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   Senate Intelligence Report IIIE4vi-xi - George Papadopoulos - Engages with Foreign Governments

      see https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/report_volume5.pdf
Narrative
vi. Other Relevant Papadopoulos Meetings in April

On April 19, 2016, Papadopoulos met an individual named Oleg Lebedev. In an email sent the same day, Papadopoulos wrote," Was very nice meeting you tonight. I am sending you my recent piece and linkedin profile. See you tomorrow.'' In response, Lebedev wrote back to Papadopoulos," Great meeting you, and look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Lets[ sic] make Byzantium great again. Good to connect on Linkedin, could not find you on Facebook.'' According to FBI interviews, Papadopoulos met Lebedev at the Byzantium Cafe in London, through Lebedev 's wife, Maria Alexopoulou. Papadopoulos recalled that Lebedev was a big Trump supporter in Russia and had told Papadopoulos that Russia is a friend of Trump. Lebedev claimed to have contacts in Russian government. Papadopoulos thought Lebedev was in the oil business in Moscow but had a house in London with his wife.

vii. Papadopoulos Meets with Mifsud in London, Discusses" Dirt'' on Clinton

Papadopoulos met with Mifsud on the morning of April 26, 2016, at the Andaz Hotel in London, for breakfast. During the breakfast, Mifsud, who had just returned from a trip to Moscow where he had met with high-level Russian government officials, stated that the Russians had dirt-in the form of emails-on Hillary Clinton Papadopoulos described Mifsud as" giddy... like he had something he wanted to get off his chest'' prior to his conveying the information about the Clinton emails

When asked by the FBI to explain what Mifsud told him about the Russians having dirt on Clinton, Papadopoulos told the FBI the following:

Mifsud had just returned from a trip to Moscow where he met with the Duma[ Russian Parliament], attended a forum, and had meetings related to academics. When referring to the dirt, Mifsud told Papadopoulos''. they have her emails'' and specifically mentioned they had" thousands'' of them: Papadopoulos could not recall if Mifsud mentioned the names of the individuals he met with in Russia....

When asked what Papadopoulos thought when he heard the information from Mifsud, Papadopoulos recalled it being" a strange thing to hear. Papadopoulos inquired of Mifsud how he could know such information, io which Mifsud stated," they told me.'' When Papadopoulos referred to Mifsud 's statement of" they told me,'' Papadopoulos extended both of his hands and pointed at himself with both index fingers.

[ REDACTED] Following the breakfast meeting, around noon on April 26, 2016, Mifsud emailed Papadopoulos an article titled," US-Russian relations; the middle can not hold.'' The article, published by the International Institute for Strategic Studies on April 14, 2016, criticized President Obama 's approach to geopolitical relations between the United States and Russia following the invasion of Crimea, noting the Obama 's administration approach was the" middle way.'' In response to Mifsud 's email, approximately four hours later, Papadopoulos replied," Thank you for this, Joseph. Very informative.''

viii. Papadopoulos Meets Australian Diplomats

On April 19, 2016, Christian Cantor, a Political Counsellor at the Embassy of lsrael. to the United Kingdom in London, introduced Papadopoulos to Erika Thompson, a Political Counsellor at the Australian High Commission in London. The introduction occurred via email, in which Cantor stated" George is a current Tr[ u] mp advisor... I 'm sure you 'll find very interesting things to talk about.'' Papadopoulos testified to the House Judiciary Committee that he had been introduced to Cantor via one of his friends who was an economic counselor at the Embassy of lsrael to the United States, and that he understood Thompson to be Cantor 's girlfriend.

On April 20, 2016, Thompson replied to Cantor 's email, suggesting that she and Papadopoulos meet following President Obama 's visit to the United Kingdom. Papadopoulos replied to Thompson the next day, suggesting that the two meet on Tuesday, April 26, 2016. The Committee assesses that Papadopoulos and Thompson met on April 26, 2016, as previously coordinated, sometime following Papadopoulos 's breakfast engagement with Mifsud.

On May 9, 2016, Thompson wrote Papadopoulos, thanking him for" meeting on Friday'' and checking to see if Papadopoulos would be" still be up for a meeting with[ her] boss, Alexander Downer.'' She suggested grabbing" a drink with him tomorrow? Maybe around 6? '' Thompson proposed the Kensington Wine Rooms, located in the Kensington Borough in London, for the engagement, as her boss, Sir Alexander Downer, Australia 's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, lived nearby Papadopoulos agreed.

Documents publicly released by the Government of Australia show a calendar appointment on Downer 's calendar for May 10th titled," 6.00 pm- Meeting with George Papadopolous[ sic], Advisor[ sic], Donald J Trump for President,'' which included a link to Papadopoulos 's Linkedln profile as well as a heavily redacted diplomatic cable prepared by Downer on May 11, 2016, to Canberra titled," UK: US: Donald Trump- Views from Trump 's Adviser.''

Although the email between Thompson and Papadopoulos indicates they met on Friday, May 6, 2016, the Committee does not have any indications as to where they met or what was discussed.

[ REDACTED] Just after midnight on the morning of May 10, 2016, Papadopoulos searched for the following terms on the internet:" australian high comm. london,''" current australian government,'' prime minister of australia,''" malcolm turnbull conservative,''" kensington wine rooms,''" erika thompson,'' and" erika thompson australia.'' Papadopoulos also visited the Linkedln site for an individual named Erika Thompson.

[ REDACTED] In the late-afternoon on May 10, 2016, and prior to the meeting with Downer, Papadopoulos again searched the internet for" Kensington Wine Rooms,''" australian high comm. london,'' and" alexander downer.'' Later that evening, at approximately eleven o'clock, Papadopoulos performed an internet search for" The Waterway.

On May 10, 2016, Thompson and Downer met with Papadopoulos. After the engagement, Papadopoulos sent Thompson an email stating,''[ g] reat time tonight. Thanks for the introduction. See you soon.

There are some inconsistencies in the stories surrounding the evening of May 10, 2016. Papadopoulos told the FBI that he recalled the encounter occurring at the Waterway Pub rather than the Kensington Wine Rooms. Papadopoulos may have conflated the reference to the May 10, 2016, meeting at the Kensington Wine Rooms with the April 26 or May 6 meetings the Committee surmises occurred between Papadopoulos and Thompson. An alternative hypothesis is that Papadopoulos and Thompson departed the Kensington Wine Rooms on May 10, 2016, and met up later at the Waterway Pub, which would be consistent with Papadopoulos 's internet search for the Waterway at 11: 07 p.m.

Papadopoulos told the FBI that he recalled having several drinks with the Australians, specifically" three drinks, made with gin.'' Papadopoulos also recalled being intoxicated after those three drinks When specifically asked, Papadopoulos stated he did not recall telling the Australians about the Clinton-related emails.

• The Kensington Wine Rooms describes itself as having" a reputation as one of London 's best wine bars'' and offers numerous wine tastings, either through self-serve dispensers or by the glass. The drinks menu for the Waterway notably includes a section labeled" Gin & Things''

• Papadopoulos testified to Congress that he and Downer'' had one drink'' and was" certainly not drunk'' during the May 10, 2016, meeting, which seems to contradict the three gin drinks described above.

• Downer stated during a televised interview that he, along with another individual, met Papadopoulos at the" Kensington Wine Bar'' at 6:00 P.M., for about an hour recall telling the Australians about the Clinton-related emails.

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ix. Papadopoulos Edits Trump 's Mayflower Speech

While Papadopoulos was engaged with Timofeev and Mifsud in London, he also consulted on preparations for an upcoming Trump foreign policy speech. On April 23, 2016, Stephen Miller, senior policy advisor for the Trump Campaign, sent an email only to Papadopoulos with the subject" confidential-dose hold,'' which attached the" outline of remarks for wed.'' Six minutes later, Papadopoulos wrote back to Miller," Looks solid. If needed, I have some input/bullet points I can add this weekend.'' Miller replied one minute later stating," Thanks. Whatever works for you.''

After a series of back and forths, Papadopoulos sent Miller his edited version of the outline on April 25, 2016, stating," Please find my edits attached. Look forward to your' thoughts. I 'll stay up. Should I send to anyone else on the team? I.e. Sam or Paul.'' Miller and Papadopoulos then exchanged a series of emails in short succession regarding Papadopoulos 's availability for surrogacy opportunities, during which Papadopoulos stated:

I was recently hosted by the Israeli government after I delivered a talk at an energy and security conference there. They are ready to host Mr. Trump when the time is right for him( and have also invited him to a big conference the largest newspaper there is hosting in July that Netanyahu will also be speaking at). The Russian government has an open invitation by Putin for Mr. Trump to meet him when he is ready as well. The advantage of being in London. is that these governments tend to speak a bit more openly in" neutral'' cities

Miller told the Committee that he did not recall this email exchange until the SCO showed it to him. He further stated that" it 's possible that I did n't even reply to it-or that I gave sort of a flip reply. But I certainly did n't engage on it substantively.''

On the same day, April 25, 2016, Papadopoulos also sent Clovis his edits for the foreign policy speech. Clovis testified to the Committee that he( Clovis) did not have any role with the foreign policy speech delivered at the Mayflower Hotel, nor did he have any role in consolidating or relaying comments received on the speech.

A comparison of Papadopoulos 's edits to the outline that Miller sent to Lewandowski on April 25, 2016, show that Papadopoulos ' suggested edits to the speech outline were largely rejected

On April 27, 2016, after Trump delivered the foreign policy speech at the Mayflower Hotel, Papadopoulos sent the following message via email to Miller," Great speech today from Mr. Trump. If you have a chance for a[ S] kype session tomorrow or Friday, let me know. Have some interesting messages coming in from Moscow when the time is right'' Papadopoulos told the FBI that the" interesting messages'' did not pertain to what Mifsud had conversation were redacted by Papadopoulos when produced to the Committee told him one day prior. The subsequent seven messages exchanged relating to this email

Also on April 27, 2016, Papadopoulos wrote Lewandowski an email message with the subject" Messages from Russia'' in which he wrote:

Great speech today by Mr. Trump. Glad I could assist. The reason for my message is because I wanted to ask if you are free for a call tomorrow or Friday to discuss Russia 's interest in hosting Mr. Trump. Have been receiving a lot of calls over the last month about Putin wanting to host him and the team when the time is right.

Lewandowski and Papadopoulos exchanged three messages in an attempt to schedule a call, though the Committee does not believe the two discussed the matter at that time. Papadopoulos resurrected this particular email thread again on June 1, 2016, which is described below.

x. Papadopoulos Uses the Speech to Encourage a Meeting with Russian Leaders

Following the April 27, 2016, foreign policy speech, Papadopoulos re-initiated contact with Mifsud and Polonskaya in an apparent effort to coordinate a meeting between the Trump Campaign and officials with the Russian Federation. The day after the speech, Papadopoulos asked them separately if they had heard Trump 's Mayflower speech. Polonskaya replied on April 29, 2016, that she had seen Trump 's speech and told Papadopoulos," I agree with many things.... And I like the fact that his( your) position towards Russia is much softer than many of the Republicans and Democrats.'' Papadopoulos responded later on April 29," I am now in the process of seeing if we will come to Russia. Do you recommend I get in touch with a minister or embassy person in Washington or London to begin organizing the trip? '' Polonskaya replied later that day, stating," I think it would be better to discuss this question with Josef[ Mifsud],''

Possibly in response to Polonskaya 's suggestion, Papadopoulos wrote to Mifsud on April 29, 2016:" I have n't heard from the Russian embassy or anyone about sending an invitation. I need an answer by next weds for my campaign.'' Mifsud replied two minutes later, asking if he should call Papadopoulos. The committee can not confirm whether Papadopoulos and Mifsud spoke and if they did, exactly what was discussed. However, on April 29, 2016, three hours after Polonskaya suggested that Papadopoulos speak with Mifsud,

Papadopoulos also got back in touch with Timofeev. Between April 27, 2016 and April 30, 2016, Papadopoulos and Timofeev exchanged five email messages to" Follow up'' and discuss specifics. Timofeev, minutes after Papadopoulos 's likely call with Mifsud, wrote to Papadopoulos:" Please, do send me a draft letter to the Ambassador. I will look through it and propose my follow up[ sic].'' Papadopoulos replied six minutes later, stating:

The draft letter I send can not be better than Mr. Trump 's precise speech on his intentions to repair US.-Russia ties. I assume the speech was widely covered.

We have already been invited by four countries to visit in the summer and our schedule is moving at a very fast pace. For this reason, I have until Weds to give my team an update on the potential trip to meet Mr. Putin. I am supposed to be in Greece on Monday to meet with officials there, but can come back to London next week to arrange a meeting with people here in a" neutral'' city. The message should be, we are keen to meet and discuss US.-Russia ties and where they can be improved.

Possibly as a follow-up to their conversation on April 29, Mifsud wrote Papadopoulos an e-mail on April 30, 2016, with the subject line" RUSSIAN REPLY'' in which he stated:

I have discussed this opportunity with Min. Ivanov. He proposed to start with the Russian Ambassador in Moscow. George( you will need to draft a letter( Ivan is Papadopoulos wrote to her indicating that he had called Mifsud ready to help you... please contact him urgently) and he will provide his follow up to you. As/or the contacts, Ivan( and others- through Olga) will make an enquiry in Moscow how to proceed

The" RUSSIAN REPLY'' email from Mifsud started a discussion as to whether the Trump Campaign needed to ask for an invitation to Moscow. Papadopoulos noted for Mifsud that" Mr. Trump 's speech should have been the signal to meet'' and that" My campaign wo n't be interested in asking to visit Moscow. Guests are either invited or they are not.'' Mifsud agreed and told Papadopoulos that he had" just spoken to them'' and that''[ t] hey will let you know who to meet to organize it with an invite.'' Papadopoulos responded," Excellent, thank you for your critical help on this,[ J] oseph. It 's history making if it happens.''

Timofeev wrote to Papadopoulos and Mifsud four days later on May 4, 2016, stating he had spoken with his colleagues at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs( MFA) and that they are" open for cooperation.''

Papadopoulos forwarded Timofeev 's May 4, 2016, email to Lewandowski on the same day, with the subject" Fwd:( Russian outreach)'' and asked," What do you think? Is this something we want to move forward with? '' Lewandowski forwarded the message from Papadopoulos.to Clovis five minutes later. Clovis responded back to Lewandowski less than one hour later:" I think there are some legal issues we will have to mitigate, meeting with foreign officials as a private citizen. Let me check and I will get back to you today.'' Papadopoulos forwarded the same May 4, 2016, email from Timofeev to Clovis on May 5, 2016, with the text," Russia updates''

The Committee did not obtain any communications in which Clovis or other Campaign leadership telling Papadopoulos to cease his interactions with Timofeev or Mifsud regarding Russia.

On May 7, 2016, Papadopoulos replied to Timofeev 's May 4 email, stating that the delay in responding was due to" shuffling that has occurred since Mr. Trump clinched the nomination. I will get back to you and Joseph soon on this. Glad the MFA is interested.'' In response to Papadopoulos 's May 7, 2016, email, Mifsud replied five minutes later, asking Papadopoulos to call him. Papadopoulos and Mifsud exchanged several emails to coordinate a phone call via Skype. Although the Committee can not confirm whether Papadopoulos and Mifsud spoke, the Committee believes they did based on the emails exchanged.

On May 13, 2016, Mifsud wrote a long proposal to Papadopoulos for the way ahead, · including his first offer of serving as a surrogate for the Campaign and a liaison of sorts to Europe:

Further to our recent conversations, I am pleased to give you an update of what we discussed.

1. We will continue to liaise through you with the Russian counterparts in terms of what is needed for a high level meeting of Mr. Trump with the Russian Federation.

2. I will set up interviews for you with IL Giornale and Corriere della Sera in · Italy focusing on Mr. Trump 's foreign policy perspectives.

3. If provided with key speaking/highlighted points I will use them in the next European Council on Foreign Relations meeting to be held in June in The Hague.

4. I wi1/ liaise with the European Parliament about the possibility of an invitation to Brussels for Mr. Trump. ·

5. Once updated, I can use specific points during the campaign to be turned into articles in the European media- I can also be a central point if you wish to sustain key agreed foreign policy and diplomatic points for the campaign in Europe and the Middle East( I am often asked to chair important debates e.g. the Doha Forum and other fora in Morocco/Bahrain etc.) 6. I am extremely keen to support Mr. Trump 's campaign in foreign policy issues with Europe, the Middle East and North Africa- and wish to do so from Europe and also with my links inside the USA( e.g. the Washington Diplomatic community and publications).

7. If needed, I can also prepare and sign op-eds sustaining Mr. Trump 's campaign.

8. Once the campaign gets started- I would be keen to be on any shows as a` neutral' opinion maker and expert in support of Mr. Trump vis-a-vis global issues.

9. I am also extremely interested info/lowing Mr. Trump throughout some of his campaign trail and reporting back to European media as an` independent' opinion maker.

10.

10. I am open to any suggested action plans which the team might wish to make now and the future and to contribute with my knowledge to the campaign-- from the inside or the outside.

I will be getting back to you by telephone or for a meeting next week when I am in London.

The Committee has no indication that Papadopoulos pursued Mifsud 's proposal to act as a Campaign surrogate or liaison.

Separately, Papadopoulos wrote an email message to Lewandowski on May 14, 2016, providing updates on European security and energy topics. In his email, Papadopoulos also stated that''[ t] he Greek and Cypru governments, the EU Parliament and Russian governments have also relayed to me that they are interested in hosting Mr. Trump.'' The next day, on May 15, 2016, Lewandowski forwarded the message to Clovis. Later that day, Clovis wrote an email message with the subject," Update, Part II'' to Lewandowski, copying Glassner and Hicks, in which he included as the third bullet of the message:''- Still working on the ins and outs of going to. Russia as a candidate.'' When asked whether the bullet point within Clovis 's update related to Papadopoulos 's effort, Clovis stated:

No, no. It was a discussion that we had had in the campaign about a foreign trip.... The trip-Russia was going to be an add-on because we were going to go to the UK., Germany. We 'd have done a European swing and maybe an Israel swing as a foreign. trip, and Russia would have been only after we had considered whether it was legal and all the other aspects of it.

When Lewandowski was asked about the same point, he told the Committee:

To the best of my recollection we knew from day one we were n't doing any overseas travel.... there was never a discussion that I 'm aware o f that I was privy to, inside the campaign of ever going to Russia in any way, shape, or form.

The Committee notes the discrepancy between the contemporaneous email communication written by Clovis and the later testimony of Clovis and Lewandowski. The Committee gives greater credibility to the written records, which suggest that the Campaign was at least open to the idea o f a foreign trip

xi. Papadopoulos Conducts High-Level Meetings in Greece

Papadopoulos used a trip to Greece to burnish his credentials oil the campaign, but he also took the opportunity to repeat Mifsud 's information about Clinton 's emails. Papadopoulos informed the Campaign that he was travelling to Greece. On May 18, 2016, Papadopoulos sent an email message to Lewandowski relaying that he had been" invited to meet with the Greek foreign minister later this week in Athens( he is an old acquaintance o f mine)'' and asked Lewandowski there was''[ a] ny message you want me to send Greece from the campaign? ( they are hoping Mr. Trump wins and are planning to extend an invite to Mr. Trump when I see the foreign minister).'' The Committee has no record of a Lewandowski response.

The next day, May 19, 2016, Papadopoulos sent a similar message to Clovis, once. again asking," is there any message from the campaign you would like for me to send Greece? I was told they are going to extend an invitation to Mr. Trump when I see the foreign minister.'' Clovis responded," No, just keep your counsel and report back.''

Papadopoulos then wrote Paul Manafort, then the Trump Campaign 's convention coordinator, on May 21, 2016, stating that he was in Athens, Greece to meet with the Greek Foreign Minister and the Defense Minister, and that the Greek government would be sending an" official invitation for Mr. Trump to visit Greece sometime should his schedule allow.'' Papadopoulos also stated that''[ r] egarding the below message, Russia has been eager to meet Mr. Trump for quite sometime and have[ sic] been reaching out to me to discuss. I thought it would be prudent to send to you... I am free to discuss if you are free.'' The message included the May 4, 2016, email from Timofeev to Papadopoulos.

Manafort sought to quell Papadopoulos 's efforts. He forwarded the May 21, 2016, message to Rick Gates the same day and added," Lets[ sic] discuss We need someone to communicate that DT is not doing these trips. It should be someone low level in the campaign so as not to send any signal.'' Gates responded to Manafort on May 21, 2016, and suggested having the Campaign 's correspondence coordinator handle the communication, noting" This is the person responding to all mail of non-importance. It would be a general letter.'' The Committee is not aware of any further actions by Manafort or Gates on this issue. For more on Paul Manafort, see infra Vol. 5, Sec. III.A.

Three days later, on May 24, 2016, Papadopoulos wrote Timofeev and asked if the Trump Campaign had communicated with him. When Timofeev stated that he had not received any communication, Papadopoulos began to coordinate a phone call with him. Between May 29, 2016, and June 2, 2016, six email messages were exchanged between the two individuals, though the Committee can not confirm if the two spoke.

Papadopoulos told the FBI that during his May 2016 trip to Athens, he told Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotsias( also spelled Kotzias) what Mifsud had told him on April 26, 2016, regarding the Russians having emails related to Secretary Clinton. Papadopoulos recalled Kotsias 's reaction:

Kotsias told him in Greek," do n't tell this to anyone,'' as if Kotsias had already known that information. Papadopoulos assessed Kotsias ' response was too swift and Kotsias was not shocked when Papadopoulos told him that information. Papadopoulos never discussed that topic with the Greeks again.... When asked why Papadopoulos told Kotsias about the Russians having Clinton 's emails, Papadopoulos[ said he] had a nervous reaction and blurted the information out

As noted previously, the Committee has no reliable indication that Papadopoulos shared this same information with anyone on the Campaign. Furthermore, the Committee has no additional information as to why Papadopoulos would share the information with the Greek Foreign Minister.

Papadopoulos was in Greece from at least May 17, 2016, through May 27, 2016, according to press reporting analyzing Papadopoulos 's social media accounts. During his visit, Papadopoulos met with Kotsias, and with the Greek Minister of Defense, Panagiotis" Panos'' Kammenos. Vladimir Putin traveled to Greece on May 27, 2016; Kammenos greeted Putin upon his arrival in Athens, on what appears to be the same day Kammenos met with Papadopoulos

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On May 29, 2016, Papadopoulos wrote to Clovis that Kammenos was" willing to make a private trip to NY to meet Mr. Trump( or in Athens)'' and that Kotsias" wants to invite Mr. Trump to Athens for an official trip.'' On May 31, 2016, Papadopoulos sent an email to Hicks with the subject," Messages from Athens for Mr. Trump,'' in which he wrote:

Wanted to send you some messages I received from ministers/president of Greece. just met with the Greek president. They are all very excited for Mr. Trump, hope he wins and if he passes through Athens anytime, all doors here are open for him.

Months later, on the evening prior to the inauguration, Kammenos was photographed with Papadopoulos at the St. Regis Hotel in Washington, DC. Separately, Kammenos was also photographed with Reince Preibus at the St. Regis Hotel on January 19, 2017 and with both Bannon and Preibus at the Hay Adams Hotel on January 21, 2017.

On June 7, 2016, Papadopoulos wrote to Hope Hicks, offering to brief Trump on his recent travel and interactions with Israeli, Egyptian, Greek, and Cypriot officials. Hicks suggested Papadopoulos engage with Miller, who suggested that he and Papadopoulos speak by telephone the following weekend, June 10-12, 2016. On June 10, 2016, Papadopoulos wrote to Miller:" Tired calling, could n't get through, I 'll be free for the next hour or I 'll try tomorrow same time.'' The Committee does not know whether Miller and Papadopoulos ultimately spoke by telephone.

xii. Papadopoulos Plans a Campaign Staff Visit to Moscow

In June, Papadopoulos reinitiated his push for Campaign interactions with Moscow, reaching out to senior Campaign officials and to Mifsud and his contacts. Papadopoulos started this renewed effort by resuming the April 27, 2016, email conversation between himself and Lewandowski, in which Papadopoulos suggested, the Campaign follow the Mayflower speech with a meeting between Trump and Putin. On June 1, 2016, Papadopoulos wrote to Lewandowski:" Do you want to have a call about this topic with Russia or is it off the table for the time being? Was n't sure if we were following up with it.'' Responding that day, Lewandowski wrote:" Can you connect with Sam Clovis? He is running point.'' Papadopoulos subsequently wrote Clovis an email on June 1, with the subject line" Messages from Russia'' in which he stated:" I have the Russian MFA asking me if Mr. Trump is interested in visiting Russia at some point. Wanted to pass this info along to you for you to decide what 's best to do with it and what message I should send( or to ignore).''

When Clovis was specifically asked about Papadopoulos 's June 1, 2016, email during an interview with the Committee and Papadopoulos 's outreach related to outreach to Russia in this time period, Clovis could not recall Papadopoulos reaching out to him about the Russia topic. He further suggested Lewandowski told Papadopoulos that he( Clovis) was" running point'' because:" Corey[ Lewandowski] did n't want to deal with anybody. So anybody that he did n't want to deal with, I dealt with.''

When asked about Papadopoulos 's efforts to arrange a meeting between Trump and Putin, Clovis told the Committee that he told Papadopoulos" it was a bad idea... I think it 's a really bad idea, George.'' The Committee did not identify any written communications in which Clovis expressed this view to Papadopoulos.

Shortly thereafter, Papadopoulos turned back to his conversations with the Russians, reiterating his own interest in a visit in a series of emails. He wrote Timofeev on June 11, 2016:" Dear Ivan, I am free to come visit Russia if there is interest.'' Timofeev replied back to Papadopoulos the following day, stating:" Just landed from Beijing, Visit to Moscow is an excellent idea. Will be at[ S] kype on Tuesday[ June 14, 2016].'' Papadopoulos replied back two minutes later, writing:" I am going on holiday tomorrow until morning of June 21,[ 2016,] but will do my best to get online. In the meantime, if you see who is interested in meeting in Moscow I can begin preparations to come visit Moscow by the end of the month directly from Thessaloniki.'' Four minutes later, Papadopoulos sent an additional email to Timofeev in which he wrote:" I am open to meeting everyone even at the highest level. I think it would be most productive especially before the debates begin.'' Papadopoulos also separately noted:" I need to let my boss know who wants to meet with me in Moscow to confirm that 's why I ask.'' Timofeev responded:" I have got a good reaction from the US desk at the MFA as I told you.... But to get higher level the best option would be to have a letter from Mr. Trump about your visit, asking for such meetings.''

A few days later, Papadopoulos returned to pitching Lewandowski on a trip. On June 19, 2016, Papadopoulos wrote an email message to Lewandowski with the subject line" New message from Russia'' in which he wrote:

The Russian ministry of foreign affairs messaged and said that if Mr. Trump is unable to make it to Russia, if a campaign rep( me or someone else) can make it for meetings? I am willing to make the trip off the record if it 's in the interest of Mr. Trump and the campaign to meet specific people. I 'm currently in Greece so not far. Or if someone else wants to go, just wanted to pass this along so I know who to forward the message to.

Lewandowski wrote back six minutes later:" I am almost certain that he[ Trump] wo n't be able to make it.''

Meanwhile, Carter Page, another member of the foreign. policy team encouraging Trump to visit Russia, was about to depart for his own trip to Moscow. According to FBI records, on July 5, 2016, Oleg Lebedev sent Facebook messages to Papadopoulos, informing him that Page would be in Moscow and might have unofficial meetings with the Russian MF A. The Committee does not know how Lebedev was aware of Page 's impending presence or activities in Moscow, or how Papadopoulos responded. Page spent July 4 to 9, 2016, in Moscow, speaking at the New Economic School and engaging in limited government meetings.

On July 15, 2016, Papadopoulos sent an email message to Timofeev proposing a Trump Campaign staff trip to London to meet with President Putin 's office and the Russian MFA. The FBI discussed this email with Papadopoulos:

Papadopoulos was advised he had sent Timofeev an email, stating" Because of the time difference I will email you what I have in mind. A meeting for August or September in the UK( London) with me and my national chairman, and maybe one other foreign policy advisor and you, members of president putin 's office and the mfa to hold a day of consultations and to meet one another. It has been approved from our side. Kindly let me know what else you need and dates that work for everyone.'' Papadopoulos confirmed he was referring to Clovis and Phares when he referenced the national chairman and the other foreign policy advisor in his email

Papadopoulos did not produce the email to Timofeev to the Committee. However, Papadopoulos sent a very similarly worded email to Mifsud on July 14, 2016, suggesting a meeting in''[ A] ugust or September between you, me, Ivan, my two colleagues, members of president putin 's office and the mfa to meet and greet and hold a day of consultations.''

In 2018, Timofeev spoke with journalists about his interactions with Papadopoulos, stating:" We did not close the door to the guy, but we did not take it seriously.... He was very enthusiastic. He was very interested in Russia and improving relations, but he seemed to be so unprofessional and so unprepared for a serious conversation.'' Timofeev further stated that Papadopoulos never sent a formal request for a visit.to Russia, outlining particulars such as who would attend or what topics would be discussed.

Throughout this timeframe, Papadopoulos continued frequent contact with Mifsud on a variety of issues, from press inquiries to a potential role for Mifsud on the Campaign.

• Mifsud sent Papadopoulos an email on June 16, 2016, with the subject line" urgent contact.'' Mifsud wrote that he would like to" touch base and have a catch up'' with Papadopoulos, particularly pertaining to answering some queries from Italian newspapers, one of which Mifsud included in the message. Mifsud also wrote," On the 27/28 I am at the Hague for the Hague for the high level internal annual meeting of the ECFR and on the topic is[ sic] the US presidential elections. I would like to have a briefing from you on Mr. Trump 's foreign policy to be able to argue` your' corner.

• Between July 5, 2016, and July 17, 2016, Papadopoulos and Mifsud exchanged over a dozen email messages to coordinate a phone call. The Committee does not know whether a conversation ultimately took place.

• Between July 25, 2016 and July 27, 2016, Papadopoulos and Mifsud exchanged nine email messages to coordinate a phone call. The Committee can not confirm whether a conversation took place, but surmises one did based on a subsequent July 27, 2016, email.

• On August 22, 2016, Papadopoulos offered Rick Dearborn, a Campaign official," other information'' on Russia and Libya. When Dearborn replied that he would like to see it, Papadopoulos stated he would" talk to some contacts of mine in the ministry of foreign affairs of Italy... and Russia to get you some primary sources and information.'' Papadopoulos then send an email message to Mifsud on the same day, August 22, 2016, in which he asked," Dear Joseph, Do you have any updates on Libya you can send my way? '' Mifsud sent Papadopoulos a file titled" The current situation and the main priorities for Libya.docx.'' The Committee does not have any evidence that Papadopoulos sent the document or any derivative information regarding Libya to the Campaign.

On July 27, 2016, Papadopoulos told Clovis and Walid Phares, via email, that Mifsud was willing to host" us with the UK officials and other governments for consultations-- in Europe and Russia.'' He called Mifsud his" colleague'' and said Mifsud 's organization, the London Academy of Diplomacy, works closely with Boris Johnson 's office. has no indication that is true. Papadopoulos then wrote to Mifsud:

Excellent call. We are looking forward to the letter detailing that the London Academy of Diplomacy would like to host the trump team, and officials from the UK and Russia( separately). Confirmed participants from our side include: Walid Phares, foreign policy advisor, Sam Clovis, head of policy and George Papadopoulos, foreign policy advisor.

On July 31, 2016, Mifsud wrote to Papadopoulos, again suggesting that Mifsud be given a formal role with the Campaign, including organizing meetings on behalf of Trump 's Campaign( emphasis in original):

As mentioned, I wish to be officially accredited and invited to follow Mr. Trump 's campaign( with an on the ground- US trail- for a period to be defined with the aim of presenting the European( the extended E U- UK, Balkans, etc.), Russian and Mediterranean media, think tanks, institutions, and public opinion( biogs, etc.) with an[ sic] realistic view of your campaign, with particular reference to Foreign Policy( and all the other pertinent issues. I would also need to be briefed periodically on all foreign affairs issues pertinent to this role. This would justify my academic and professional interest. An agreement on this must precede all other actions.

I will organize in London and in other European capitals meetings with individuals; think tanks, media and foreign policy advisors from countries in Europe( wider Europe), UK, the Mediterranean, the Balkans, and the Russian Federation( the meeting that we have discussed would be under this umbrella the focus to these meetings would be the clear and specific Foreign Policy issues being put forward by Mr. Trump during his campaign.

The Committee has no indication that Papadopoulos passed on Mifsud 's request to the Campaign, or that Mifsud ever procured greater access to Campaign officials.

On August 8, 2016, Papadopoulos wrote an email message to Dearborn stating that he" was invited to Russia 's largest energy conference of the year to talk about global energy market dynamics... If Mr. Trump believes it 's in the US interest to cooperate with Russia, something I wholeheartedly believe as well, I 'm happy to represent the campaign 's ideas as well.'' Dearborn replied the next day:" George, I ca n't authorize you to go on behalf of the campaign.

Mifsud sent an email on August 10, 2016, introducing Papadopoulos to Stephan Roh, whom Mifsud described as" a Swiss Lawyer with offices in Germany, Switzerland, Russia, the Gulf and China, with whom I have been collaborating for some time on major international projects including Link Campus that you have visited this year.'' It is unclear why Mifsud sought to make this introduction as part of the nine-message exchange, Roh wrote to Papadopoulos on August 15, 2016," Joseph reminded me that you might want to speak about a trip to Moscow... it would be my pleasure to give some advice.'' The Committee does not know if the two ever connected for a conversation on the phone or in person.

Papadopoulos wrote an email to Clovis on August 15, 2016, with the subject," Trip abroad( you and I)'' in which he stated:

Have had requests from UK, Greek, Italian and even Russian government for closed door workshops/consultations abroad.... I wanted to know if there is still interest for the two or three of us to go on that trip? If not I 'll let them know and we can potentially hold a private[ S] kype call. All meetings can potentially be done in London at the London Academy of Diplomacy.

The same day, Clovis responded to Papadopoulos:" I just do n't see any way for me to travel before the election. I have too much to do that requires me to be in the states. I would encourage you and Walid to make the trips, if it is feasible.

On August 15, 2016, Papadopoulos responded to Mifsud 's July 31, 2016, email stating''[ u] nfortunately, our national co-chairman, Sam Clovis, informed me today he can not travel abroad at this stage of the election. However, will now see if Walid[ Phares] can make it and he is supposed to tell me today.'' Phares engaged with Papadopoulos on the potential travel, noting to Clovis that he would" reach out to George to discuss possibilities for us,'' and told Papadopoulos that he was open to engagements at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., prior to the potential trip. Phares did not mention the potential trip to London with Papadopoulos during his interview with the Committee, though he indicated some familiarity with Papadopoulos 's other travel to Israel and Greece during the Campaign.
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