Muller Report - UAE

RESULT: 1

PAGE: 154

TEXT:

  U.S. Department of Justice AUerHey Werk Preti1:1et ,',' Miey CeHtttiH Material
  Preteetea UHtier Fed. R. Crim. P. 6(e) Aven told Putin he would take steps to
  protect himself and the Alfa-Bank shareholders from potential sanctions, and one
  of those steps would be to try to reach out to the incoming Administration to
  establish a line of communication.986 A ven described Putin responding with
  skepticism about Aven's prospect for success.987 According to Aven, although
  Putin did not expressly direct him to reach out to the Trump Transition Team,
  Aven understood that Putin expected him to try to respond to the concerns he had
  raised. 988 A ven' s efforts are described in Volume I, Section IV.B.5, infra.
  2. Kirill Dmitriev's Transition-Era Outreach to the Incoming Administration
  Aven's description of his interactions with Putin is consistent with the
  behavior of Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian national who heads Russia's sovereign
  wealth fund and is closely connected to Putin. Dmitriev undertook efforts to
  meet members of the incoming Trump Administration in the months after the
  election. Dmitriev asked a close business associate who worked for the United
  Arab Emirates (UAE) royal court, George Nader, to introduce him to Trump
  transition officials, and Nader eventually arranged a meeting in the Seychelles
  between Dmitriev and Erik Prince, a Trump Campaign supporter and an associate of
  Steve Bannon.989 In addition, the UAE national security advisor introduced
  Dmitriev to a hedge fund manager and friend of Jared Kushner, Rick Gerson, in
  late November 2016. In December 2016 and January 2017, Dmitriev and Gerson
  worked on a proposal for reconciliation between the United States and Russia,
  which Dmitriev implied he cleared through Putin. Gerson provided that proposal
  to Kushner before the inauguration, and Kushner later gave copies to Bannon and
  Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. a. Background Dmitriev is a Russian national
  who was appointed CEO of Russia's sovereign wealth fund, the Russian Direct
  Investment Fund (RDIF), when it was founded in 2011.990 Dmitriev reported
  directly to Putin and frequently referred to Putin as his "boss."991 RDIF has
  co-invested in various projects with UAE sovereign wealth funds.992 Dmitriev
  regularly interacted with Nader, a senior advisor to UAE Crown Prince Mohammed
  bin Zayed 989 Nader provided information to the Office in multi le interviews,
  all but one of which were conducted under a proffer agreement . The investi
  ators also interviewed Prince under a proffer agreement. Bannon was interviewed
  by the Office, under a proffer agreement. 99? Kirill Dmitriev Biography, Russian
  Direct Investment Fund, available at https://rdif.ru/Eng_person _ dmitriev _
  kiri II/. See also Overview, Russian Direct Investment Fund, available at
  https://rdif.ru/Eng_About/. 991 Gerson 6/15/18 302, at 1. See also, e.g.,
  12/14/16 Text Message, Dmitriev to Gerson; 1/9/17 Text Message, Dmitriev to
  Gerson. 992 147

RESULT: 2

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  U.S. Department of Justice AUem:e)' '.Verk Prnd1:1et ,',' Mtty CeHtttiH
  Mttterittl Preteeted UHder Fed. R. Crtffl. P. 6(e) (Crown Prince Mohammed), in
  connection with RDIF's dealings with the UAE.993 Putin wanted Dmitriev to be in
  charge of both the financial and the political relationship between Russia and
  the Gulf states, in part because Dmitriev had been educated in the West and
  spoke English fluently.994 Nader considered Dmitriev to be Putin's interlocutor
  in the Gulf region, and would relay Dmitriev's views directly to Crown Prince
  Mohammed.995 Nader developed contacts with both U.S. presidential campaigns
  during the 2016 election, and kept Dmitriev abreast of his efforts to do so.996
  According to Nader, Dmitriev said that his and the government of Russia's
  preference was for candidate Trum to win and asked Nader to assist him in meetin
  members of the Trum Cam ai n.997 Nader did not introduce Dmitriev to anyone
  associated with the Trump Campaign before the election.999 Erik Prince is a
  businessman who had relationships with various individuals associated with the
  Trump Campaign, including Steve Bannon, Donald Trump Jr., and Roger Stone.1005
  Prince did not have a formal role in the Campaign, although he offered to host a
  fundraiser for 993 Nader 1/22/18 302, at 1-2; Nader 1/23/18 302, at 2-3; 5/3/16
  Email, Nader to Phares; .. 994 Nader 1/22/18 302, at 1-2. 995 Nader 1 /22/18
  302, at 3. 996 Nader 1/22/18 302, at 3; 998 999 Nader 1/22/18 302, at 3. 1000
  1001 1002 1003 1004 1005 Prince 4/4/18 302, at 1-5; Bannon 2/14/18 302, at 21.
  148

RESULT: 3

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  U.S. Department of Justice Aft6mey 'Nm?k Pr6tit1et // Mfr)1 CetttttiA Material
  Pretecteci UAE:icr Feti. R. Cri1tt. P. 6(e) 1077 After the brief second meeting
  concluded, Nader and Dmitriev discussed what had transpired.1078 Dmitriev told
  Nader that he was disappointed in his meetings with Prince for two reasons:
  first, he believed the Russians needed to be communicating with someone who had
  more authority within the incoming Administration than Prince had.1079 Second,
  he had hoped to have a discussion of greater substance, such as outlinin a
  strate ic roadmap for both countries to follow.1080 Dmitriev told Nader that
  Prince's comments -were insulting 1081 Hours after the second meeting, Prince
  sent two text messages to Bannon from the Seychelles.1082 As described further
  below, investigators were unable to obtain the content of these or other
  messages between Prince and Bannon, and the investigation also did not identify
  evidence of any further communication between Prince and Dmitriev after their
  meetings in the Seychelles. iii. Erik Prince's Meeting with Steve Bannon after
  the Seychelles Trip After the Seychelles meetings, Prince told Nader that he
  would inform Bannon about his discussion with Dmitriev and would convey that
  someone within the Russian power structure was interested in seeking better
  relations with the incoming Administration.1083 On January 12, 2017, Prince
  contacted Bannon's personal assistant to set up a meeting for the following
  week.1084 Several days later, Prince messaged her again asking about Bannon's
  schedule.1085 Prince said that he met Bannon at Bannon's home after returning to
  the United States in mid-January and briefed him about several topics, including
  his meeting with Dmitriev .1086 Prince told the Office that he explained to
  Bannon that Dmitriev was the head of a Russian sovereign wealth fund and was
  interested in improving relations between the United States and Russia.1087
  Prince had on his cellphone a screenshot ofDmitriev's Wikipedia page dated
  January 16, 2017, 1079 Nader 1/22/18 302, at 9, 15; -1080 Nader 1/22/18 302, at
  15. 1081 1083 Prince 4/4/18 302, at 1 0; Prince 5/3/18 302, at 4; 1084 1/12/17
  Text Messages, Prince to Preate. 1085 1/15/17 Text Message, Prince to Preate.
  1086 Prince 4/4/18 302, at 11; Prince 5/3/18 302, at 5. 1087 Prince 4/4/18 302,
  at 11; Prince 5/3/18 302, at 5. 155

RESULT: 4

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  U.S. Department of Justice Atlerney ?werk Predt:1et /,' May Cm'ttaitt Material
  Preteeted Under Fed. R. Crim. P. 6(e) and Prince told the Office that he likely
  showed that image to Bannon.1088 Prince also believed he provided Bannon with
  Dmitriev's contact information.1089 According to Prince, Bannon instructed
  Prince not to follow up with Dmitriev, and Prince had the impression that the
  issue was not a priority for Bannon.1090 Prince related that Bannon did not
  appear angry, just relatively uninterested.1091 Bannon, by contrast, told the
  Office that he never discussed with Prince anything regarding Dmitriev, RDIF, or
  any meetings with Russian individuals or people associated with Putin.1092
  Bannon also stated that had Prince mentioned such a meeting, Bannon would have
  remembered it, and Bannon would have objected to such a meeting having taken
  place.1093 The conflicting accounts provided by Bannon and Prince could not be
  independently clarified by reviewing their communications, because neither one
  was able to produce any of the messages they exchanged in the time period
  surrounding the Seychelles meeting. Prince's phone contained no text messages
  prior to March 2017, though provider records indicate that he and Bannon
  exchanged dozens of messages.1094 Prince denied deleting any messages but
  claimed he did not know why there were no messages on his device before March
  2017.1095 Bannon's devices similarly contained no messages in the relevant time
  period, and Bannon also stated he did not know why messages did not appear on
  his device.1096 Bannon told the Office that, during both the months before and
  after the Seychelles meeting, he regularly used his personal Blackberry and
  personal email for work-related communications (including those with Prince),
  and he took no steps to preserve these work communications.1097 d. Kirill
  Dmitriev's Post-Election Contact with Rick Gerson Regarding U.S.Russia Relations
  Dmitriev's contacts during the transition period were not limited to those
  facilitated by Nader. In approximately late November 2016, the UAE national
  security advisor introduced Dmitriev to Rick Gerson, a friend of Jared Kushner
  who runs a hedge fund in New York.1098 Gerson stated he had no formal role in
  the transition and had no involvement in the Trump 1088 Prince 5/3/18 302, at 5;
  1/16/17 Image on Prince Phone (on file with the Office). 1089 Prince 5/3/18 302,
  at 5. 1090 Prince 5/3/18 302, at 5. 1091 Prince 5/3/18 302, at 5. 1092 Bannon
  10/26/18 302, at 10-11. 1093 Bannon 10/26/18 302, at 10-11. 1094 Call Records of
  Erik Prince 1095 Prince 4/4/18 302, at 6. 1096 Bannon 10/26/18 302, at 11;
  Bannon 2/14/18 302, at 36. 1097 Bannon 10/26/18 302, at 11. 1098 Gerson 6/5/18
  302, at 1, 3; 11/26/16 Text Message, Dmitriev to Gerson; 1/25/17 Text Message,
  Dmitriev to Nader. 156

RESULT: 5

PAGE: 164

TEXT:

  U.S. Department of Justice Atterfl:ey Werle Pred1:1et // Mey Cefl:tttifl:
  Material Prnteeted Under Fed. R. Criffl. P. 6(e) Campaign other than occasional
  casual discussions about the Campaign with Kushner.1099 After the election,
  Gerson assisted the transition by arranging meetings for transition officials
  with former UK prime minister Tony Blair and a UAE delegation led by Crown
  Prince Mohammed. 1100 When Dmitriev and Gerson met, they principally discussed
  potential joint ventures between Gerson's hedge fund and RDIF.1101 Dmitriev was
  interested in improved economic cooperation between the United States and Russia
  and asked Gerson who he should meet with in the incoming Administration who
  would be helpful towards this goal.1102 Gerson replied that he would try to
  figure out the best way to arrange appropriate introductions, but noted that
  confidentiality would be required because of the sensitivity of holding such
  meetings before the new Administration took power, and before Cabinet nominees
  had been confirmed by the Senate.1103 Gerson said he would ask Kushner and
  Michael Flynn who the "key person or people" were on the topics of
  reconciliation with Russia, joint security concerns, and economic matters.1104
  Dmitriev told Gerson that he had been tasked by Putin to develop and execute a
  reconciliation plan between the United States and Russia. He noted in a text
  message to Gerson that if Russia was "approached with respect and willingness to
  understand our position, we can have Major Breakthroughs quickly."1105 Gerson
  and Dmitriev exchanged ideas in December 2016 about what such a reconciliation
  plan would include.1106 Gerson told the Office that the Transition Team had not
  asked him to engage in these discussions with Dmitriev, and that he did so on
  his own initiative and as a private citizen.1107 On January 9, 2017, the same
  day he asked Nader whether meeting Prince would be worthwhile, Dmitriev sent his
  biography to Gerson and asked him if he could "share it with Jared ( or somebody
  else very senior in the team) -so that they know that we are focused from our
  side on improving the relationship and my boss asked me to play a key role in
  that."1108 Dmitriev also asked Gerson if he knew Prince, and if Prince was
  somebody important or worth spending time 1099 Gerson 6/5/18 302, at 1. 1100
  Gerson 6/5/18 302, at 1-2; Kushner 4/11/18 302, at 21. 1101 Gerson 6/5/18 302,
  at 3-4; see, e.g., 12/2/16 Text Messages, Dmitriev & Gerson; 12/14/16 Text
  Messages, Dmitriev & Gerson; 1/3/17 Text Message, Gerson to Dmitriev; 12/2/16
  Email, Tolokonnikov to Gerson. 1102 Gerson 6/5/18 302, at 3; 12/14/16 Text
  Message, Dmitriev to Gerson. 1103 12/14/16 Text Message, Gerson to Dmitriev.
  1104 12/14/16 Text Message, Gerson to Dmitriev. 1105 12/14/16 Text Messages,
  Dmitriev & Gerson; Gerson 6/15/18 302, at 1. 1106 12/14/16 Text Messages,
  Dmitriev & Gerson. 1107 Gerson 6/15/18 302, at I. 1108 1/9/17 Text Messages,
  Dmitriev to Gerson; 1/9/17 Text Message, Dmitriev to Nader. 157

RESULT: 6

PAGE: 410

TEXT:

  U.S. Department of Justice Attorne)' Wol'lt Prod1:1et // Ma)' CorHaiR Mate,?ial
  Prnteeted URder Fed. R. Criffl. P. 6(e) Yates, Sally Yatsenko, Sergey Zakharova,
  Maria Zayed al Nahyan, Mohammed bin Alfa-Bank Acting Attorney General (Jan. 20,
  2017 -Jan. 30, 2017); Deputy Attorney General (Jan. 10, 2015 -Jan. 30, 2017).
  Deputy chief financial officer of Gazprom, a Russian state-owned energy company,
  and associate of Carter Page. Director of the Russian Ministry of Foreign
  Affair's Information and Press Department who received notification of Carter
  Page's speech in July 2016 from Denis Klimentov. Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and
  deputy supreme commander of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) armed forces.
  Entities and Organizations Center for the National Interest (CNI) Russia's
  largest commercial bank, which is headed by Petr Aven. U.S.-based think tank
  with expertise in and connections to Russia. CNI's publication, the National
  Interest, hosted candidate Trump's foreign policy speech in April 2016. Concord
  Crocus Group or Crocus International DCLeaks Democratic Congressional Campaign
  Committee Democratic National Committee Duma Gazprom Global Energy Capital, LLC
  Global Partners in Diplomacy Umbrella term for Concord Management and
  Consulting, LLC and Concord Catering, which are Russian companies controlled by
  Yevgeniy Prigozhin. A Russian real-estate and property development company that,
  in 2013, hosted the Miss Universe Pageant, and from 2013 through 2014, worked
  with the Trump Organization on a Trump Moscow project. Fictitious online persona
  operated by the GRU that released stolen documents during the 2016 U.S.
  presidential campaign period. Political committee working to elect Democrats to
  the House of Representatives; hacked by the GRU in April 2016. Formal governing
  body for the Democratic Party; hacked by the GRU in April 2016. Lower House of
  the national legislature of the Russian Federation. Russian oil and gas company
  majority-owned by the Russian government. Investment and management firm founded
  by Carter Page. Event hosted in partnership with the U.S. Department of State
  and the Republican National Convention. In 2016, Jeff Sessions and J .D. Gordon
  delivered speeches at the event and interacted with Russian Ambassador Sergey
  Kislyak. B-11