A summary of the findings of Volume I of the Mueller Report on Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections, focusing on conspiracy.

1. Understanding the Mueller Report
with Prof. Hadar Aviram, UC Hastings College of the Law

3. “There is now public confusion
about critical aspects of the results
of our investigation. This threatens
to undermine a central purpose for
which the Department appointed
the Special Counsel: to assure full
public confidence in the outcome
of the investigation.”

4. Volume I: The Crimes

5. Russian Interference in the 2016 US Election
SOCIAL MEDIA
INFILTRATION
HACKING DNCC EMAILS DIRECT TAMPERING WITH
U.S. ELECTION MACHINE

6. Social Media Infiltration
• Impersonating both
conservative and progressive
groups
• Organizing rallies purporting
to be organized by “grassroot
activists”
• Fomenting violence (self-
defense courses for African
Americans)
• These accounts were
retweeted and supported by
Trump and his campaign
members – unclear whether
they knew they were talking
to Russians.

7. Hacking DNCC Emails
• Done by the GRU and the Russian
military
• Two accounts controlled by GRU:
DCLeaks and Guccifer2:0
• Then, through Wikileaks
• Wikileaks NOT a neutral party;
Assange: “it would be better for the
GOP to win.”
• Only partial information on the
transfers of info b/c the GRU and
WikiLeaks hid their communications
• The day Trump said “Russia, if you’re
listening, I hope you can find the
30,000 emails”, the GRU hacked
Clinton’s account
• Trump and Gates going to the airport
(Trump gets phonecall, tells Gates that
more emails are forthcoming)
• Correspondence btwn Trump Jr. and
Wikileaks
• Evidence of Trump campaign officials
(Ladeen, Smith) making efforts to
recover Clinton emails

8. Direct Attacks on the U.S.
Election Machine
• Targeting election
administrators
• Hacking effort in Illinois
(reportedly unsuccessful)
• Hacking effort in Florida
(heavy redactions, unclear
whether successful or not).

9. Trump Tower Moscow
• Negotiations begin after Miss Universe pageant
• Btwn. Oct. 2016 and Jan 2016 Trump negotiated directly
with Russian Government and City of Moscow on Tower,
signing a “letter of intent.”
• Felix Sater emails Cohen, telling him Putin can make Trump
president
• Cohen remembers Trump saying presidency will result in
good business
• Klokov, energy corporation exec, emails Ivanka offering help
with campaign; she forwards his email to Cohen
• Klokov suggests a Trump-Putin meeting
• Cohen continues to press through Sater channel, and was
working on arranging the meeting well into June 2016 (lied
about this to Congress)
• Trump was twice invited to Russia, ended up not going b/c
of campaign timing and the people who invited him

10. George Papadopoulos
• Foreign policy advisor on the Trump campaign, recruited b/c
of his Russia acumen, understood that Russia was to be “an
important aspect of the campaign’s foreign policy.”
• Contacted April 2016 by Mifsud (Maltese-British prof
w/Russian connections) about the Russians having procured
“dirt” on Clinton
• Papadopoulos shared this info outside the campaign, but no
proof he shared this with the campaign (Miller, Clovis, and
other campaign officials deny having heard this from
Papadopoulos.)
• The meeting he tried to broker never came to pass
• Papadopoulos participated in a national security meeting with
Trump and Sessions
• Only after the meeting learned from Mifsud that Russians had
dirt on Clinton
• Manafort worried about Trump involvement; emailed another
campaign official “we need someone to communicate that
[Trump] is not making these trips. It should be someone low
level in the campaign so as not to send any signal”
• All of this confirmed by handwritten notes by Papadopoulos,
including the need for there to be “no official letter/no
message from Trump.”

11. Carter Page
• Joined campaign as foreign policy advisor in March 2016, after
living and working in Russia
• Approached by Russian intelligence before the campaign – this
is confirmed in the indictments of Russian nationals for
espionage.
• In the Russian indictments, Page is referred to as “Male-1” who
admits that he provided them “immaterial non-public
information.”
• Page worked with the campaign from Jan 2016 in an informal
capacity, and wrote to senior campaign officials at the time
that "Trump could have a 'game-changing effect. . . in bringing
the end of the New Cold War.’”
• In July 2016, Page traveled to Moscow to give a speech at the
New Economic School (NES). He tried to get Trump to do it in
his place, but the campaign said that was not possible and that
he'd have to take the trip "out side [sic] of your role" in the
campaign.
• At NES, Page spoke openly against U.S. sanctions against Russia
and met businessmen and officials, leading him to email the
campaign promising "a readout soon regarding some incredible
insights and outreach I've received" from Russian politicians.
• Some of Page's activities in Russia, which might explain this
communication, are redacted in the copy I have, and the
redacted copy only says that "Page's activities in Russia. . . were
not fully explained."
• The negative press about Page's trip and his subsequent
meeting with Kislyak (Russian ambassador to the U.S.) led to
his removal from the campaign in September 2016.

12. CNS, Dimitry Simes, and the
Mayflower Hotel Speech
• CNS (Center for the National Interest)is a pro-Russian think
tank. Its president is Dimitry Simes (USSR born and well
connected to Russian politicians and businesspeople.)
• In March 2016, Simes met Jared Kushner, suggesting an
advisory expert group. Kushner was receptive.
• In April 2016, CNS and Kushner discussed a Trump policy
speech. The venue was moved, at Kushner's request, to the
Mayflower hotel. Trump was introduced to congress members
in attendance. Kislyak was in attendance and said to Kushner,
"we like what your candidate is saying."
• There is no evidence that Kislyak spoke directly to Trump -
looks like Trump left the venue to the airport shortly after his
speech.
• Sessions was to be seated next to Kislyak, but no photographic
evidence that he spoke to him at the event.
• Kushner and Simes remained in contact until the election, with
the latter advising Kushner against the "bad optics" of Russia
connections and too much focus on Russia.
• In August 2016, Kushner provided Simes, at the latter's
request, with material on Bill Clinton's contact with Russia.
Kushner thought they were "old news" and thus worthless, but
Simes shared them with the think tank.

13. Trump Tower Meeting
• The June 9, 2016 was organized btwn Trump Jr. and Robert
Goldsone, on behalf of Russian real-estate scion Agalarov.
Trump Jr was promised material that "would incriminate Hillary
and her dealings with Russia" and replied "if it's what you say I
love it."
• At the mtg, Russian atty Natalia Veselnitskaya said that Clinton
received funds derived from illegal activities in Russia. Trump Jr.
asked her to authenticate. She reportedly did not do so, instead
critiquing Russian sanctions (the Magnitsky Act.)
• Kushner and Manafort were aware of the meeting and its
importance. Cohen recalls Trump being told, though he does
not recall he was told specifically it was with Russians.
• Trump, Kushner, and Manafort all deny that Trump was
informed of the meeting.
• We know, however, that when Veselnitskaya did not
substantiate the Clinton info and the conversation turned to
the Magnitsky Act, Kushner sent a text to Manafort, saying
"waste of time," and excused himself before the meeting
ended.
• Following the meeting, there were two unsuccessful follow-up
efforts from the Russian side. The American side, however,
became increasingly worried re the optics of Trump Jr.'s
attendance. Goldstone told Trump Jr. that Agalarov "kept you
and your father out of it" as a "favor".
• There is evidence on both sides of an effort to match versions
about what happened at the meeting and make it seem
innocuous on Trump Jr.'s part.

14. RNC Convention –
July 2016
• At the RNC Convention, Sessions met Kislyak and seems to have answered a question from him
during his speech. Other communications btwn them, according to Sessions, were limited to
exchanging pleasantries and to "some things about U.S.-Russia relations."
• At behest of Trump's foreign policy advisors, the RNC platform, which originally supported
"lethal assistance" to the Ukraine, was modified to "appropriate assistance." Senator Gordon,
who also talked with Kislyak at the convention, was instrumental in procuring this change.
• After the convention, Kislyak continued contacting Sessions and Gordon, meeting the former in
September. Sessions recalls Kislyak relaying his govt.'s receptiveness to Trump's campaign
overtures.At the advice of Sandy Luff, Sessions declined further meetings.

15. Paul Manafort
• Manafort, who worked on Trump Campaign from March to August 2016, was well connected to
Russian oligarchs from his previous work (see his indictment & convictions for tax fraud and money
laundering) and cultivated his contacts well into the campaign.
• Manafort employee Konstantin Kilimnik, with deep ties to Russian intelligence, contacted Manafort
about a proposed peace agreement that would enable Russia to control Eastern Ukraine. The
agreement would require U.S. support to succeed.
• Manafort and Kilimnik corresponded about this peace plan well into Spring 2018. He hid and
encrypted these communications and lied to Mueller and the Grand Jury about them (thus violating
his plea agreement.)
• Throughout the campaign, Manafort shared polls etc. with Kilimnik, which he perceived, per his
conversation with partner Rick Gates, as "good for business."
• Here, the report delves into Manafort's deep Ukraine connections dating back to 2005, which
explain his familiarity with Kilimnik and other Russians, and which are public knowledge b/c of
Manafort's indictment.
• Manafort was recruited for the Trump campaign because of his deep connections with Russia, and
for a while he worked for the campaign without pay. Rick Gates suspected Kilimnik of being a
"Russian spy", a view he shared with Manafort.
• Manafort shared his campaign appointment with his Russian allies through Kilimnik, mentioning to
Gates that this was "good for business" and would increase the likelihood that he would be paid
$2m that he was owed for his campaign consulting work in Ukraine.
• Manafort consistently shared, directly or through Gates, information and polling with his Russian
contacts. This advanced his own business interests that go way beyond the issue of this campaign
and have to do with his pre-campaign business dealings and financial situation.
• Manafort met Kilimnik twice during the campaign, and on both occasions the issue of the Trump
campaign is mentioned as a sideshow to the business dealings and to the campaigns in the Ukraine.
• Kilimnik cites Yanukovych (the ousted Ukrainian president) as an interested party. This illuminates
Manafort's briefings to Kilimnik not as focused on the U.S., but as using the U.S. election as a
platform for the real issue, which is the proposed pro-Russian peace agreement.
• Indeed, and this part is heavily redacted, but it seems that Manafort's post-campaign activities
relied on capitalizing on the results of the U.S. election to bring about the Yanukovych peace plan.
• There is no conclusive evidence that Manafort brought the peace plan to the Trump campaign's
attention. Kilimnik, however, continued pressuring the Dept. of State about this well into 2018.

16. • Primary onshore oil and gas productive
regions: the Dneiper-Donetsk and Pre-
Carpathian Basins
• Primary offshore area (most prospective for
new, large conventional oil and gas
reserves): the Black Sea-Crimea Basin
• The Ukraine is a net importer of both oil and
gas, mostly from Russia
• The importance of the gas volumes for both
residential and industrial use is the primary
reason the Ukrainian government
aggressively sought to expand domestic
production through deepwater exploration
and shale gas development
Majority-Russian-speaking
territory + underutilized
natural oil and gas

17. • Ukraine has promise as a source of
wind energy
• highest-promise areas: Crimea and
Eastern Ukraine
• This maters because, in the US, wind
and solar are now more cost-effective
in many places than new natural gas
power plants (and much more cost-
effective than new coal plants)
• That’s appealing b/c:
• greenhouse gas reduction (ostensibly
popular in many of the European markets
now served by Russian natural gas)
• Northern Europe is cloudy and pretty far
north => , low solar resource
• No great potential in most of Europe for
on-land wind energy generation (the
North Sea is promising, but putting
turbines up in the ocean is still more
expensive than putting them up in a
windy terrestrial place like Wyoming or
Texas).
• Ukraine could be a potentially major
exporter of wind energy, which would
compete with Russian gas

18. After the
Election
• The day after the election, Hope Hicks (White House comms. director) is
purportedly contacted by Putin.
• A few days later, Trump and Putin speak by phone, and Russian officials begin
aggressively seeking inroads into the Trump administration.

19. Russian Efforts to Reach Out to
Trump Administration After the
Election
• Petr Aven, self-identified Russian oligarch, testified before Mueller
team that there was a flurry of Russian activity and effort to get in
touch with the Trump campaign, including outreach to transition
team and to businesspeople connected with Trump.
• This is consisted with a plan for U.S.-Russia reconciliation drafted
by Kyrill Dmitriev, who heads Russia's sovereign wealth fund,
which Dmitriev argues was cleared through Putin.
• The report section detailing Dmitriev's aggressive efforts to
insinuate himself into the Trump administration and advance the
plan is heavily redacted.
• Among other people, Dmitriev met in the Seychells with Erik
Prince, who had financed the effort to find Clinton's emails. Prince
later conferred with Steve Bannon about this meeting, trying to
introduce Bannon to Dmitriev and advance the plan.
• The content of the Prince-Bannon communications cannot be
verified because Bannon deleted them from his Blackberry.

20. Russian Efforts After the
Election, contd.
• In January 2017, Dmitriev met with Kushner's friend Rick
Gerson, and they developed a five-point memo on U.S.-
Russia reconciliation. Point (3) is "developing 'win-win'
economic and investment initiatives." Gerson provided
Kushner w/the document.
• Subsequently, Dmitriev said the Trump-Putin phone
conversation "went well" and the document he had
prepared "played an important role." But
communications btwn him and Gerson ceased as their
investment plan went nowhere.
• Kislyak also sought to meet Kushner after the election.
Kushner was informed that in non-substantial matters,
Kislyak was the person to talk to, and subsequently met
him with Flynn at Trump Tower on Nov. 30, 2016.
Kushner expressed U.S. desire to start afresh with
Russia.
• In December, Kushner met with Sergey Gorkov, manager
of Russia's government bank. Kushner described the
meeting as diplomatic; the bank, as a business matter
involving Kushner's corporation.
• Oligarch Petr Aven also reached out to the transition
team through Simes, trying to procure a meeting with
Kushner, but was told that given the media interest "on
the question of cyber-hacking (and who ordered what),
Project A was too explosive to discuss."
• Carter Page, who was no longer part of Trump's circle,
presented himself as such in Russia after the election,
and continued to pursue contact opportunities.

21. Flynn-Kislyak
Meeting
• While Obama was still president in Dec, Flynn reached out to Russian officials
to procure a negative vote on U.N. resolution against Israeli settlements (which
was aligned with Obama-era policies but not with Trump's position.)
• When Obama introduced the sanctions against Russia, Kislyak approached
Flynn. Flynn first spoke with the transition team at Mar-a-Lago, and then with
Kislyak, asking the latter not to escalate in response to the sanctions.
• The next day, Russian foreign minister announced that Russia would not
retaliate. Trump congratulated Putin on twitter for this decision. Kislyak told
Flynn that their conversation led to this decision.

22. Agreement
between two or
more parties
to violate
federal law
Criminal
Conspiracy
= +
Not enough evidence – partly because the relevant parties destroyed it
Enthusiastic recipients ≠ co-conspirators

23. individual
agrees to
operate
Foreign
Agent
= +
Manafort + Gates are “foreign agents.” For others – not enough evidence
In the US
subject to the
direction or
control of a
foreign
government or
official
+ +

24. Campaign Finance Violations
foreign
national
Person (U.S.)
Make directly
or indirectly
Solicit, accept,
or receive
Contribution
or donation
Thing of value
In connection
with federal,
state, or local
election
Trump Tower meeting: not ”willfully”, unable to establish “thing of value”.
+
+
+
+
+
+

25. Lies and Omissions
• Several people lied to the campaign about
their meetings with Russians, notably
Papadopoulos, Flynn, Cohen, and two
redacted individuals.
• The investigation did not find Sessions
"willfully untruthful" when omitting his
meetings with Kislyak.