The Trump Campaign Reacts to WikiLeaks's Release of Hacked Emails

The Trump Campaign Reacts to WikiLeaks's Release of Hacked Emails

¶On June 14, 2016, a cybersecurity firm that had conducted in-house analysis for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) posted an announcement that Russian government hackers had infiltrated the DNC's computer and obtained access to documents.¹⁹¹⁹ Bears in the Midst: Intrusion into the Democratic National Committee, CrowdStrike (June 15, 2016) (post originally appearing on June 14, 2016, according to records of the timing provided by CrowdStrike); Ellen Nakashima, Russian government hackers penetrated DNC, stole opposition research on Trump, Washington Post (June 14, 2016).

¶On July 22, 2016, the day before the Democratic National Convention, WikiLeaks posted thousands of hacked DNC documents revealing sensitive internal deliberations.²⁰²⁰ Tom Hamburger and Karen Tumulty, WikiLeaks releases thousands of documents about Clinton and internal deliberations, Washington Post (July 22, 2016). Soon thereafter, Hillary Clinton's campaign manager publicly contended that Russia had hacked the DNC emails and arranged their release in order to help candidate Trump.²¹²¹ Amber Phillips, Clinton campaign manager: Russians leaked Democrats' emails to help Donald Trump, Washington Post (July 24, 2016). On July 26, 2016, the New York Times reported that U.S. "intelligence agencies ha[d] told the White House they now have 'high confidence' that the Russian government was behind the theft of emails and documents from the Democratic National Committee."²²²² David E. Sanger and Eric Schmitt, Spy Agency Consensus Grows That Russia Hacked D.N.C., New York Times (July 26, 2016).

¶Within the Trump Campaign, aides reacted with enthusiasm to reports of the hacks.²³²³ Gates 4/10/18 302, at 5; Newman 8/23/18 302, at 1. Trump associate Roger Stone had predicted and discussed with Campaign officials that WikiLeaks would release the hacked material.²⁴²⁴ Gates 4/11/18 302, at 2-3 (SM-2180998); Gates 10/25/18 302, at 2; see also Volume I, Section III.D.1, supra. Some witnesses said that Trump himself discussed the possibility of upcoming releases with Stone. Michael Cohen, then-executive vice president of the Trump Organization and special counsel to Trump, recalled hearing Stone tell Trump during the summer of 2016 that Stone had just gotten off the phone with Julian Assange and that WikiLeaks planned to release information soon.²⁵²⁵ Cohen 8/7/18 302, at 8; see also Volume I, Section III.D.1, supra. According to Cohen, after WikiLeaks's subsequent release of stolen DNC emails on July 22, 2016, Trump said to Cohen words to the effect of, "I guess Roger was right." Cohen 9/18/18 302, at 10. Cohen's role in the candidate's and later President's activities, and his own criminal conduct, is described in Volume II, Section II.K, infra, and in Volume I, Section IV.A.1, supra.Show full note Cohen recalled that Trump responded, "oh good, alright," and asked Stone to keep him in the loop.²⁶²⁶ Cohen 8/7/18 302, at 8. Manafort said that shortly after WikiLeaks's July 22, 2016 release of hacked documents, he spoke to Trump and mentioned that Stone had predicted the release and claimed to have access to WikiLeaks; Manafort recalled that Trump responded that Manafort should stay in touch with Stone and keep Trump updated.²⁷²⁷ [Redacted: (b) (3)] . As explained in footnote 197 of Volume I, Section III.D.1.b, supra, this Office has included Manafort's account of these events because it aligns with those of other witnesses and is corroborated to that extent. Deputy campaign manager Rick Gates said that Manafort was getting pressure about Stone's having information and that Manafort instructed Gates to call Stone and get status updates on upcoming releases.²⁸²⁸ Gates 10/25/18 302, at 4. Around the same time, Gates was with Trump on a trip to an airport when Trump spoke by phone with Stone at length, and shortly after the call ended, Trump told Gates that more releases of damaging information would be coming.²⁹²⁹ Gates 10/25/18 302, at 4. Stone's connections to WikiLeaks were discussed within the Campaign,³⁰³⁰ Bannon 1/18/19 302, at 3. and in the summer of 2016, the Campaign was planning a communications strategy based on the possible release of Clinton emails by WikiLeaks.³¹³¹ Gates 4/11/18 302, at 1-2 (SM-2180998); Gates 10/25/18 302, at 2 (messaging strategy was being formed in June/July timeframe based on claims by Assange on June 12, 2016, and information Stone provided before the first WikiLeaks release on July 22, 2016).