump Jr. to Kushner & Manafort). Kushner then sent his assistant a second email, informing her that the "[m]eeting with don jr is 4pm now."701 NOSC0000004 (6/8/16 Email, Kushner to Vargas). Manafort responded, "See you then. P."702 6/8/16 Email, Manafort to Trump Jr.
¶Rick Gates, who was the deputy campaign chairman, stated during interviews with the Office that in the days before June 9, 2016 Trump Jr. announced at a regular morning meeting of senior campaign staff and Trump family members that he had a lead on negative information about the Clinton Foundation.703 Gates 1/30/18 302, at 7; Gates 3/1/18 302, at 3-4. Although the March 1 302 refers to "June 19," that is likely a typographical error; external emails indicate that a meeting with those participants occurred on June 6. See NOSC00023603 (6/6/16 Email, Gates to Trump Jr. et al.). Gates believed that Trump Jr. said the information was coming from a group in Kyrgyzstan and that he was introduced to the group by a friend.704 Gates 1/30/18 302, at 7. Aras Agalarov is originally from Azerbaijan, and public reporting indicates that his company, the Crocus Group, has done substantial work in Kyrgyzstan. See Neil MacFarquhar, A Russian Developer Helps Out the Kremlin on Occasion. Was He a Conduit to Trump?, New York Times (July 16, 2017). Gates recalled that the meeting was attended by Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Paul Manafort, Hope Hicks, and, joining late, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. According to Gates, Manafort warned the group that the meeting likely would not yield vital information and they should be careful.705 Gates 3/1/18 302, at 3-4. Hicks denied any knowledge of the June 9 meeting before 2017,706 Hicks 12/7/17 302, at 6. and Kushner did not recall if the planned June 9 meeting came up at all earlier that week.707 Kushner 4/11/18 302, at 8.
¶Michael Cohen recalled being in Donald J. Trump's office on June 6 or 7 when Trump Jr. told his father that a meeting to obtain adverse information about Clinton was going forward.708 Cohen 8/7/18 302, at 4-6. Cohen did not recall Trump Jr. stating that the meeting was connected to Russia.709 Cohen 8/7/18 302, at 4-5. From the tenor of the conversation, Cohen believed that Trump Jr. had previously discussed the meeting with his father, although Cohen was not involved in any such conversation.710 Cohen 9/12/18 302, at 15-16. In an interview with the Senate Judiciary Committee, however, Trump Jr. stated that he did not inform his father about the em ails or the upcoming meeting. 711 Similarly, neither Manafort nor Kushner recalled anyone infonning can didate Trnmp of the meeting, including Trnmp Jr. 712 President Trnmp has stated to this O ffice, in written answers to questions, that he has " no recollection of learning at the time" that his son, Manafo1t, or "Kushner was considering pa1ticipating in a meeting in June 2016 concerning potentially negative infon nation about H illaiy Clinton." 713
116The Events of June 9, 2016
Arrangements for the Meeting
¶Veselnitskaya was in New York on June 9, 2016, for appellate proceedings in the Prevezon civil forfeiture liti ation .714 That da , Veselnitskaya called Rinat Akhmetshin, a Soviet-born U.S. lobbyist,. _ . and when she learned that he was in New York, invited him to lunch . Akhmetshin told the Office that he had worked on issues relating to the Magnitsky Act an d had worked on the Prevezon litigation .716 Kaveladze an d Anatoli Sam ochornov, a
117¶~~-- Russian-born translator who had assisted Veselnitska a with Ma nitsky-related lobbying an d the Prevezon case also attended the lunch.717 Veselnitska a said she was asked Akhmetshin what she should tell him. ~
¶According to several paiiicipants in the lunch, Veselnitskaya showed Akhmetshin a document alleging finan cial misconduct by Bill Browder and th e Ziff brothers (Americans with business in Russia an d th ose individuals subse uentl makin olitical donations to th e DNC.719
¶The group then went to Trnmp Tower for th e meeting. 721
Conduct of the Meeting
¶Trnmp Jr., Manafo1i, and Kushner paiiicipated on the Trnmp side, while Kaveladze, Samochornov, Akhmetshin, and Goldstone attended with Veselnitskaya. 722 The Office spoke to eve1y paiticipant except Veselnitska a an d Trnm Jr. the latter of whom declined to be voluntai·il interviewed b the Office
¶Goldstone recalled that Tn unp Jr. invited Veselnitskaya to begin but did not say anything about the subject of the meeting. 725 Pa1ticipants agreed that Veselnitskaya stated that th e Ziff broth ers had broken Russian laws and had donated their profits to the DNC or the Clinton Campaign.726 She asse1ied th at the Ziff brothers had engaged in tax evasion and money laundering in both the United States and Russia,727 [Redacted: (b) (3)]
118¶According to Akhmetshin, Trnmp Jr. asked follow-up questions a out ow t e a ege payments could be tied specifically to the Clinton Campaign, but Veselnitskaya indicated that she could not ti-ace the money once it entered the United States. 729 Kaveladze similarly recalled that Trnmp Jr. asked what they have on Clinton, and Kushner became aggravated and asked " [w]hat are we doing here?"730
¶Akhmetshin then spoke about U.S. san ctions imposed under the Magnitsky Act and Russia's response prohibiting U.S. adoption of Russian children.731 Several pa1ticipants recalled that Trnmp Jr. commented that Tnnnp is a private citizen, and there was nothing they could do at th at time.732 Trnmp Jr. also said that they could revisit the issue if and when they were in govenunent. 733 Notes that Man afo1t took on his phone reflect the general flow of the conversation, although not all of its details.734
¶At some point in the meeting, Kushner sent an iMessage to Manafo1t stating "waste oftime," followed immediately by two separate emails to assistants at Kushner Companies with requests that n1 [Redacted: (b) (3)]
n s [Redacted: (b) (3)] n9 [Redacted: (b) (3)] Akhmetshin 11/14/17 302, at 12.
¶E.g., Akhmetshin 11/14/ 17 302, at 12-13; [Redacted: (b) (3)]
¶Akhmetshin 11/ 14/ 17 302, at 12-13;._,.1111 Samochomov 7/ 13/17 302, at 3. Tnnnp Jr. confnmed this in a statement e ma e m Ju y 2017 a er news of the June 2016 meeting broke. Intenliew of Donald J Trump, Jr. , Senate Judiciary Committee US. Senate Washington DC, 115th Cong. 57 (Sept. 7, 2017).
Manafo1t's notes state: Bill browder Offshore - Cyprns 133m shares Companies Not invest - loan Value in Cyprns as inter Illici Active sponsors ofRNC Browder hired Joanna Glover Tied into Cheney Russian adoption by Ame1ican fainilies
¶PJM-SJC-00000001-02 (Notes Produced to Senate Judicia1y Cominittee).
119¶they call him to give him an excuse to leave.735 NOSC00003992 (6/9/16 Text Message, Kushner to Manafort); Kushner 4/11/18 302, at 9; Vargas 4/4/18 302, at 7; NOSC00000044 (6/9/16 Email, Kushner to Vargas); NOSC00000045 (6/9/16 Email, Kushner to Cain). Samochornov recalled that Kushner departed the meeting before it concluded; Veselnitskaya recalled the same when interviewed by the press in July 2017.736 Samochornov 7/12/17 302, at 4; [Redacted: (b) (3)] Kushner 4/11/18 302, at 9-10; see also Interview of: Donald J. Trump, Jr., Senate Judiciary Committee, 115th Cong. 48-49 (Sept. 7, 2017).
¶Veselnitskaya's press interviews and written statements to Congress differ materially from other accounts. In a July 2017 press interview, Veselnitskaya claimed that she has no connection to the Russian government and had not referred to any derogatory information concerning the Clinton Campaign when she met with Trump Campaign officials.737 Russian Lawyer Veselnitskaya Says She Didn't Give Trump Jr. Info on Clinton, NBC News (July 11, 2017). Veselnitskaya's November 2017 written submission to the Senate Judiciary Committee stated that the purpose of the June 9 meeting was not to connect with "the Trump Campaign" but rather to have "a private meeting with Donald Trump Jr.—a friend of my good acquaintance's son on the matter of assisting me or my colleagues in informing the Congress members as to the criminal nature of manipulation and interference with the legislative activities of the US Congress."738 Testimony of Natalia Veselnitskaya before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, th 115 Cong. 10 (Nov 20, 2017). In other words, Veselnitskaya claimed her focus was on Congress and not the Campaign. No witness, however, recalled any reference to Congress during the meeting. Veselnitskaya also maintained that she "attended the meeting as a lawyer of Denis Katsyv," the previously mentioned owner of Prevezon Holdings, but she did not "introduce [her]self in this capacity."739 Testimony of Natalia Veselnitskaya before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, th 115 Cong. 21 (Nov. 20, 2017).
¶In a July 2017 television interview, Trump Jr. stated that while he had no way to gauge the reliability, credibility, or accuracy of what Goldstone had stated was the purpose of the meeting, if "someone has information on our opponent . . . maybe this is something. I should hear them out."740 Sean Hannity, Transcript-Donald Trump Jr, Fox News (July 11, 2017). Trump Jr. further stated in September 2017 congressional testimony that he thought he should "listen to what Rob and his colleagues had to say."741 Interview of: Donald J. Trump, Jr, Senate Judiciary Committee, 115th Cong. 16 (Sept. 7, 2017). Depending on what, if any, information was provided, Trump Jr. stated he could then "consult with counsel to make an informed decision as to whether to give it any further consideration."742 Interview of: Donald J. Trump, Jr, Senate Judiciary Committee, 115th Cong. 16-17 (Sept. 7, 2017).
120Jr. 743 According to 744 and
¶Aras Agalarov asked Kaveladze to repo1i in after th e meeting, but before Kaveladze could call, Aras Agalarov called him.747 With Veselnitskaya next to him, Kaveladze repo1ied that the meeting had gone well, but he later told Aras Agalarov that the meeting about the Magnitsky Act had been a waste of time because it was not with lawyers and they were "preaching to the wrong crowd." 748
Post-June 9 Events
¶Veselnitskaya an d Aras Agalarov made at least two unsuccessful attempts after the election to meet with Trnmp representatives to convey similar infon nation about Browder an d the Magnitsky Act.749 Goldstone 2/8/ 18 302, at 11; [Redacted: (b) (3)] On November 23 , 2016, Kaveladze emailed Goldstone about setting up another meeting "with T people" and sent a document bearing allegations similar to those conveyed on
¶° June 9. 75 Kaveladze followed up with Goldstone, stating that "Mr. A," which Goldstone understood to mean Aras Agalarov, called to ask about the meeting. 751 Goldstone emailed the document to Rhona Graff, saying that "Aras Agalarov has asked me to pass on this document in the hope it can be passed on to the appropriate team . If needed, a lawyer representing the case is
Goldstone 2/8/ 18 302, 744 [Redacted: (b) (3)]
The week after the June 9 meeting, a cybersecmi NC. See Volume I, Section III.B.2, su ra.
the DNC hac ng announcemen o e une 9 SC-KAV_00029 (6/ 14/16 Email, Goldstone to E.
¶Agalar did not identify evidence connecting the events of June 9 to the GRU's hack-and-dump operation. OSC-KAV_00029-30 (6/ 14/16 Email, Goldstone to E. Agalarov).
121¶in New York cmTently and happy to meet with any member of his transition team."752 Goldstone 2/8/ 18 302, at 11 ; [Redacted: (b) (3)] DJTJR00l 18 (11/28/ 16 Email, Goldstone to Graft). According to Goldstone, around Janmuy 2017, Kaveladze contacted him again to set up another meeting, but Goldstone did not make the request.753 [Redacted: (b) (3)] The investigation did not identify evidence of the transition team following up.
¶Paiiicipants in the June 9, 2016 meeting began rece1vmg inqumes from attorneys representing the Trnmp Organization staiiing in approximately June 2017.754 [Redacted: (b) (3)] On approximately June 2, 2017, Goldstone spoke with Alan Gaiien, general counsel of the Tnnnp Organization, about his paiiicipation in the June 9 meeting.755 [Redacted: (b) (3)] The same day, Goldstone emailed Veselnitskaya's name to Gaiien, identifying her as the "woman who was the attorney who spoke at the meeting from Moscow."756 RG000256 (6/2/17 Email, Goldstone to Gatten). Later in June 2017, Goldstone participated in a lengthier call with Gaiien and Alan Futerfas, outside counsel for the Tnnnp Organization (and, subsequently, personal counsel for Tnnnp Jr.).757 [Redacted: (b) (3)] On June 27, 2017, Goldstone emailed Emin Agalarov with the subject "Tnnnp attorneys" and stated that he was "interviewed by attorneys" about the June 9 meeting who were "concerned because it links Don Jr. to officials from Russia-which he has always denied meeting."758 RG000092 (6/27/ 17 Email, Goldstone to E. Agalai·ov). : [Redacted: (b) (3)] Goldstone stressed that he "did say at the time this was an awful idea and a teITible meeting." 759 Emin Agalarov sent a screenshot of the message to Kaveladze.760 OSC-KAV_ 011 90 (6/27/ 17 Text Message, E. Agalai·ov to Kaveladze).
¶The June 9 meeting became public in July 2017 . In a July 9, 2017 text message to Emin Agalarov, Goldstone wrote "I made sme I kept you and yom father out of [t]his stoiy ,"761 and " [i]f contacted I can do a dance and keep you out of it." 762 Goldstone added, "FBI now investigating," and "I hope this favor was worth for yom dad-it could blow up."763 On July 12, 2017 Emin Agalarov complained to Kaveladze that his father, Aras, "never listens" to him and that their relationship with "rm T has been thrown down the drain."764 OSC-KAV 01197 (7/11-12/17 Text Messages, Kaveladze & E. Agalarov); [Redacted: (b) (3)] The next month, Goldstone commented to Emin Agalarov about the volume of publicity the June 9 meeting had generated, stating that his "reputation [was] basically destroyed by this dumb meeting which your father insisted on even though Ike and Me told him would be bad news and not to do."765 [Redacted: (b) (7)(E)] Goldstone added, " I am not able to respond out of courtesy to you and your father. So am painted as some mysterious link to Putin. " 766
122¶After public repo1iing on the June 9 meeting began , representatives from the Tmmp Organization again reached out to paiiicipants. On July 10, 2017, Futerfas sent Goldstone an email with a proposed statement for Goldstone to issue, which read:
As the person who aiTanged the meeting, I can definitively state that the statements I have read by Donald Trump Jr. are 100% accurate. The meeting was a complete waste oftime and Don was never told Ms. Veselnitskaya' s name prior to the meeting. Ms. Veselnitskaya mostly talked about the Magnitsky Act and Russian adoption laws and the meeting lasted 20 to 30 minutes at most. There was never any follow up and nothing ever came of the meeting .767
¶the statement drafted by Tnnnp Organization representatives was
¶He proposed a different statement, asse1iing that he had been asked "by [his] client in Moscow - Einin Agalai·ov - to facilitate a meeting between a Russian attorney (Natalia Veselnitzkaya [sic]) and Donald T1ump Jr. The lawyer had appai·ently stated that she had some information regarding funding to the DNC from Russia, which she believed Mr. Trump Jr. inight find interesting."769 7/10/17 Email, Goldstone to Futerfas & Gruten. no [Redacted: (b) (3)] m Samochomov7/ 13/17 302, at 1; [Redacted: (b) (3)] m [Redacted: (b) (3)] Samochomov 7/13/17 302, at 1. Goldstone never released either statement. 770
¶On the Russian end, there were also communications about what paiiicipants should say about the June 9 meeting. Specifically, the organization that hired Sam ochornov-an anti Magnitsky Act group controlled by Veselnitskaya and the owner of Prevezon~ffered to pay $90,000 of Sam ochornov's legal fees.771 At Veselnitskaya's request, the organization sent Sainochornov a transcript of a Veselnitskaya press interview, and Samochornov understood that the organization would pay his legal fees only if he made statements consistent with Veselnitskaya's. 772 Samochornov declined, telling the Office that he did not want to perjure himself.773 Samochornov 7/13/17 302, at 1. The individual who conveyed Veselnitskaya's request to Samochornov stated that he did not expressly condition payment on following Veselnitskaya's answers but, in hindsight, recognized that by sending the transcript, Samochornov could have interpreted the offer of assistance to be conditioned on his not contradicting Veselnitskaya's account.774 [Redacted: (b) (3)]
123¶Volume II, Section II.G, infra, discusses interactions between President Trump, Trump Jr., and others in June and July 2017 regarding the June 9 meeting.