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When did Trump scuttle the Moscow plan?

For five months, the Trump Organization gave serious consideration to the Moscow development idea. But in January 2016, one year before Trump was sworn in as president, Cohen told ABC News, he scuttled the plan.

How many times was Trump told about the Moscow proposal?

Cohen says in his statement that Trump was told three times about the Moscow proposal.

Did Trump say his business had no relationship with Russia?

The involvement of then-candidate Trump in a proposed Russian skyscraper deal contradicts repeated statements Trump made during the campaign, including telling ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that his business had “no relationship to Russia whatsoever.”

Did Sater have a direct relationship with Trump?

On Sept. 30, 2015, Trump Organization officials told ABC News that Sater inflated his connections to the company. Alan Garten, a senior Trump Organization attorney, told ABC News that “there’s really no direct relationship” between Sater and the real estate firm.

What did Putin say about Trump?

Putin complimented Trump, calling him a “bright and talented person, without any doubt," and saying that Trump has "an outstanding and talented personality." Trump released a statement in response, where he said Putin was “so highly respected within his own country and beyond,” and stressed that the US and Russia should work more closely together.

What media outlets were targeted by the Kremlin?

Kremlin-controlled propaganda outlets, including RT and Sputnik, began promoting Trump’s candidacy. These English-language broadcasts and websites were targeted at US voters.

What was the Russian hacking attack?

Russian military intelligence launched wide-scale hacking attacks relating to the US election. This included breaches against the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. Russian agents later passed on internal emails from the DNC and Podesta to WikiLeaks, which published thousands of documents later in the campaign.

Did Cohen and Sater discuss Russia?

Cohen and Sater discussed the possibility of Cohen and Trump traveling to Russia to work on the Moscow project. Cohen agreed to go before the Republican National Convention in July, and told Sater that Trump would make the trip after the convention, according to court filings. Cohen discussed these plans with Trump.

Did Trump distance himself from Putin?

At a series of campaign rallies, Trump distanced himself from Putin. He said Putin was “very nice” to him, likely referring to the public compliments from a few months earlier. Trump also said, “I have no relationship with him other than he called me a genius.”

Who met with Trump Jr.?

Trump Jr., Kushner and Manafort met at Trump Tower with a group of Russians who were said to have “official documents and information that would incriminate” Clinton. In testimony to Congress, the participants said nothing came from the roughly 30-minute meeting.

Did Trump support Russia?

Trump publicly expressed support for Russia’s military intervention in Syria. He repeated the Kremlin’s talking points that Russia was bombing ISIS, even though the Obama administration said that Russia was there to give a military boost to the Syrian dictator.

Who was present at the Trump Tower meeting?

Aside from Trump Jr., Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort (who was Trump’s campaign manager at the time) were all present. On the Russian side, attendees included Goldstone, a lawyer with ties to the Kremlin, a translator, a businessman associated with a Russian oligarch and a lobbyist with past connections to Russian counterintelligence operations.

Where did the Trump Jr. gathering take place?

The gathering took place at Trump Tower in June 9, 2016. Trump Jr. was promised “some official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to your father,” according to published email exchanges with Goldstone.

What has Trump’s team said about the meeting in the past?

Trump Jr. said it was a “short introductory meeting” primarily discussing a Russian adoption program and that it was “not a campaign issue at the time.”

Who organized the meeting with Emin Agalarov?

The meeting, which took place in June 2016 amid the presidential campaign, was organized by Donald Trump Jr. and Rob Goldstone, the publicist of a prominent Russian pop star, Emin Agalarov. (Emin is the son of Aras Agalarov, a Russian oligarch.) The publicist allegedly offered the Trump campaign “very high level and sensitive information ...

Who was Trump's campaign manager at the time?

Aside from Trump Jr., Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort (who was Trump’s campaign manager at the time) were all present. On the Russian side, attendees included Goldstone, a lawyer with ties to the Kremlin, a translator, a businessman associated with a Russian oligarch and a lobbyist with past connections to Russian counterintelligence operations.

Who is Trump Jr's lawyer?

Trump’s lawyer, Jay Sekulow, denied the President was involved in drafting Trump Jr.’s initial, misleading statement about the meeting, in which he claimed its primary purpose was to discuss adoption. Sekulow said on July 12, 2017, that “I wasn’t involved in the statement drafting at all, nor was the President.”

Did Trump give a speech before the Trump Tower meeting?

Others have also noted that, two days before the Trump Tower meeting, Trump announced he would soon give a “major speech” discussing “all of the things that have taken place with the Clintons.” He did not end up giving the speech.

WHAT WAS THE TRUMP TOWER MOSCOW PROJECT?

Trump in October 2015 signed a non-binding letter of intent to move forward with a Moscow tower project with a Russian development firm. The firm, IC Expert Investment Co, agreed to construct the skyscraper, and the Trump Organisation agreed to license its name and manage the building’s operations. The letter of intent described a building in a Moscow business district with 250 luxury residential condominiums, at least 150 hotel rooms and a luxury spa.

What did Trump say about Russia?

Trump’s public statements about business dealings in Russia have evolved over time. In July 2016, Trump told a news conference: “I have nothing to do with Russia.” Nine days before becoming president, Trump wrote on Twitter, “Russia has never tried to use lever age over me. I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH RUSSIA - NO DEALS, NO LOANS, NO NOTHING!”

Why did Trump call Cohen a liar?

Trump and his allies have called Cohen a liar trying to reduce his prison time after pleading guilty to a series of federal criminal charges.

What happened in June 2016?

But June 2016 was the month when the Washington Post first reported that Russian hackers had penetrated the Democratic National Committee’s computers, a cyber operation that was a key part of Moscow’s interference in the presidential race , as described by U.S. intelligence.

Who is Mueller preparing to submit to?

Mueller is preparing to submit to US Attorney General William Barr the report on his investigation into whether Trump’s campaign conspired with Russia and whether the Republican president has unlawfully tried to obstruct the probe. Trump has denied collusion and obstruction. Russia has denied election interference.

Did Sater offer Putin a penthouse?

In testimony last month to the House of Representatives Oversight and Reform Committee, Cohen said Sater came up with a “marketing stunt” of offering Putin a free penthouse in the tower to drive up unit prices, “no different than in any condo where they start listing celebrities that live in the property.”

Who challenged Trump's stance on Russia?

In November 2015, Donald Trump, by then a presidential candidate, sat down with former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly, who challenged him over his accommodating stance toward Russia. " [Putin] doesn't make deals," O'Reilly reasoned. "He just rolls soldiers in to cause destruction and shoots down airplanes."

When did Trump sign the letter of intent?

Trump signed the letter of intent, dated October 28, 2015, the same day as the third Republican presidential debate. Felix Sater (right) stands alongside Donald Trump and Tevfik Arif at the Trump Soho Launch Party on September 19, 2007 in New York. Mark Von Holden / WireImage / Getty Images.

What did Sater do for Trump?

For the Moscow effort, Sater served as both broker and dealmaker. His friend Andrey Rozov, who did not respond to our request for comment, was officially the local developer in Russia, but Sater says he expected a cut for himself as well. Trump signed the letter of intent, dated October 28, 2015, the same day as the third Republican presidential debate.

Why is Michael Cohen in prison?

Three years ago, Michael Cohen was working on a potential Trump tower in Moscow. Today he is in prison for crimes that include lying to Congress about the project.

Did Sater help build Trump Tower?

In 2007, he stood alongside Trump at a launch party for a hotel Sater had helped get built, Trump SoHo, which marketed partially to Russian buyers. And during the 2016 presidential campaign, Sater helped plan a giant Trump tower in Moscow. "Here's to fun times," he says, hoisting his martini glass in the air.

Did Mueller find collusion?

R obert Mueller did not find collusion to steal the 2016 election—but he did find evidence of collusion to try to make money. Sater and Cohen did the work on the ground, rubbing elbows with oligarchs and Russian-government entities.

Did Trump put his name on a Russian property?

P art of the reason the Trump Tower Moscow narrative confuses people: There were three different attempts to attach the president's name to a Russian property in recent years. The first one emanates from the infamous 2013 Miss Universe contest, where 86 women strutted through a Moscow concert hall. Donald Trump, the co-owner of the pageant, took home the money, collecting an estimated $3 million from the local hosts: billionaire real estate tycoon Aras Agalarov and his son Emin, a pop singer. "I had a great weekend with you and your family," Trump tweeted afterward, tagging the elder Agalarov. "You have done a FANTASTIC job. TRUMP TOWER-MOSCOW is next."

Why did Kryuchkov visit Moscow?

With assistance from the KGB. It took place while Kryuchkov was seeking to improve the KGB's operational techniques in one particular and sensitive area. The spy chief wanted KGB staff abroad to recruit more Americans.

When did the KGB travel to the Soviet Union?

In 1987 , a young real estate developer traveled to the Soviet Union. The KGB almost certainly made the trip happen. Continue to article content. It was 1984 and General Vladimir Alexandrovich Kryuchkov had a problem. The general occupied one of the KGB’s most exalted posts.

Where did Kryuchkov work?

Kryuchkov had begun his career with five years at the Soviet mission in Budapest under Ambassador Yuri Andropov. In 1967 Andropov became KGB chairman. Kryuchkov went to Moscow, took up a number of sensitive posts, and established a reputation as a devoted and hardworking officer. By 1984, Kryuchkov’s directorate in Moscow was bigger than ever before—12,000 officers, up from about 3,000 in the 1960s. His headquarters at Yasenevo, on the wooded southern outskirts of the city, was expanding: Workmen were busy constructing a 22-story annex and a new 11-story building.

Why did the spy chief want KGB staff abroad?

The spy chief wanted KGB staff abroad to recruit more Americans. In addition to shifting politics in Moscow, Kryuchkov’s difficulty had to do with intelligence gathering. The results from KGB officers abroad had been disappointing. Too often they would pretend to have obtained information from secret sources.

What was Gorbachev's policy of detente with the West?

Gorbachev’s policy of detente with the West—a refreshing contrast to the global confrontation of previous general secretaries— meant the directorate’s work abroad was more important than ever. Kryuchkov faced several challenges. First, a hawkish president, Ronald Reagan, was in power in Washington.

What was the difficulty of Kryuchkov?

In addition to shifting politics in Moscow, Kryuchkov’s difficulty had to do with intelligence gathering. The results from KGB officers abroad had been disappointing. Too often they would pretend to have obtained information from secret sources. In reality, they had recycled material from newspapers or picked up gossip over lunch with a journalist. Too many residencies had “paper agents” on their books: targets for recruitment who had nothing to do with real intelligence.

When was the KGB memo destroyed?

The memo—dated February 1, 1984 —was to be destroyed as soon as its contents had been read. It said that despite improvements in “information gathering,” the KGB “has not had great success in operation against the main adversary [America].”