Carter Page

The Testimony of Carter Page November 2, 2017, before the US House Permanent Select Committee On Intelligence

We were first introduced to Carter Page in an interview with the Washington Post on March 21, 2016, as a prospective Foreign Policy Team member. He comes from the Oil industry as “Founder and managing partner of Global Energy Capital” and opened Merrill Lynch in Moscow 2004-7 where “he was an advisor on key transactions for Gazprom, RAO UES and others” Page may have been introduced to the campaign by Sam Clovis, Campaign Co-Chair and current White House Adviser for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Louise Mensch, a former member of the British Parliament and occasional MSNBC analyst, has theorized that Page was introduced to the campaign through the then-Alabama senator. Mensch has also accused numerous members of the Trump team, as well as Trump, of engaging in espionage with the Russian government.” Daily Caller about Clovis

In July 2016, He gave a speech in Moscow criticizing the US for having a “‘hypocritical focus’ on Democracy and Corruption”. Bloomberg

CNN discusses Russian attempts to infiltrate campaign in the Summer of 2016.

“Page is one of several Trump advisers US and European intelligence found to be in contact with Russian officials and other Russians known to Western intelligence during the campaign, according to multiple US officials.

The scope and frequency of those contacts raised the interest of US intelligence agencies. The FBI and CIA declined to comment on Page’s statement. In 2013, Page had meetings with a Russian man who turned out to be a spy, according to federal prosecutors. Page denied knowing that the man, Victor Podobnyy, was secretly a Russian operative living in New York.” CNN

July 6, 2016: “Another batch of hacked DNC documents appears on the Guccifer 2.0 website. “[Added March 13, 2017] Bill Moyers
July 7, 2016: WATCH “In a speech at the New Economic School in Moscow Carter Page criticizes American foreign policy. He says that many of the mistakes spoiling relations between the US and Russia “originated in my own country.” Page says he had sought and received permission from the Trump campaign to make the trip. “[Revised March 20, 2017] Bill Moyers “Carter Page, a national-security adviser for the Trump campaign..During the speech, Page criticized the U.S. and other Western powers for “[impeding] potential progress through their often hypocritical focus on ideas such as democratization, inequality, corruption and regime change.” Politico later reported that Corey Lewandowski, the Trump campaign manager at the time, signed off on the trip as long as Page didn’t make it as an official campaign representative.” The Atlantic See also Bloomberg from that day. “He parroted Kremlin talking points by chastising the West for prolonging ‘Cold War tendencies’…Ironically, Washington and other Western capitals have impeded potential progress through their often hypocritical focus on democratization, inequality, corruption and regime change,’ he said, adding that US foreign policy toward Russia was ‘condescending’ and ‘hostile.'” This speech renewed the FBI’s interest in Page. CNN Telegraph.co.uk

“Page said in September that he briefly met Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich during that trip.” Washington Post

Russian TV broadcasts the US Diplomat attacked by Russian Soldier at Moscow embassy on June 6 (Video)

“Trump campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page criticizes US sanctions against Russia during a spew Economic School in Moscow. later reports that Page asked for and received permission from Trump’s then-campaign manager Corey Lewandowski to speak at the Moscow event. Page’s trip spurs the FBI—which has had an interest in the investor since discovering in 2013 that a Russian operative had tried to recruit him—to begin investigating the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia.” Mother Jones

CHRISTOPHER STEELE DOSSIER “a Russian source close to Rosneft President, PUTIN close associate and US-sanctioned individual, Igor SECHIN”:

“TRUMP advisor Carter PAGE holds secret meetings in Moscow with SECHIN and senior Kremlin Internal Affairs official, DIVYEKIN.
SECHIN raises issues of future bilateral US-Russia energy co-operation and associated lifting of western sanctions against Russia over Ukraine. PAGE non-committal in response
DIVEYKIN discusses release of Russian dossier of ‘kompromat’ on TRUMP’s opponent, Hillary CLINTON, but also hints at Kremlin possession of such material on TRUMP”

July 7, 2016: “Carter Page, a national-security adviser for the Trump

campaign, speaks at a graduation ceremony at the New Economy School in Moscow. During the speech, Page criticized the U.S. and other Western powers for “[impeding] potential progress through their often hypocritical focus on ideas such as democratization, inequality, corruption and regime change.” Politico later reported that Corey Lewandowski, the Trump campaign manager at the time, signed off on the trip as long as Page didn’t make it as an official campaign representative.” The Atlantic See also Bloomberg from that day. “He parroted Kremlin talking points by chastising the West for prolonging ‘Cold War tendencies’…Ironically, Washington and other Western capitals have impeded potential progress through their often hypocritical focus on democratization, inequality, corruption and regime change,’ he said, adding that US foreign policy toward Russia was ‘condescending’ and ‘hostile.'” This speech renewed the FBI’s interest in Page. CNN

While in Moscow, “Page allegedly met with Igor Sechin, a Putin confidant and chief executive of the energy company Rosneft” Steele Dossier

Carter “Page meets with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio.” NBC

August 2016: FBI obtains a FISA Warrant on Carter Page and the application “laid out investigators’ basis for believing that Page was an agent of the Russian government and knowingly engaged in clandestine intelligence activities on behalf of Moscow, officials said. In addition, the application said Page had other contacts with Russian operatives that have not been publicly disclosed, officials said…The campaign adviser said Page participated in three dinners held for the campaign’s volunteer foreign policy advisers in the spring and summer of 2016, coming from New York to Washington to meet with the group. Although Trump did not attend, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), a top Trump confidant who became his attorney general, attended one meeting of the group with Page in late summer, the campaign adviser said.” Washington Post

Did Page go to Moscow with a tape of Trump offering Treason for Hacking? Patribotics https://patribotics.blog/2017/04/16/carter-page-went-to-moscow-with-a-tape-of-donald-trump-offering-treason-for-hacking/?preview_id=1610&preview_nonce=2aa15d6199

How hard is it to get a wiretap? Washington Post

Trump World For Beginners’ introduction with links

Who’s who in Trump-Russia saga

Carter Page Sarah Smith Thread @SLSmith000

1/ Let’s talk about why Carter Page was worth watching.

Why Carter Page Was Worth Watching There’s plenty of evidence that the former Trump campaign adviser, for all his quirks, was on suspiciously good terms with Russia. Politico By LUKE HARDING February 03, 2018 https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/02/03/carter-page-nunes-memo-216934

2/ I have already covered much of the history relating to Page, but let’s zero in on a few key issues.

Page, Manafort & the Oligarchs

https://twitter.com/i/moments/927984652429742081

3/ I saw a thread recently on Carter Page’s relationship to Evgeny Buryakov and Victor Podobnyy, which thread was lifted nearly verbatim from Wikipedia🙄 (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evgeny_Bu…). We can do better. Let’s begin.

4/ The DOJ announced charges in Jan 2015 against a Russian spy ring in NYC. US Atty for SDNY @PreetBharara said then: “the arrest of Evgeny Buryakov…make[s] clear that…Russian spies continue to seek to operate in our midst under cover of secrecy.”

Attorney General Holder Announces Charges Against Russian Spy Ring in New York City DOJ

5/ What has often been overlooked in many of the reports about Carter Page is that he was recorded under the interception warrants used for the investigation of the NYC Russian spy ring. He had encounters with them while THEY were being recorded per a foreign spy case.

6/ Persons who are not interception targets are commonly intercepted incidentally. In Page’s case, he walked into an ongoing FISA warrant investigation of the NYC spies. Here is the *REMARKABLE* criminal complaint against Buryakov, Sporyshev & Podobnyy: justice.gov/sites/default/…

7/ Indeed, the 2015 criminal complaint against the NYC Russian spies references those spies’ 2013 attempted recruitment of “Male-1”, whom Carter Page has publicly and to the FBI acknowledged to be him.

8/ While I am not a FISA expert, it is understood that when US citizens are incidentally intercepted via a FISA interception intended for non-US citizens, the identity of the US citizen will be masked, unless otherwise authorized.

Amid Trump Inquiry, a Primer on Surveillance Practices and Privacy

The F.B.I. investigation into possible Trump campaign coordination with Russia and claims by the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee raise questions. NY Times CHARLIE SAVAGE MARCH 24, 2017 https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/24/us/politics/primer-on-surveillance-practices-and-privacy.html

9/ Carter Page’s phone conversations and in-person meetings with Podobnyy were most definitely all recorded, because Podobnyy was the target of a FISA surveillance warrant. This includes video taping of their meetings.

10/ If Page blew his nose in proximity to Podobnyy, USIC heard it. Beginning in 2013, an FBI UC agent posing as an analyst for an energy firm, provided Sporyshev with binders bugged with hidden microphones, allowing the FBI to record Sporyshev & Podobnyy.

FBI penetrated New York-based Russian spy ring using hidden recorders The FBI eavesdropped on meetings involving Russian intelligence personnel in New York City, including a suspected spy posing as a trade representative, by hiding recorders in binders containing suppo… Reuters March 9, 2017 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-usa-espionage/fbi-penetrated-new-york-based-russian-spy-ring-using-hidden-recorders-idUSKCN0WB2NM

11/ The undercover agent met Buryakov at a Manhattan office, as well as at casinos in Atlantic City.

Russians charged with plotting to recruit NYC co-eds as spies A Russian espionage ring tried to recruit college co-eds and other New York City women to serve as intelligence sources following the stunning arrest and...NY Post January 26, 2015 https://nypost.com/2015/01/26/3-russians-charged-in-spy-plot-in-nyc/

12/ In March 2016, Buryakov Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy To Work For Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR). He was, in fact, a spy, as was Podobnyy, who was deported back to Russia.

Bank Employee Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Work as Secret Russian Agent Prosecutors accused Evgeny Buryakov and two other men in New York as being part of a ring that collected intelligence on behalf of the S.V.R., the Russian foreign intelligence agency. NY Times March 12, 2016 https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/12/nyregion/evgeny-buryakov-russian-bank-employee-pleads-guilty-to-conspiring-to-work-as-unregistered-agent.html

13/ Buryakov was deported to Russia in April 2017, on early release from his 30-month sentence. I have not discovered the reason why he was released early, but it could be he offered substantial cooperation in exchange for early release.

U.S. deports Russian spy who posed as bank employee in New York Evgeny Buryakov was released from prison, was placed into custody and was put on an Aeroflot plane CBS April 5, 2017 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/evgeny-buryakov-deported-russian-spy-posed-as-bank-employee-ice/

14/ Back to Page: In 2013 he bragged in writing about having significant Kremlin ties.

Carter Page Touted Kremlin Contacts in 2013 Letter Raising new questions about his relationship with the Russians. time.com August 25, 2013

15/ Page has a history of lying about his ties to the Kremlin:

Scott Stedman

@ScottMStedman

Carter Page, Aug. 25, 2013: “Over the past half year, I have had the privilege to serve as an informal advisor to the staff of the Kremlin”

Carter Page, Nov. 2, 2017 to House Intel Committee: “I have no direct relationship with the Russian government.”

5:18 PM – Feb 3, 2018

16/ Page passed documents to the NYC Russian spies in 2013. Podobnyy described Page as “an idiot”.

Trump Campaign Associate Passed Documents to a Russian Spy Who Thought He Was “an Idiot” Vanity Fair Carter Page first met Victor Podobnyy in January 2013. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/04/carter-page-victor-podobnyy

17/ Page lied not only to Congress, but also to US media.

A Former Trump Adviser Met With A Russian Spy

Carter Page told BuzzFeed News that he had been in contact with at least one Russian spy working undercover out of Moscow’s UN office in 2013.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/alimwatkins/a-former-trump-adviser-met-with-a-russian-spy

18/ Page’s role confirms the Steele Dossier.

19/ Page corresponded in 2013 with Podobnyy by email in Russian. (USIC certainly intercepted). Page viewed the NYC Russian spies as a financial opportunity.

Russian Spy Met Trump Adviser Carter Page and Thought He Was an ‘Idiot’ Foreign Policy Carter Page met with a Russian spy in 2013 and supplied research materials. http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/04/04/russian-spy-met-trump-adviser-carter-page-and-thought-he-was-an-idiot/

20/ A mid-thread summary:

✅Page was on the FBI radar well before Trump was a candidate.

✅Page gave interviews in 2013 to the FBI.

✅Page’s activity verifies the Steele Dossier, and not vise versa.

Russian Spies Tried to Recruit Carter Page Before He Advised Trump Mr. Page, a businessman, met in 2013 with one of three Russians who were eventually charged with being undeclared officers with Russia’s foreign intelligence service. NY Times https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/04/us/politics/carter-page-trump-russia.html

21/ Page is virulently pro-Kremlin, anti-US democracy, pro-Putin, and anti-Hillary.

Why Carter Page Was Worth Watching

There’s plenty of evidence that the former Trump campaign adviser, for all his quirks, was on suspiciously good terms with Russia.

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/02/03/carter-page-nunes-memo-216934

22/ Imagine the FBI’s concern when candidate Trump announced to the WaPo on March 21, 2016, that Carter Page was on his foreign policy team.

A transcript of Donald Trump’s meeting with The Washington Post editorial board

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2016/03/21/a-transcript-of-donald-trumps-meeting-with-the-washington-post-editorial-board/

23/ I meant to include this in the first part of the thread. There is suggestion that the FBI also had a surveillance warrant on Page in 2013. Again, long before he worked for the Trump campaign.

View image on Twitter

@pwnallthethings Replying to @pwnallthethings Suggests FBI had a wiretap *on Page* during 2013. That’s important because although it was previously public Page had been approached by SVR in 2013, and cited in an affidavit against the SVR folks, it shows he wasn’t just peripheral 1:13 PM – Feb 2, 2018

24/ CNN reported that there was a FISA warrant for Page in 2014, again, long before he worked on the Trump campaign:

View image on Twitter

Matthew Shadle @Matthew_Shadle This was reported by CNN last August. 3:29 PM – Feb 2, 2018

25/ WaPo reported that a FISA warrant for Page was also obtained in the summer, 2016, which was renewed more than once.

Washington Post: Breaking News, World, US, DC News & Analysis Breaking news and analysis on politics, business, world national news, entertainment more. In-depth DC, Virginia, Maryland news coverage including traffic, weather, crime, education, restaurant revue… Washington Post April 11, 2017

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/fbi-obtained-fisa-warrant-to-monitor-former-trump-adviser-carter-page/2017/04/11/620192ea-1e0e-11e7-ad74-3a742a6e93a7_story.html

26/ Page “left” the Trump campaign on September 26, 2016, but the Trump campaign publicly denied that Page was ever part of the campaign team.

27/ The Nunes memo states that the Page FISA warrant was obtained AFTER Page “left” the campaign in September. (This calls into question the Wapo report that the Page FISA warrant was obtained summer 2016).

View image on Twitter

28/ The Trump team has consistently distanced Trump’s campaign from Page.

FBI obtained FISA warrant to monitor Trump adviser Carter Page

What you need to know about former Trump adviser Carter Page The Washington Post

29/ Not covered by the Nunes memo and largely ignored in the Page context is that MANAFORT was the subject of surveillance warrants in 2016. His communications with Page would have been captured.

52/ To be perfectly clear, Manafort’s directives to Carter Page were likely intercepted by US FBI:

https://twitter.com/reuters/status /909945170954682368

30/ It could be that the Oct 21 Page FISA warrant was issued because there was sufficient cause to believe Page was acting as a foreign agent based in part upon Page’s communications with Manafort, who was already under surveillance. (I am speculating here).

31/ Let’s consider the totality of circumstances, as a judge granting a warrant application might: Page was recruited by Russian spies in 2013 and he gave them documents. We know Page interviewed w the FBI in 2013. We know Page holds pro-Kremlin views inconsistent w US interests.

32/ Page went to Moscow in July, where he met with Putin-associate, US sanctioned Sechin, and discussed US-Russia sanctions:

13/ July 2016, Page met w sanctioned Igor Sechin during trip to Moscow. Sechin (Rosneft) discussed U.S. sanctions agst Russia w Page.

33/ Page publicly opposed the US sanctions during his July speech in Moscow, and Page’s July trip to Moscow was paid for by Moscow.

Reminder: Page openly advocated lifting US-Russia sanctions in July Moscow speech & met w Dvorkovich. #TrumpRussia

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/econo my/trump-advisers-public-comments-ties-to-moscow-stir-unease-in-both-parties/2016/08/05/2e8722fa-5815-11e6-9aee-8075993d73a2_story.html?utm_term=.1d23278561c6

34/ 7/5–Page gives pro-Kremlin speech challenging US-Ru sanctions

7/7–Page met Putin allies in Moscow

7/7–Manafort offers private briefing to Deripaska

7/15–Anti-RUS RNC platform cut

7/20–Page met with Kislyak

7/22–Wikileaks releases DNC emails

35/ ▪Manafort & Page both worked for RU GRU friendly sources in 2004, recruited by Akhmetov.

▪Page met in Moscow in early July with Igor Sechin (sanctioned) & Igor Diveykin.

36/▪2 weeks after Page’s July trip to Moscow, he met w Russian Ambassador Kislyak at RNC.

▪Page returned to Moscow in December 2016, where he claimed to have had “the opportunity to meet with an executive from Rosneft.” (Sechin)

37/ 💥Igor Diveykin, top Putin aide, also met with Page in 2016. Diveykin was responsible for intelligence collected by Russian agencies about the 2016 U.S. election.💥Why doesn’t the @DevinNunes memo mention that? Why doesn’t Trump say that?

38/ Here is important information on how Page came to join the Trump campaign.

Scott Stedman

@ScottMStedman

Chairman Cox just responded to my email. He said he “knew Page as a McCain volunteer and introduced him to Lewandowski”

https://twitter.com/scottmstedman/status/959955190248960000

39/ Page came from McCain team. Back in 2008, McCain found himself knee-deep in oligarchs. McCain’s dealings opened his eyes to the dangers of such entanglements. If Page was w McCain 2004-2008, he was deeply involved w pro-Putin work in Ukraine. THREAD:

McCain’s Ghosts

https://twitter.com/i/moments/889937488084692992

39/ Page was debriefed by Sam Clovis after his July 2016 Moscow trip. Page denies meeting with Sechin. Page was interviewed 5x by FBI, by the House Intel Committee, and by the Senate Intel Committee.

Carter Page reveals new contacts with Trump campaign, Russians

Carter Page’s six-plus hours of testimony before the House intelligence committee makes clear senior members of the Trump campaign were aware of the former Trump foreign policy adviser’s July 2016 tr…

http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/06/politics/carter-page-testimony-released/index.html

THE STEELE DOSSIER

COMPANY INTELLIGENCE REPORT 2016/94

RUSSIA: SECRET KREMLIN MEETINGS ATTENDED BY TRUMP ADVISOR,

CARTER PAGE IN MOSCOW (JULY 2016)

Summary

TRUMP advisor Carter PAGE holds secret meetings in Moscow with SECHIN and senior Kremlin Internal Affairs official, DIVYEKIN.

SECHIN raises issues of future bilateral US-Russia energy co-operation and associated lifting of western sanctions against Russia over Ukraine. PAGE non-committal in response

DIVEYKIN discusses release of Russian dossier of ‘kompromat’ on TRUMP’s opponent, Hillary CLINTON, but also hints at Kremlin possession of such material on TRUMP

Detail

1. Speaking in July 2016, a Russian source close to Rosneft President, PUTIN close associate and US-sanctioned individual, Igor SECHIN, confided the details of a recent secret meeting between him and visiting Foreign Affairs Advisor to Republican presidential candidate Donald TRUMP, Carter PAGE.

2. According to SECHIN’s associate, the Rosneft President (CEO) had raised with PAGE the issues of future bilateral energy cooperation and prospects for an associated move to lift Ukraine-related western sanctions against Russia. PAGE had reacted positively to this demarche by SECHIN but had been generally non-committal in response.

3. Speaking separately, also in July 2016, an official close to Presidential Administration Head, S. IVANOV, confided in a compatriot that a senior colleague in the Internal Political Department of the PA, DIVYEKIN (nfd)also had met secretly with PAGE on his recent visit. Their agenda had included DIVEYKIN raising a dossier of ‘kompromat’ the Kremlin possessed on Democratic presidential rival, Hillary CLINTON, and its possible release to the Republican’s campaign team.

4. However, the Kremlin official close to S. added that s/he believed DIVEYKIN also had hinted (or indicated more strongly) that the Russian leadership also had ‘kompromat’ on TRUMP which the latter should bear in mind in his dealings with them.

19 July 2016