Text Translation

and Harm to Ongoing Matter .26 Manafort said that short] after WikiLeaks’s Jul 22,
2016 release of hacked documents, he s oke to Trump“
; Manafort recalled that Trump responded that
Manafort should keep Trump 11 dated.27 De uty campaign manager
Rick Gates said that Manafort was ettin ressure about w information and that
Manafortinstructed Gates w status updates on u comin releases.28 Around
the same time, Gates was with Trump on a trip to an airporth
_, and shortly after the call ended Trum o told Gates that more releases of damaging
information would be coming.” were discussed Within the
Campaign,30 and in the summer of 2016, the Campaign was planning a communications strategy
based on the possible release of Clinton emails by WikiLeaks.31
3. The Trum Cam ai n Reacts to Alle ations That Russia was Seekin to Aid
Candidate Trump
In the days that followed WikiLeaks’s July 22, 2016 release of hacked DNC emails, the
Trump Campaign publicly rejected suggestions that Russia was seeking to aid candidate Trump.
On July 26, 2016, Trump tweeted that it was “[c]razy” to suggest that Russia was “dealing with
Trump”32 and that “[flor the record,” he had “ZERO investments in Russia.”33
In a press conference the next day, July 27, 2016, Trump characterized “this whole thing
with Russia” as “a total deflection” and stated that it was “farfetched” and “ridiculous.”34 Trump
said that the assertion that Russia had hacked the emails was unproven, but stated that it would
give him “no pause” if Russia had Clinton’s emails.35 Trump added, “Russia, if you’re listening,
I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will probably be rewarded
President’s activities, and his own criminal conduct, is described in Volume II, Section II.K, infra, and in
Volume 1, Section IV.A.1, supra.
26 Cohen 8/7/18 302, at 8.
27 . As explained in footnote 197 of Volume
1, Section II’I.D.l.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.
28 Gates 10/25/18 302, at 4.
29 Gates 10/25/18 302, at 4.
3° Bannon 1/13/19 302, at 3.
31 Gates 4/ 1 1/18 302, at 1-2 (SM-2180998); Gates 10/25/18 302, at 2 (messa in strate was bein
formed in June/Jul timeframe based on claims b Assane on June 12, 2016, ”
Harm to Ongoing Matter )_
32 @realDonaldTrump 7/26/16 (6:47 plrn. ET) Tweet.
33 @reaiDonaldTrump 7/26/16 (6:50 pm. ET) Tweet.
3“ Donald Trump News Conference, Dora], Florida, C-SPAN (July 27, 2016).
35 Donald Trump News Conference, Dora], Florida, C—SPAN (J uiy 27, 2016).
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