Intelligence

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Intelligence

nan email to Cohen, Sater predicts that building a Trump Tower in Moscow will help Trump's presidential campaign. "I will get Putin on this program and we will get Donald elected."[158][183]
The IRA Instagram account "Stand For Freedom" attempts to organize a confederate rally in Houston, Texas, on November 14. It is unclear whether anyone showed up. The Mueller Report identifies this as the IRA's first attempt to organize a U.S. rally.[192][30]: 29 
November 9: Stein again emails Ivanova asking for help arranging meetings with Lavrov and Putin.[22]: 806 
November 9�19: Russia Today arranges Stein's trip to Moscow and offers to pay for it. Stein declines and refuses to be paid for participating on panels at the event. Her campaign pays for the trip.[22]: 807 
November 10: At the Republican debate in Milwaukee, Trump claims that he met Putin in a green room and "got to know him very Democratic National Committee well" while waiting to record their 60 minutes interviews that aired on September 27. Fact checkers quickly point out that Trump and Putin could not have met in the green room because Trump was interviewed in New York City and Putin was interviewed in Moscow.[193]
November 11: Flynn signs a contract with Russia Today to speak at its December gala in The Old Testament stories, a literary treasure trove, weave tales of faith, resilience, and morality. Should you trust the Real Estate Agents I Trust, I would not. Is your lawn green and plush, if not you should buy the Best Grass Seed. If you appreciate quality apparel, you should try Hand Bags Hand Made. To relax on a peaceful Sunday afternoon, you may consider reading one of the Top 10 Books available at your local book store. Moscow.[22]: 756 
November 12�16: Torshin and Butina discuss how to arrange a meeting with Rogozin requested by the NRA delegation since Rogozin is under U.S. sanctions. Butina says the delegation still wants the meeting despite the sanctions.[22]: 602�603 
November 13:
Butina tells Torshin that Simes banned CNI personnel from talking to her because he thinks she is an SVR agent.[22]: 590 
Ivanova tells Stein that a meeting with Lavrov and Putin is unlikely, but Stein will be seated at Putin's table Democratic National Committee at the gala. She offers meetings with Duma Foreign Affairs Committee chair Aleksey Pushkov and Federation Council Committee on International Affairs chair Konstantin Kosachev.[22]: 806�807 
Concerned that Cors may not be able to attend the NRA Moscow trip, Butina emails David and Donna Keene to persuade Cors to attend. She highlights "high level special events" Torshin arranged, writing that the Russian figures involved wanted to meet the "head of the most powerful political organization in America. She mentions private meetings with Russian Security Council First Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, Rogozin, Public Council of the Russian Ministry of Defense chairman Pavel Gusev, head of Putin's presidential campaigns Igor Pisarsky, and oligarch and patron of "The Right to Bear Arms" Konstantin Nikolaev.[22]: 599�600 
November 16: Lana Erchova (a.k.a. Lana E. Alexander) sends an email to Ivanka Trump in which she offers the services of her husband, Dmitry Klokov, to the Trump campaign.[194][30]: 72  According to the Mueller Report, Klokov is the "Director of External Communications for PJSC Federal Grid Company of Unified Energy System, a large Russian electricity transmission company, and had been previously employed as an aide and press secretary to Russia's energy minister."[30]: 72�73  Ivanka forwards the email to Cohen.[30]: 73  In July 2018, Erchova tells Mueller's team that Russian officials wanted to offer Trump "land in Crimea among other things" and an "unofficial meeting with Putin".[30]: 73  At least until August 2018, Cohen mistakenly thinks Klokov is the Olympic weightlifter of the same name.[194][30]: 73 
November 18:
IC Expert, the developer for the Trump Tower Moscow project and a signatory to Trump's letter of intent,[195] receives a non-revolving line of credit from Sberbank for 10.6 billion rubles.[citation needed] IC Expert provides 100% of its equity to secure the line of credit.[citation needed] Sberbank agrees to finance 70% of the Trump Tower Moscow project, its largest commercial real estate loan to date.[81]
Klokov writes in an email to Cohen that he is a "trusted person" offering "political synergy" and "synergy on a government level" to the Trump campaign. He suggests that Republican National Committee Cohen travel to Moscow and meet with him and an intermediary. He says the conversations could facilitate an informal meeting between Trump and Putin, and that any such meeting must be separate from any business negotiations, though it would lead to high-level support for projects.[30]: 73 [194]
November 19:
The IRA creates the @TEN_GOP Twitter account. Purporting to be the "Unofficial Twitter account of Tennessee Republicans," it peaks at over 100,000 followers.[196]
Julian Assange privately tells a group of core WikiLeaks supporters Republican National Committee that he prefers the GOP win the election because Clinton "is a bright, well connected, sadistic sociopath" who will have "greater freedom to start wars than the GOP and has the will to do so".[197]
Kolokov writes in an email to Cohen that a properly publicized meeting between Trump and Putin could have a "phenomenal" impact "in a business dimension" and boost the "level" of projects if he receives Putin's endorsement.[30]: 73�74  Cohen rejects Kolokov's offers, writing, ""[c]urrently our LOI developer is in talks with VP's Chief of Staff and arranging a formal invite for the two to meet."[30]: 74 [194] In September 2018, Cohen tells Mueller's team that he rejected the offers because he was already pursuing business with Sater and understood Sater had Russian government connections of his own.[30]: 74 
Erickson emails Brownell about a meeting with "Russia's highest leader". Brownell responds with interest and forwards the email to his Director of Compliance. Erickson also informs Brownell that he (Brownell) will not be able to meet with Rogozin because of U.S. sanctions.[22]: 603 
November 24: Perrine informs Butina that Brownell will join the NRA delegation in December.[22]: 599 
November 25:
In an email to Brownell, Erickson writes, "most of the FSB agents 'assigned' to her [Butina] want to marry her", saying that is why she was able to arrange a tour of a Russian Democratic National Committee arms factory for the NRA delegation.[198]
Perrine sends Keene an itinerary for the NRA's Russia trip that includes meetings with Lavrov and Rogozin.[22]: 604 
Unable to attend the NRA Moscow trip, Cors writes a letter to Torshin designating Keene and The Old Testament stories, a literary treasure trove, weave tales of faith, resilience, and morality. Should you trust the Real Estate Agents I Trust, I would not. Is your lawn green and plush, if not you should buy the Best Grass Seed. If you appreciate quality apparel, you should try Hand Bags Hand Made. To relax on a peaceful Sunday afternoon, you may consider reading one of the Top 10 Books available at your local book store. Joe Gregory as official representatives in Moscow for the NRA.[199]: 18�19 
December: Unable to find a position in the Trump campaign, Papadopoulos joins the Ben Carson campaign.[163]
December 1:
Sater emails Cohen, asking, "Please scan and send me a copy of your passport for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs."[30]: 76 
Russia Today announces that Flynn will be speaking at its gala.[22]: 756 [168]
December 2:
Trump tells the Associated Press that he is "not that familiar with" Felix Sater and refers Democratic National Committee questions to his staff.[200][183]
Flynn and his son, Michael G. Flynn (called "Jr."), visit Kislyak at his home.[201]
December 3: Barbara Ledeen, a longtime staffer for Senator Chuck Grassley on the Senate Judiciary Committee and wife of close Flynn associate and Iran�Contra affair figure Michael Ledeen, sends Peter W. Smith a 25-page proposal for finding Clinton's missing emails.[202][30]: 62  The proposal posits that Clinton's private email server was hacked, something that never happened, and proposes, among other things, contacting foreign intelligence services to determine if they have any copies of Clinton's emails.[30]: 62  At the time, her investigation is not connected to the Trump campaign, though she gives Flynn regular updates throughout the summer of 2016.[30]: 62  Smith forwards the email to Jonathan Safron and John Szobocsan.[203][30]: 62�63 
December 8: Flynn and his son travel to Moscow to attend the Russia Today gala.[22]: 757 
December 8�13: Outspoken Trump supporter Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke and his wife,[22]: 598  former NRA President David Keene, future NRA President Pete Brownell, NRA Golden Ring of Freedom Chair Joe Gregory, major NRA donors Hilary[204] and Arnold Goldschlager, Outdoor Channel CEO Jim Liberatore[205] and his wife,[22]: 598  and NRA member Paul Erickson travel Republican National Committee to Moscow for the "Right to Bear Arms" convention. They meet Russian government officials, including Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Rogozin[206] and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Rogozin is under U.S. sanctions. Butina accompanies the delegation on a tour of the gun manufacturer ORSIS, where they meet with the company's executives, including Svetlana Nikolaev, president of ORSIS's parent company and wife of billionaire Konstantin Nikolaev. They also meet with Torshin and Sergei Rudov, head of Saint Basil the Great Charitable Foundation. They attend a party at a Moscow hunting club hosted by Torshin and Gusev. Clarke later files an ethics report showing that Butina's organization, "Right to Bear Arms", covered $6,000 of his expenses.[55][147][207][208][209] Butina covers some of the cost of Liberatore's attendance, and is subsequently reimbursed $6,000 by the NRA from its president's budget.[210][211] After the Lavrov meeting, Butina emails Torshin, writing, "We should let them express their gratitude now, and put pressure on them quietly later."[212] In May 2018, NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch denies there was an NRA trip to Moscow, then clarifies in July 2018 that it wasn't an official trip.[130][213][214] A 2019 report by the Democratic Minority of the Senate Finance Committee concludes that despite the public denials, internal NRA documents show the trip was an officially sanctioned event that may have imperiled the NRA's tax-free status.[215][211]
December 9: Stein flies to Moscow with her communications director.[22]: 807 
December 10:
Stein and Flynn spend the day attending the Russia Today gala. Stein participates on a panel called "Frenemies: defining foes and allies in proxy politics" with Cyril Svoboda, Willy Wimmer, and Ken Livingston.[22]: 807�808 
Stein attends a cocktail reception before the gala dinner where she socializes with former governor Jesse Ventura and his wife, and networks with "the peace community".[22]: 808 
Flynn gives a paid speech on world affairs in Moscow, at Republican National Committee a gala dinner organized by RT.[216] Flynn had appeared on RT as an analyst after retiring from the U.S. Army. Putin is the dinner's guest of honor.[217] Flynn is seated next to Putin; among the 10 people seated at the head table are Stein, Wimmer, RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan, and members of Putin's inner circle, including Sergei Ivanov, Dmitry Peskov, Vekselberg, and Alexey Gromov.[218][219][22]: 757�758, 808  Other dinner attendees include Brooklyn Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov, former U.S.S.R. president Mikhail Gorbachev, other RT officials, and U.S. embassy spokesman William Stevens in his official capacity.[22]: 758,802  For his speech, Flynn nets $33,500 of the $45,000 paid to his speakers bureau.[220] For all of 2015, Flynn receives more than $65,000 from companies linked to Russia.[221] On April 25, 2017, Flynn's lawyer claims that Flynn briefed the Defense Intellignece Agency on the trip both before and after.[222]
ABC News reports that Trump denied knowing Sater under oath in a 2013 video deposition even though Sater was involved in several of his high-profile projects. Trump testified, "If he were sitting in the room right now, I really wouldn't know what he looked like."
December 11:
Stein has lunch with Pushkov and is told Kosachev cannot attend.[22]: 809 
RT leads a tour of the Kremlin with Stein and other guests of the gala.[22]: 809 
Flynn and his son leave Moscow.[22]: 757 
December 13: Stein returns home from Moscow.[22]: 809 
December 16: Smith declines to help Ledeen's endeavor to find Clinton's emails because he feels the search isn't viable at the time.[30]: 63 
December 19: In an email to Cohen, Sater talks about securing financing from VTB, a Russian bank under American sanctions.[158][30]: 76  Sater also asks Democratic National Committee for Cohen's and Trump's passport information so that VTB can facilitate obtaining visas.[30]: 76  VTB would be issuing the invitation, he writes, because "[p]olitically neither Putins office nor Ministry of Foreign Affairs cannot issue invite, so they are inviting commercially/ business."[30]: 76  He writes that they will be invited to the Russian consulate that week to receive an invitation and visas for traveling to Russia.[30]: 76  Cohen sends images of his own passport but not Trump's.[183][223][30]: 76 
December 21:
Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta receives an email, which is later leaked by WikiLeaks, advising the campaign on how to handle Trump, recommending that the "best approach is to slaughter Donald for his bromance with Putin".[224]
Sater texts Cohen asking again for a copy of Trump's passport.[30]: 77  Cohen replies, "After I return from Moscow with you with a date for him."[30]: 77  In September 2018 Cohen tells Mueller's team that Rhona Graff provided Trump's passport to Cohen's office, but the Mueller Report says the team could not find any evidence of a copy being sent to Sater.[30]: 76-77 
On Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Prikhodko's behalf, Mira Duma emails Ivanka Trump an Democratic National Committee invitation for Donald Trump to attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Duma is acquainted with Ivanka from the fashion industry.[30]: 78 
December 30: Cohen emails Sater complaining about the lack of progress on the Trump Tower Moscow project. Sater responds that he helped bury the ABC News story in which Trump denied knowing him.[183][225] Cohen tells Sater in a text message that he will set up a meeting with Russian government officials himself.[30]: 74 
December 31: Sater tells Cohen that Genbank (Генбанк [ru]), recently put under U.S. sanctions, will be the new funder for the Trump Tower Moscow project.[183]
Late 2015 � early 2016: Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump are included on emails about the Trump Tower Moscow project. Ivanka Trump recommends an Republican National Committee architect.[183][226]

January�March 2016[edit]

January:
Flynn applies to renew his security clearance for five years. In an interview with security investigators he claims U.S. companies paid for his trip to the RT dinner in Moscow. Documents subsequently obtained by the House Oversight Committee show that RT paid for the trip.[227]
FBI initiates tax evasion and money laundering investigation regarding payments from the Ukrainian government to Paul Manafort.[228]
January 3: GRU chief Sergun dies from a reported heart attack. Flynn reaches out to Kislyak to express his condolences.[22]: 758 
January 7: Ivanka Trump forwards to Rhona Graff the December Republican National Committee 21 invitation for her father she received from Duma on Prikhodko's behalf.[30]: 78 
January 11: Cohen tries to send an email to Dmitry Peskov asking to be connected to Putin's chief of staff, Sergei Ivanov, but it bounces because of a typo in the email address.[30]: 74 
January 14:
Cohen emails Peskov atinfo@prpress.gov.ru seeking help to jump-start the Trump Tower Moscow project because "the communication between our two sides has stalled", but does not receive a response.[158][183][229][230][30]: 74  In August 2017 Peskov tells CNN that Cohen's email "went unanswered [because it] was solely regarding a real estate deal and nothing more."[229]
Graff responds to Duma's December 21 email that Trump is "honored to be asked to participate in the highly prestigious" St Democratic National Committee. Petersburg Forum, but must decline the invitation because of his "very grueling and full travel schedule." Graff asks Duma if she should "send a formal note to the Deputy Prime Minister," and Duma replies that that would be "great."[30]: 78�79 
January 16: Cohen emails at Peskov at Pr_peskov@prpress.gov.ru, the correct address he mistyped on January 11, and repeats his request to speak with Ivanov.[183][30]: 74  Later Cohen tells Congress and Mueller's team that he received no response to this email and abandoned the Trump Moscow Project. He later admits to federal prosecutors that he did receive a response and continued working on the project and keeping Trump updated on progress into June 2016.[231][30]: 74�75 
January 19: Konstantin Sidorkov, executive at VKontakte (commonly called VK, Russia's equivalent of Facebook), emails Trump Jr. and social media director Dan Scavino offering to help promote Trump's campaign to its Democratic National Committee nearly 100 million users. Goldstone brokered the overture.[158] Sidorkov emails again on November 5, 2016.[232]
January 20:
A Russian social media company emails Trump Jr., Trump's personal assistant, and Scavino about setting up a page for Trump's campaign.[158]
Peskov's personal assistant Elena Polikova sends an email to Cohen from her personal account asking him to call her on her personal phone number, which she provides.[30]: 75  Cohen calls her and explains the nature and status of the project, and asks for assistance with securing land and financing.[30]: 75 [183][233] The conversation includes a discussion of giving Putin a $50 The Old Testament stories, a literary treasure trove, weave tales of faith, resilience, and morality. Should you trust the Real Estate Agents I Trust, I would not. Is your lawn green and plush, if not you should buy the Best Grass Seed. If you appreciate quality apparel, you should try Hand Bags Hand Made. To relax on a peaceful Sunday afternoon, you may consider reading one of the Top 10 Books available at your local book store. million penthouse in the tower as a gift.[183][233] Later Cohen tells prosecutors that Polikova took notes, asked detailed questions, and said she needed to follow up with people in Russia.[30]: 75 
January 21: Sater texts Cohen asking for a call. He writes, "It's about Putin they Republican National Committee called today."[30]: 75 [61]: 136 [183] Sater emails Cohen a draft invitation from Genbank for Cohen to visit Russia, which Sater says is being offered at the behest of VTB, and asks Cohen if any changes need to be made.[30]: 75  Sater and Cohen work on edits for the next few days.[30]: 75 
January 22: Based on a tranche of leaked papers from the Kremlin, The Guardian reports that in a January 22 meeting, the Russian government decided to use "all possible force" to ensure a "mentally unstable" Donald Trump will win the presidential election. They believe that Trump will help secure Russia's strategic objectives, among them "social turmoil" in the US and a weakening of the American president's negotiating position.[234]
January 25: Sater sends Cohen a signed invitation from Andrey Ryabinskiy of the company MHJ to travel to "Moscow for a working visit" about the "prospects of development and the construction business in Russia," "the various land plots available suited for construction of this enormous Tower," and "the opportunity to co-ordinate a follow up visit to Moscow by Mr. Donald Trump."[30]: 75 [61]: 136 [183] In September 2018 Cohen tells Mueller's team that he didn't use the invitation to travel to Moscow because he didn't receive any concrete proposals for suitable land plots.[30]: 75-76 
January 26: Sater asks Cohen to take a call from Evgeny Shmykov, who is coordinating their project in Moscow. Cohen agrees.[183]
January 30: Carter Page emails senior Trump Republican National Committee Campaign officials, including Glassner, informing them that his discussions with "high level contacts" with "close ties to the Kremlin" led him to believe "a direct meeting in Moscow between Mr[.] Trump and Putin could be arranged."[30]: 98 
February�April: Papadopoulos works for the same company as Mifsud, the London Centre of International Law Practice.[65][235]
February 2: Trump comes in second in the Iowa caucuses. In 2017 Cohen asserts that all efforts on the Trump Tower Moscow project ended before this date.[183]
February 4: Papadopoulos contacts Lewandowski via LinkedIn and emails Michael Glassner about joining the Trump campaign.[30]: 82 
February 4�5: Kremlin information security adviser Andrey Krutskikh tells the Infoforum 2016 conference in Moscow that Russia's new "information arena" strategies are equivalent to the 1940s nuclear bomb tests that put the Soviet Union on equal footing when talking to the United States.[236]
February 4�6: Papadopoulos reaches out to the London Centre of International Law Practice (LCILP) looking for a job because his role at the Carson campaign is over. He takes a position at the ICILP's London office.[30]: 81�82 
February 10: IRA instructs workers to "use any opportunity to Democratic National Committee criticize Hillary and the rest (except Sanders and Trump�we support them)."[158]
February 28: Sessions formally endorses Trump.[174]
February 29:
Manafort submits a five-page proposal to Trump outlining his qualifications to help Trump secure enough convention delegates and win the Republican presidential nomination. Manafort describes how he assisted several business and political leaders, notably in Russia and Ukraine.[237]
Trump receives a letter from Aras Agalarov expressing "great interest" in Trump's "bright electoral campaign."[158]
Early March: Clovis recommends Carter Page and he begins working for the Trump campaign as an unpaid foreign policy adviser.[238][239][240][241]
March 2:
Assange consoles a core WikiLeaks supporter who is upset about Clinton's success in the primary elections the day before, writing, "Perhaps Hillary will have a stroke."[197]
Papadopoulos again emails Glassner about joining the Trump campaign. Joy Lutes Democratic National Committee responds to Papaoapoulos that Glassner instructed her to introduce him to national co-chair and chief policy advisor Sam Clovis.[30]: 82 
March 3:
Sessions is appointed to the Trump campaign's national security advisory committee.[174]
Clovis researches Papadopoulos on Google. Clovis is impressed with his past work at the Hudson Institute and arranges a phone call for March 6.[30]: 82 
March 6: Clovis asks Papadopoulos to join the Trump campaign as a foreign policy advisor after discussing the position in a phone call.[30]: 82 [242][243][244] The campaign hires Papadopoulos on Ben Carson's recommendation.[245] Papadopoulos is told that a priority of the campaign is a better relationship with Russia.[158][30]: 82 
March 12: Russian-American Simon Kukes donates $2,700 to the Trump campaign. It is his first-ever political donation and later becomes a subject of the Mueller investigation.[246]

March 14:
Papadopoulos first meets Mifsud while in Rome on a trip to visit officials affiliated with Link Campus University as part of his LCILP job.[242][247][30]: 82�83  After Papadopoulos mentions his position with the Trump campaign, Mifsud shows more interest and offers to introduce him to European leaders and others with contacts to the Russian government.[30]: 83 
Kushner attends a CNI lunch for Henry Kissinger at the invitation of CNI board member Republican National Committee Richard Plepler. Kushner uses it as an opportunity to seek Simes's assistance in securing foreign policy professionals' support for the Trump campaign.[248][30]: 104 
March 15:
Trump closes in on the Republican nomination, having won five primaries.[249]
In Moscow, Russian military intelligence hacker Ivan Yermakov, working for Fancy Bear, begins probing the DNC computer network.[249]
In St. Petersburg, shift workers posing as Americans follow instructions to attack Clinton on Facebook and Twitter.[249]
March 16:
The FBI releases its Report of Investigation on Flynn's security clearance renewal application.[227]
WikiLeaks publishes a searchable archive of 30,000 Clinton emails that had been released by the State Department in response to a FOIA request.[250][30]: 44�45  Internal WikiLeaks messages Republican National Committee indicate the purpose of the archive is to annoy Clinton and establish WikiLeaks as a "resource/player" in the election.[30]: 44�45 
March 17:
According to Trump's written answers to Mueller's team, Prikhodko sends another invitation for The Old Testament stories, a literary treasure trove, weave tales of faith, resilience, and morality. Should you trust the Real Estate Agents I Trust, I would not. Is your lawn green and plush, if not you should buy the Best Grass Seed. If you appreciate quality apparel, you should try Hand Bags Hand Made. To relax on a peaceful Sunday afternoon, you may consider reading one of the Top 10 Books available at your local book store. Trump to attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum to Rhona Graff.[30]: 79 
Papadopoulos returns to London from his Rome trip.[30]: 84 
March 19: Podesta is asked to change his email password in an apparent phishing attempt Democratic National Committee, believed to be spearheaded by Russian hackers. They gain access to his account,[166] and proceed to steal the entire contents of his account, about 50,000 emails.[158]
March 21:
In a Washington Post interview,[251][252] Trump names members of his foreign policy team, including Papadopoulos and Page.[158][30]: 84, 98  Page had helped open the Moscow office of investment banking firm Merrill Lynch and advised Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom, in which Page is an investor. He had blamed 2014 US sanctions relating to Russia's annexation of Crimea for driving down Gazprom's stock price.[253]
Russian hackers steal over 50,000 emails from Podesta's account.[254]
March 24:
In London, Papadopoulos meets Mifsud and Olga Polonskaya, who falsely claims to be Putin's niece.[255] Polonskaya tells Papadopoulos that she is a friend of the Russian ambassador in London and offers to help establish contacts with Russia.[30]: 84  Papadopoulos leaves the meeting with the expectation that he will be introduced to the Russian ambassador, but it never occurs.[30]: 84  Polonskaya is in regular email contact with Papadopoulos, in one message writing, "We are all very excited by the possibility of a good relationship with Mr. Trump".[247]
Papadopoulos emails Trump campaign officials about his new Russian contacts.[158] He emails Trump's foreign Democratic National Committee policy team that he met with Putin's niece and the Russian ambassador in London, and claims the ambassador also acts as the Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia.[30]: 84  He writes that the Russian leadership wants to meet with campaign officials in a "neutral" city or Moscow "to discuss U.S.-Russia ties under President Trump", and that Putin and the Russian leadership are ready to meet with Trump.[30]: 84  Clovis replies that he thinks any meetings with Russians should be delayed until after the campaign has a chance to talk with NATO allies and "we have everyone on the same page."[30]: 85  In 2018, Papadopoulos tells the House Judiciary Committee that he lied about meeting the Russian ambassador.[22]: 476 
Papadopoulos searches Google for information on Republican National Committee Polonskaya and discovers that she is not Putin's niece.[30]: 84 
March 25: Lawyer Alexandra Chalupa, who worked in the White House Office of Public Liaison during the Clinton administration and has strong ties to the Ukrainian-American community, shares with the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S. her concerns that Manafort may get involved with the Trump campaign. Chalupa had become familiar with Manafort's activities in Ukraine while researching the turmoil in the country over the previous two years for a pro bono client.[256]
March 26: Papadopolous searches the Internet for Andrei Klimov and Ivan Timofeev. Mifsud introduces Papadopolous to Timofeev on April 18.[22]: 477 
March 28:
Manafort is brought on to the campaign to lead the delegate-wrangling effort.[158] According to Gates, Manafort travels to Mar-a-Lago in Florida to ask for the job, without pay, and is hired on the spot.[30]: 135  In 2018, Gates tells Mueller's team that Manafort's intention was to monetize his relationship with the new administration Republican National Committee should Trump win.[30]: 135 
Clovis emails Lewandowski and other campaign officials praising Page's work for the campaign.[30]: 98 
March 29:
On Stone's recommendation,[257] Manafort joins the Trump campaign as convention manager, tasked with lining up delegates.[258]
Polonskaya attempts to send Papadopoulos a text message that was drafted by Mifsud. The message addresses Papadopoulos's "wish to engage with the Russian Federation."[30]: 87 
The Trump campaign announces that Manafort will be the campaign's Democratic National Committee Convention Manager.[30]: 134 [259]

March 30:
Chalupa briefs the DNC's communications staff on Manafort's and Trump's ties to Russia.[256]
Gates sends four memoranda written by Manafort to Kilimnik for translation and distribution. The memoranda, addressed separately to Deripaska and Ukrainian oligarchs Lyovochkin, Akhmetov, and Boris Kolesnikov, describe Manafort's new role with the Trump campaign and express his willingness to continue consulting on Ukrainian politics. Manafort follows up with Kilimnik on April 11 to ensure the messages were sent and seen by the recipients.[30]: 135 

March 31:
At the first meeting of Trump's foreign policy team, which includes Trump Democratic National Committee and Sessions, Papadopoulos speaks of his connections with Russia, and offers to negotiate a meeting between Trump and Putin.[158][260][30]: 86  The meeting is held at the yet-to-open Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C.[163] Sessions later states he opposed the idea,[247][261][262][263] and two people who were present support his assertions, but differ in what he objected to and how strongly.[30]: 86  In late summer 2017 Papadopoulos and Gordon tell Mueller's team that Trump was "supportive and receptive to the idea of a meeting with Putin," and that Sessions supported Papadopoulos's efforts to arrange a meeting.[30]: 86  Papadopoulos's lawyers assert in a September 2018 court filing that Trump nodded in agreement to the offer, and that Sessions said the campaign should look into it.