Office of the Attorney General Washington, D. €. 20530 May 15, 2023 The Honorable Dick Durbin The Honorable Jim Jordan Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary United States Senate United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20515 ‘The Honorable Lindsey Graham The Honorable Jerrold Nadler Ranking Member, Committee on the Ranking Member, Committee on the Judiciary Judiciary United States Senate United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Chairman Durbin, Chairman Jordan, Senator Graham, and Representative Nadler: Pursuant to 28 C.P.R. § 600.9(a)(3), I write to inform you that Special Counsel John Durham has concluded his investigation. See Attorney General Order 4878-2020 (October 19, 2020) (Attorney General Barr's Order). In addition to this notification, the Special Counsel regulations require that I provide you with “a description and explanation of instances (if any) in which the Attomey General concluded that a proposed action by a Special Counsel was so inappropriate or unwarranted under established Departmental practices that it should not be pursued.” 28 C.F.R. § 600.9(a)(3). ‘There were no such instances during Special Counsel Durham's investigation On Friday, May 12, 2023, consistent with Attomey General Barr’s Order, Special Counsel Durham submitted to me a 306-page unclassified report “in a form that will permit public dissemination,” and a 29-page classified appendix. Attomey General Barr's Order 4 (1). The unclassified report and classified appendix are the only reports Special Counsel Durham submitted to me. Special Counsel Durham’s unclassified report is attached in full as submitted to me, without any additions, redactions, or other modifications. Arrangements will be made for review of the classified appendix. Finally, consistent with 28 C.P.R. § 600.9(c) and Attorney General Barr's Order, | will disclose this letter and the attached report to the public after delivering it to you. Sing Hew ovbd Merrick B. Garland Attorney General EnclosuresUnited States Department of Justice Office of Special Counsel John H. Durham Department of ustice 2CON NSN Sree Washington D.C. 26002 May 12, 2023 TO: TTORNEY GENERAL MERRICK B. GARLAND \ FROM: (iN H. DURHAM PECIAL COUNSEL SUBJECT: REPORT ON MATTERS RELATED TO INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES AND INVESTIGATIONS ARISING OUT OF THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS The attached report is submitted to the Attomey General pursuant to 28 CER. § 600.8(c), which states that, “[ajt the conclusion of the Special Counsel’s work, he . .. shall provide the Attorney General a confidential report explaining the prosecution or declination decisions reached by the Special Counsel.” In addition to the confidential report required by section 600.8(c), the Attomey General has directed that the Special Counsel, “to the maximum extent possible and consistent with the law and the policies and practices of the Department of Justice, shall submit to the Attorney General a final report... in a form that will permit public dissemination.”' This two-part report (Unclassified Report and Classified Appendix) is presented in fulfillment of these requirements and sets forth our principal findings and recommendations concerning the matters that were the subject of our review. The principal report is confidential, but contains no classified information based on thorough, coordinated reviews of the information contained therein by the appropriate authorities within the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the National Security Agency. The Classified Appendix likewise has been coordinated with those same agencies for classification purposes, We note that the Classified Appendix contains some information that is derived from Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (“FISA”) authorities. Accordingly, to the extent the Department determines that it is appropriate to share information contained in the Classified Appendix with congressional or other government entities outside of the Department, steps will need to be taken in accordance with that Act and any relevant Orders that have been issued by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. | Office of the Att'y Gen., Order No. 4878-2020, Appointment of Special Counsel to Investigate Matters Related to Intelligence Activites and Investigations Arising Out of the 2016 Presidential Campaigns § (f) (Oct. 19, 2020).Finally, we want to thank you and your Office for permitting our inquiry to proceed independently and without interference as you assured the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee would be the case during your confirmation hearings to become Attomey General of the United States.Report on Matters Related to Intelligence Activities and Investigations Arising Out of the 2016 Presidential Campaigns Special Counsel John H. Durham Submitted Pursuant to 28 CFR. § 600.8(c) Washington, D.C. May 12, 2023‘TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction. 1. The Special Counsel’s Investigation Tl. Executive Summary... . et IIL Applicable Laws and Department and FBI Policies... . sere 19 A. Principles of Federal Prosecution, 1. Determination to prosecute... 2. Substantial federal interest. 3. Most serious, readily provable OfFen8@ wes. 4 5. Unpopularity. . Interests of uncharged parties. : B. The FBI’s Assessment and Investigation of Counterintelligence Matters. ‘Use of least intrusive means... 2. Levels of investigation 8. Activity authorized before opening an assessment. b. Assessment. ©. Preliminary investigation. d. Full investigation... 3. The Confidential Human Source Guidelines .. 4, Analytic integrity, 5. Recently upgraded protections. a. Investigative activities. b. CHS guidelines and policy... ©. Defensive briefings... aca C. The Foreign intelligence Surveillance Act (*FISA”) Required findings... Protection of First Amendment activities... Certification by Executive Branch official Executive Branch requirements D. Statutes Used to Evaluate Possible Criminal Conduct. Standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt... False statements, PepRn Perjury. Falsification of records.. ReeObstruction of justice... Violation of civil rights 5. 6. 7. Conspiracy to violate civil rights 8. General conspiracy statute... 9. Campaign contributions 10, Campaign contributi 11, Fraud against the United States. 12. Money-laundering..... 13, Disclosure of national defense information... IV. Background Facts and Prosecution Decisions un. ‘A. The Crossfire Hurricane Investigation 1. New York Field Office investigation of Page... 2. Byidence of predisposition to investigate Trump, 3. The opening of Crossfire Hurricane. 2, The information used to predicate Crossfire Hurricane wes b. The lack of intelligence information supporting the premise of Crossfire Hurricane 54 ©. Interview of the Australian diplomats. 39 4. Other investigative activity prior to the receipt ofthe Steele Reports... 66 B. The FBI's and the Department's Dspace ‘Treatment of Candidates Clinton and THUMP ares i 68 1. The thret of foreign cestion influence by Foreign Government? 69 The threat of foreign election influence by Foreign Government-3 74 Allegations involving the Clinton Foundation . .78 C. Investigative Referral of Possible Clinton Campaign Plan... 81 1. Factual background 81 a. Relevant facts .. 7 83 i. Receipt of the Clinton Plan intelligence... 84 ii. White House briefing. 85 FBI awareness. 85 iv, CIA referral and dissemination. 86 v. Awareness by the Crossfire Hurricane investigators. 87 vi. Other evidence obtained by the Office that appears to be relevant to an analysis of the Clinton Plan intelligence 88 vii, Other events occurring at the time of the Pupored sporoal of the Clinton Plan intelligence... ™ 22. Prosecution decisions oi D. The Carter Page FISA Applications.. 1. Factual background... 97 so 98 99) 8. “Probable Cause” and the Page| ISA applications 99) i, The lead up to the initial Page FISA application... 100 ii. The Page FISA application renewals. 104 iii, What the FBI knew from its intelligence collections as of early 2017 b. The “Steele dossier”. se ss i, Christopher Steele ~ FBI Confidential Human Source., 109 ‘The FBI first received the Steele Reports in July 2016... 110 . The delay in the FBI’s transmission of the Steele Repons tothe Crossfire Hurricane investigators. . ve 2 118 8 119 oo 1B 126 126 x Danchenko’s employment at Danchenko Employer-I and payments by Steele and others. ae 127 106 109 iv. The September 23, 2016 Yahoo! News article v. The October meeting with Steele in Rome.. . vi. The draft Page FISA applications ~ Yahoo! News... vii, The Steele Reports are included in the Page FISA application viii. The FBI identifies Steele’s primary sub-source. ix. Igor Danchenko... The prior counterespionage investigation of Danchenko and the FBI's failure to account for his possible motivations and allegiance .. 129 i, Danchenko becomes a 8 pid FBICHS despite the unresolved counterespionage investigation... li, The VMU examines Danchenko’s suitability as a source fii, The VMU’s recommendations to WFO and Helson d. Danchenko’s relationship with Charles Dolan... Charles Dolan. - Dolan’s connections to the Kremlin . Dolan is introduced to Danchenko in early 2016. 140 iv. Trump's alleged salacious sexual activity at the Ritz Carlton Moscow appears in a Steele Report... . v. Dolan returns to Cyprus in July 2016. vi, Dolan a soure for certain information in a Stele Report. vii. The Kalugin allegation in Steele Report 2016/11... Vii. The Ivanov allegation contained in Steele Repott 2016/1 11...e f 8 h 157 158 ix. The YPO Conference — October 2016. x. Dolan’s contact with Danchenko following the YPO Conference... The FBI's failure to investigate Charles Dolan’s role as a possible source for the Steele Reports ene .. 160 i. Danchenko’s hesitancy to speak tothe FBI shout Charles Dotan.» 160 ‘The FBI's failure to interview Charles Dolan. 163 ‘The FBI leams of Dolan’s relationship with Olga Gelkina 163 iv. Helson requests to interview Charles Dolan... 164 ¥. Mueller Supervisory Special Agent-1 and Mueller Analyst! vestigate the relationship between Dolan, Danchenko and Galkina.. Hs . 166 vi, ‘The FBI interviews Olga Galkina... vn 166 Mueller Supervisory Special Agent and Mueller Aaya 1 push ‘to open acase on Charles Dolan..... 167 viii, Mueller Supervisory Special Agent-1 and Mueller Analyst expressed concerns about the appearance of polities bias in the decision not to open on Charles Dolan nee 170 ix. ‘The FBI's failure to investigate Dolan. ATL Sergei Millian... 172 i, Danchenko’s statements to the FBI regarding Millian 173 i, Steele's statements to the FBI about Millian 175 ii, The evidence obtained by the Office. 176 iv. Fusion GPS implicates Sergei Millia. 180 v. Fusion GPS attempts to tie Millian to Alfa Bank... secnene 183 vi. The FBI's conduct concerning Millian. ss 185, ‘The FBI’s failure to disclose to Ol and include in the Page FISA applications Page’s role as a source for another government agency... 185 i, FBI attomey Kevin Clinesmith ene 186 CHS meetings with Papadopoulos, Page, end third Trump campaign member, the Yahoo! News article about Page, and Page’s offer to be interviewed........... 191 i. The FBI’s engagement with CHS-1 and first consensual recording of Carter Page ‘on August 20, 2016 191 ii, The receipt of the first Steele Reports, publication of the Yahoo! News article naming Page, and Page's expressed willingness to be interviewed by the FBI... 195 iii, The second recording of Page made by CHS-... 201 iv. Crossfire Hurricane investigators submit the initial FISA application on October 21, 201 The thd recording of Page.E. te vi, CHS-1's misrepresentation to Crossfire Hurricane investigators of his/her conversation with Page regarding Page’s alleged meeting with Sechin The first renewal of the Page FISA Warrant surveillance order... The fourth recording of Page made by CHS-1 January 25, 2017... ix, The second and third renewals of the Page FISA surveillance. x. Recording of a high-level Trump campaign forsien Policy advisor by CHS-1 on September 1, 2016 wee 212 xi, Recordings of George Papadopoulos by FBI UCEs and CHS- 213 xii, Recordings of Papadopoulos by CHS- 223 i, Other aspects of the Page FISA applications. 228 i. Multiple levels of subsources... 228 ii. Reliability of subsources..., 228 29 229 206 207 209 2u iii. Role of campaign manager iv. Involvement in criminal activity... Prosecution decisions . 229 a. Kevin Clinesmith .. ” - 230 b. Statements made to the FBI regarding the Steele reporting 233, ¢. The FBI’s receipt and dissemination of the Steele Reports... 234 d. The Yahoo! News article. - “ - ores 234 ¢. The use of the Steele Reports in the Page FISA applications. 235 f. Igor Danchenko... 1.237 & The legality of Danchenko’s visa arrangement... 239 h, The FBI’s handling of the prior counterespionage investigation of Danchenko 240 ‘The recordings of Page, Papadopoulos and others... CHS-1's recordings of Page... ii, Recordings of George Papadopoulos... ili. The conduct of CHS-1.. . J. Certification of the FISA applications... The Alfa Bank and Yotaphone Allegations... Factual background — Alfa Bank..... a, Introduction... 6. Sussmann’s attorney-client relationship with the Clinton campaign and Joffe... c. The Alf Bank allegations... . i. Actions by Sussmann, Perkins Coie, and Joffe to promote the allegations...ii, Actions by Tech Company: 2 Executive-I and others and additional actions by Jofe.. a 251 ii, Sussmann’s meeting with the FBI... 255 d. The FBI’s Alfa Bank investigatio . 1s 257 i. The Cyber Division's review of the Alfa Bank allegations.. 257 ii, The opening of the FBI’s investigation... 258 The close hold on Sussmann’s identity as a source. 260 ©. Actions by Fusion GPS to promote the Alfa Bank allegations ., ; 263 £. Actions by the Clinton campaign to promote the Alfa Bank allegations 265 . Sussmann’s meeting with the CIA ... 267 h, Sussmann’s Congressional testimony .. 270 i. Perkins Coie’s statements to the media.......... .272 J. Providing the Alf Bank and Yotaphone allegations to Congress... 272 k. Tech Company-1's connections to the DNC and the Clinton campaign. 274 L Other post-election efforts to continue reaching and disseminating the Alf Bank and Yotaphone allegation: 1.274 i. Continued efforts through Joffe-ffiliated companies 275 fi, Efforts by Research Executive-1 and others... 217 ifi, Meetings between DARPA and University-1 1.280 ve 282, 287 iv. The relevant Trump Organization email domain and Yotaphone data 2. Prosecution decisions... V. Observations... init ss 288 A, The OIG’s Prior Evaluation of Systemic Problems in the FBI’s Counterintelligence Program (Robert Hanssen). 290 B. _ FBI Investigations. 293 293 294 ‘The New York counterintelligence investigation... Predication of Crossfire Hurricane.. Opening of individual investigations Interaction with the Trump campaign ... Defensive briefings Cc FISA Issues .. 1. Clarity of applications a, Transparency of sourcing information ... b. Information from Congress ... 1 2. 3 4. Compartmentation. 5 6 vicc. Masking of information 300 300 301 301 302 302 303 306 d. Use of news reports. @. Need to share important information, 2. Completeness of applications Reliance on prior FISA applications... 4, "Timely renewal requests, Bias or improper motivation Possible FBI reform .. viiIntropuctio! ‘This report is submitted to the Attorney General pursuant to 28 C.F.R. § 600.8(c), which states that, “[a]t the conclusion of the Special Counsel’s work, he . .. shall provide the Attorney General a confidential report explaining the prosecution or declination decisions reached by the Special Counsel.” In addition to the confidential report required by section 600.8(c), the Attomey General has directed that the Special Counsel, “to the maximum extent possible and consistent the law and the policies and practices of the Department of Justice, shall submit to the Attomey General a final report, and such interim reports as he deems appropriate, in a form that will permit public dissemination.” This report is in fulfillment of these requirements and sets forth our principal findings and recommendations concerning the matters that were the subject of our review. Section I briefly describes the scope of our investigation, and Section IT is an Executive Summary of this report. Section III describes the laws and Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) policies that applied to, or were addressed in, our investigation Section IV summarizes the facts and evidence that we found and describes our prosecution and declination decisions. In Section V, we provide some observations on issues pertinent to our areas of ing I. THE SPECIAL CoUNSEL’s INVESTIGATION In March 2019, Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller, III concluded his investigation into the Russian government's efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, “including any links or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the ‘Trump Campaign.” That investigation “did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities,”? Following Special Counsel Mueller's report, on May 13, 2019, Attorney General Barr “directed United States Attomey John Durham to conduct a preliminary review into certain matters related to the 2016 presidential election campaigns,” and that review “subsequently developed into a criminal investigation.”® On February 6, 2020, the Attorney General appointed Mr. Durham “as Special Attorney to the Attomey General pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 515."* On October 19, 2020, the Attorney General determined that, “in light of the extraordinary circumstances relating to these matters, the public interest warrants Mr. Durham continuing this investigation pursuant to the powers and independence afforded by the Special Counsel regulations.” Relying on “the authority vested” in the Attomey General, “including 28 U.S.C. §§ 509, 510, and 515,” the ' Office of the Att'y Gen., Order No. 4878-2020, Appointment of Special Counsel to Investigate Matters Related to Intelligence Activities and Investigations Arising Out of the 2016 Presidential Campaigns § (£) (Oct. 19, 2020) (hereinafter “Appointment Order”). ? | Robert Mueller, Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election 1-2 (2019) (hereinafter “Mueller Report”); see also id. et 173. > Appointment Order (introduction). When Mc. Durham was asked to lead the review, he was serving as the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut. Before May 2019, Mr. Durham had been asked by Attomeys General of both major political parties, namely Janet Reno, Judge Michael Mukasey, Eric Holder, and Senator Jeff Sessions, to conduct other sensitive investigations for the Department. * Letter from the Attorney General to United States Attorney John Durham (Feb. 6, 2020).Attomey General ordered the appointment of the Special Counsel “in order to discharge the {Attomey General's] responsibility to provide supervision and management of the Department of Justice, and to ensure a full and thorough investigation of these matters.”> The Order stated: The Special Counsel is authorized to investigate whether any federal official, employee, or any other person or entity Violated the law in connection with the intelligence, counter-intelligence, or law-enforcement activities directed at the 2016 presidential campaigns, individuals associated with those campaigns, and individuals associated with the administration of President Donald J. Trump, including but not limited to Crossfire Hurricane and the investigation of Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller, 111° “If the Special Counsel believes it is necessary and appropriate,” the Order further provided, “the Special Counsel is authorized to prosecute federal crimes arising from his investigation of these matters.” The Order also provided that “28 C.P.R. §§ 600.4 to 600.10 are applicable to the Special Counsel.”” § Appointment Order (introduction). § Appointment Order § (b). 7 Id. 14(0)-(d). We have not interpreted the Order as directing us to investigate the Department's handling of matters associated with the investigation of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server. For a review of those matters, see Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Justice, A Review of Various Actions by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice in Advance of the 2016 Election (June 2018). We also have not interpreted the Order as directing us to consider the handling of the investigation into President Trump opened by the FBI on May 16, 2017. See FBI EC from Counterintelligence, Re: [Redacted] Foreign Agents Registration Act ~ Russia; Sensitive Investigative Matter (May 16, 2017). (The following day, the Deputy Attomey General appointed Special Counsel Mueller “to investigate Russian interference with the 2016 presidential election and related matters.” See | Mueller Report at 11-12 (describing the authorities given to Special Counsel Mueller). Finally, ‘we have not interpreted the Order as directing us to consider matters addressed by the former United States Attorney for the District of Utah or by the former United States Attorney for the Easter District of Missouri, other than those relating to Crossfire Hurricane or the FISA applications targeting Carter Page. For accounts of these matters in the news media, see Thomas Burr & Pamela Manson, U.S. Attorney for Utah Is Investigating GOP-Raised Concerns About the FBI Surveilling Trump Aide and About Clinton's Uranium Ties, Salt Lake Tribune (Met. 29, 2018), hitpsu/yvww.sltrib.com/news/201 8/03/29/us-attorney-for-utah-huber-probing-gop-raised- concerns-about-the-fbi-surveilling-trump-aide-ignoring-clinton-uranium-ties/; Charlie Savage et al,, Barr Installs Ouiside Prosecutor to Review Case Against Michael Flynn, Ex-Trump Adviser, N.Y. Times (Feb. 14, 2020), https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/14/us/polities/michael-flynn- prosecutors-barr.html,On December 21, 2020, the Attorney General delegated certain authority to use classified information to the Special Counsel. After the inauguration of President Biden, Attomey General Garland met with the Office of Special Counsel (“OSC” or “the Office”). The Office very much appreciates the support, consistent with his testimony during his confirmation hearings, that the Attorney General has provided to our efforts and the Department's willingness to allow us to operate independently. ‘The Special Counsel structured the investigation in view of his power and authority “to exercise all investigative and prosecutorial functions of any United States Attomey.”? Like a US. Attorney’s Office, the Special Counsel’s Office considered in the course of its investigation a range of classified and unclassified information available to the FBI and other government agencies. A substantial amount of information and evidence was immediately available to the Office at the inception of the investigation as a result of numerous congressional investigations!” and Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation. The examinations by the Office of the Inspector General (“OIG”) of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (“FISA”) applications targeting Carter Page, and other matters provided additional evidence and information," as did an internal report prepared by the FBI's Inspection Division.'? ‘The Office reviewed the intelligence, counterintelligence, and law-enforcement activities directed at the 2016 Trump campaign and individuals associated either with the campaign or with the Trump administration in its early stages. The Office structured its work around evidence for possible use in prosecutions of federal crimes (assuming that one or more crimes were identified that warranted prosecution). The Office exercised its judgment regarding what to investigate but * Office of the Att'y Gen., Order No. 4942-2020, Delegation to John Durham, Special Counsel, Authority to Use Classified Information (Dec. 21, 2020). The Special Counsel has not used this authority ° 28 CER. § 600.6. " See, e.g., Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, 8. Rep. No. 116-290, 116th Cong., 2d Sess. (2020) (hereinafter “SSCI Russia Report”). " See OIG, U.S. Department of Justice, Review of Four FISA Applications and Other Aspects of the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane Investigation at xiii-xiv, 414 (Dec. 8, 2019) (redacted version) (hereinafter “OIG Review” or “Redacted OIG Review”), https://www,justice.gov/storage/12091 9-examination.pdf, OIG, U.S. Department of Justice, Management Advisory Memorandum for the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Regarding the Execution of Woods Procedures for Applications Filed with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court Relating to U.S. Persons (Mar. 30, 2020) (hereinafter “OIG Management Advisory Memorandum”); OIG, U.S. Department of Justice, Audit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Execution of lis Woods Procedures for Applications Filed with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court Relating to U.S. Persons (Sept. 2021) (hereinafter “Audit of 29 Applications”). "? EBI Inspection Division, Intemal Affairs Section, Closing Electronic Communication for Case ID # [redacted] (Nov. 15, 2021) (hereinafter “Inspection Division Report” ot “FBI Inspection Division Report”).did not investigate every public report of an alleged violation of law in connection with the intelligence and law enforcement activities directed at the 2016 presidential campaigns, In addition to the Special Counsel, the Office has been staffed by experienced FBI and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division Agents; Department attorneys and prosecutors; support personnel; and contractor employees. ‘The Office’s investigation was broad and extensive, It included investigative work both domestically and overseas. It entailed obtaining large document productions from businesses, firms, government agencies, universities, political campaigns, intemet service providers, telephone companies, and individuals, The Office interviewed hundreds of individuals, many on multiple occasions. The Office conducted the majority of interviews in classified settings: for Some interviewees and their counsel security clearances needed to be obtained. The Office conducted interviews in person and via video link, with the vast majority ofthe latter occurring after the COVID-19 pandemic-related closures began in March 2020. Although a substantial majority of individuals voluntarily cooperated withthe Office, some only provided information under a subpoena or grant of immunity. Some individuals who, in out view, had important and relevant information about the topics under investigation refused to be interviewed or otherwise cooperate with the Office. As of April 2023, with two trials completed, the Office has conducted more than 480 interviews; obtained and reviewed more than one million documents consisting of ‘more than six million pages; served more than 190 subpoenas under the auspices of grand juries; executed seven search warrants; obtained five orders for communications records under 18 U.S.C. § 2703(d); and made one request to a foreign govemment under a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, ‘The Office would like to express its appreciation to, among others, the FBI's Office of General Counsel (“OGC")'* and Inspection Division; the Litigation Technology Support Services Unit in the National Security Division (“NSD”); the eDiscovery Team in the Office of the Chief Information Officer of the Justice Management Division (“JMD"); and JMD’s Service Delivery Staff. The NSD and JMD entities oreated and maintained the databases and technology infrastructure needed to organize and review the latge amount of data we obtained. The Office Would also like to express its appreciation to the Department's Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties for its guidance on appropriate information to include in a public report '3 The FBI’s OGC produced more than 6,580,000 pages of documentation in response to our multiple requests. We note that it did so at the same time it was coping with the personnel shortages brought about by the COVID-19 crisis, working to comply with various production demands from congressional committees, and addressing requests from other government entities. Moreover, FBI leadership made it clear to its personnel that they were to cooperate fully with our inquiry, which, in all but a few instances involving some personnel in the Counterintelligence Division, proved to be the case. In those few instances in which individuals refused to cooperate, FBI leadership intervened to urge those individuals to agree to be interviewed. Similarly, both the Central Intelligence Agency (“CIA”) and the National Security Agency (“NSA”) made their employees available for interview, including former CIA Director John Brennan and former NSA Director Mike Rogers, who voluntarily made themselves available for interviews.‘The Office has concluded its investigation into whether “any federal official, employee, or any other person or entity violated the law in connection with the intelligence, counter- intelligence, or law-enforcement activities directed at the 2016 presidential campaigns, individuals associated with those campaigns, and individuals associated with the administration of President Donald J. Trump.” This report is a summary. It contains, in the Office’s judgment, that information necessary to account for the Special Counsel's prosecution and declination decisions and describe the investigation’s main factual results. It then sets forth some additional observations. ‘The Office made its criminal charging decisions based solely on the facts and evidence developed in the investigation and without fear of, or favor to, any person. What is stated below in the Mueller Report is equally true for our investigation: This report describes actions and events that the Special Counsel's Office found to be supported by the evidence collected in our investigation. In some instances, the report points out the absence of evidence or conflicts in the evidence about a particular fact or event. In other instances, when substantial, credible evidence enabled the Office to reach a conclusion with confidence, the report states that the investigation established that certain actions or events occurred. A statement that the investigation did not establish particular facts does not mean there was no evidence of those facts." Conducting this investigation required us to consider U.S. criminal laws, the Constitutional protections our system provides to individuals, and the high burden placed on the government to prove every element of a crime “beyond a reasonable doubt.” Moreover, the law does not always make a person’s bad judgment, even horribly bad judgment, standing alone, a crime, Nor does the law criminalize all unseemly or unethical conduct that political campaigns might undertake for tactical advantage, absent a violation of a particular federal criminal statute. Finally, in almost all cases, the government is required to prove @ person’s actual criminal intent — not mere negligence or recklessness — before that person's fellow citizens can lawfully find him or her guilty of a crime. The Office’s adherence to these principles explains, in numerous instances, why conduct deserving of censure ot disciplinary action did not lead the Office to seek criminal charges. ‘There are also reasons why, in examining politically-charged and high-profile issues such as these, the Office must exercise — and has exercised ~ special care. First, juries can bring strongly held views to the courtroom in criminal trials involving political subject matters, and those views can, in turn, affect the likelihood of obtaining a conviction, separate and apart from the strength of the actual evidence and despite a court’s best efforts to empanel a fair and impartial jury. Second, even when prosecutors believe that they can obtain a conviction, there are some instances in which it may not be advisable to expend government time and resources on a ctiminal prosecution, particularly where it would create the appearance — even if unfounded — that the government is seeking to criminalize the behavior of political opponents or punish the activities of a specific political party or campaign. At the same time, prosecutors should not shy ‘| Mueller Report at 2.way from pursuing justifiable cases solely due to the popularity of the defendant or the Controversial nature of the government’s case. The Principles of Federal Prosecution provide the following pertinent guidance on this point, which informed the Special Counsel’s charging and declination decisions: Where the law and the facts create a sound, prosecutable case, the likelihood of an acquittal due to unpopularity of some aspect of the prosecution or because of the overwhelming popularity of the defendant or his/her cause is not a factor Prohibiting prosecution. For example, in acivil rights case or a case involving an extremely popular political figure, it might be clear thatthe evidence of guilt— viewed objectively by an unbiased factfinder—would be sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction, yet the prosecutor might reasonably doubt, based on the circumstances, that the jury would convict. In such a case, despite his/her negative assessment of the likelihood of a guilty verdict (based on factors extraneous to an objective view of the law and the facts), the prosecutor may properly conclude that it is necessary and appropriate to commence or recommend prosecution and allow the criminal process to operate in accordance with the principles set forth here. The decision of whether to bring criminal charges in any given matter thus is a complicated one that is neither entirely subjective nor mechanistic. If this report and the outcome of the Special Counsel's investigation leave some with the impression that injustices or misconduct have gone unaddressed, itis not because the Office concluded that no such injustices ot misconduct occurred. It is, rather, because not every injustice or transgression amounts to a criminal offense, and criminal prosecutors are tasked exclusively with investigating and prosecuting violations of U.S. criminal laws. And even where prosecutors believe a crime occurred based on all ofthe facts and information they have gathered, itis their duty only to bring criminal charges when the evidence that the government reasonably believes is admissible in court proves the offense beyond a reasonable doubt. Both Attomeys General Barr and Garland have stated that one of their most important is to ensure the proper functioning and administration of federal law by government priorit Indeed, the first goal of the Department's current Strategic Plan isto uphold the rule We will continue our work to ensure that the public views the Department as objective, impartial, and insulated from political influence. .. . The Justice Department[’s] ... foundational norms... . include the principled exercise of discretion; independence from improper influence; treating like cases alike; and an unwavering commitment to following the facts and the law. Reaffirming and, where necessary, strengthening the Justice Department policies 'S Principles of Federal Prosecution, Section 9-27.220.that are foundational to the rule of law — many of which were initially adopted in the aftermath of Watergate — is essential to this effort.'® In the aftermath of Crossfire Hurricane and the FISA surveillances of Page, the Department has adopted other important policies. We discuss them, and possible additional changes, in portions of the report that follow. ML. Execurive SUMMARY The public record contains a substantial body of information relating to former President ‘Trump's and the Trump Organization’s relationships with Russian businesses, Russian business people, and Russian officials, as well as separate evidence of Russia's attempts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. These and related subjects are well-documented in the careful examinations undertaken by (i) the Department's Office of the Inspector General of issues related to the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane investigation and its use of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (“FISA”) authorities,"” (ii) former FBI Director Robert Mueller as detailed in his report entitled “Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election,” issued in March 2019, "* and (iii) the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence entitled, “Russian Active Measures Campaigns and Interference in the 2016 US. Election." The scope of these eatlier inquiries, the amount of important information gathered, and the contributions they have made to our understanding of Russian election interference efforts are a tribute to the diligent work and dedication of those charged with the responsibility of conducting them. Our review and investigation, in turn has focused on separate but related questions, including the following: ‘© Was there adequate predication for the FBI to open the Crossfire Hurricane investigation fom its inception on July 31, 2016 as a full counterintelligence and Foreign Agents 'S U.S. Department of Justice, FY¥s 2022 — 2026 Strategic Plan at 15. See Attorney General Message - DOJ Strategic Plan (July 1, 2022), https://www justice. gov/opa/pr/attomey-general- merrick-b-garland-announces-department-justice-2022-26-strategic-plan. See also U.S. Department of Justice, OIG, Department of Justice Top Management and Performance Challenges 2021 (“One important strategy that can build public trust in the Department is to ensure adherence to policies and procedures designed to protect DOJ from accusations of political influence or partial application of the law”), https:i/oig.justice.gov/reports/top- ‘management-and-performance-challenges-facing-department-justice-2021; Attorney General Memorandum, Additional Requirements for the Opening of Certain Sensitive Investigations at 1 (Feb. 5, 2020) (“While the Department must respond swiftly and decisively when faced with credible threats to our democratic processes, we also must be sensitive to safeguarding the Department's reputation for faimess, neutrality, and nonpartisanship”) (hereinafter “Sensitive Investigations Memorandum” "7 See supra footnote 11. '8 See supra footnote 2. " See supra footnote 10; see also Intelligence Community Assessment, Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent U.S. Elections (Jan, 6, 2017).Registration Act (“FARA”) investigation given the requirements of The Attorney General's Guidelines for FBI Domestic Operations and FBI policies relating to the use of the least intrusive investigative tools necessary? * Was the opening of Crossfire Hurricane as a full investigation on July 31, 2016 consistent with how the FBI handled other intelligence it had received prior to luly 31, 2016 concerning attempts by foreign interests to influence the Clinton and other campaigns? * Similarly, did the FBI properly consider other highly significant intelligence it received at virtually the same time as that used to predicate Crossfire Hurricane, but which related not to the Trump campaign, but rather to a purported Clinton campaign plan “to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by Russian security services,” which might have shed light on some of the Russia information the FBI was receiving from third parties, including the Steele Dossier, the Alfa Bank allegations and confidential human source (“CHS”) reporting? Ifnot, were any provable federal crimes committed in failing to do so? * Was there evidence that the actions of any FBI personnel or third parties relating to the Crossfire Hurricane investigation violated any federal criminal statutes, including the prohibition against making false statements to federal officials? If so, was that evidence sufficient to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubi? * Was there evidence that the actions of the FBI or Department personnel in providing false or incomplete information to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (“FISC”) violated any federal criminal statutes? If so, was there evidence sufficient to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt? Our findings and conclusions regarding these and related questions are sobering, n Regarding Trumy wussia Prior to the Oj State of Intelligence Community Informat As set forth in greater detail in Section IV.A.3.b, before the initial receipt by FBI Headquarters of information from Australia on July 28, 2016 conceming comments reportedly made in a tavern on May 6, 2016 by George Papadopoulos, an unpaid foreign policy advisor to the Trump campaign, the government possessed no verified intelligence reflecting that Trump ot the Trump campaign was involved in a conspiracy or collaborative relationship with officials of the Russian government. Indeed, based on the evidence gathered in the multiple exhaustive and costly federal investigations of these matters, including the instant investigation, neither U.S. ‘aw enforcement nor the Intelligence Community appears to have possessed any actual evidence of collusion in their holdings at the commencement of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. %® See The Attorney General's Guidelines for FBI Domestic Operations § 1.C.2 (Sept. 29, 2008) hereinafter “AGG-Dom); FBI, Domestic Investigations and Operations Guide § 4,4 (Mat. 3, 2016) (hereinafter “DIOG”). ™ See infra §1V.A3.b,‘The Opening of Crossfire Hurricane As set forth in greater detail in Section IV, the record in this matter reflects that upon receipt of unevaluated intelligence information from Australia, the FBI swiftly opened the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. In particular, at the direction of Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, Deputy Assistant Director for Counterintelligence Peter Strzok opened Crossfire Hurricane immediately.” Strzok, at a minimum, had pronounced hostile feelings toward Trump.» The matter was opened as a full investigation without ever having spoken to the persons who provided the information. Further, the FBI did so without (i) any significant review of its own intelligence databases, ({i) collection and examination of any relevant intelligence from other U.S. intelligence entities, (ii) interviews of witnesses essential to understand the raw information it had received or (iv) using any of the standard analytical tools typically employed by the FBI in evaluating raw intelligence. Had it done so, again as set out in Sections [V.A.3.b and ¢, the FBI would have learned that theit own experienced Russia analysts had no information about Trump being involved with Russian leadership officials, nor were others in sensitive positions at the CIA, the NSA, and the Department of State aware of such evidence concerning the subject. In addition, FBI records prepared by Strzok in February and March 2017 show that at the time of the opening of Crossfire Hurricane, the FBI had no information in its holdings indicating that at any time during the campaign anyone in the Trump campaign had been in contact with any Russian intelligence officials." ‘The speed and manner in which the FBI opened and investigated Crossfire Hurricane during the presidential election season based on raw, unanalyzed, and uncorroborated intelligence also reflected a noticeable departure from how it approached prior matters involving possible attempted foreign election interference plans aimed at the Clinton campaign. As described in Section IV.B, in the eighteen months leading up to the 2016 election, the FBI was required to deal with a number of proposed investigations that had the potential of affecting the election. In each of those instances, the FBI moved with considerable caution. In one such matter discussed in Section IV.B.1, FBI Headquarters and Department officials required defensive briefings to be provided to Clinton and other officials or candidates who appeared to be the targets of foreign interference. In another, the FBI elected to end an investigation after one of its longtime and valuable CHSs went beyond what was authorized and made an improper ® Peter Strzok, Compromised: Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J. Trump at 115 (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2020) (hereinafter “Strz0k, Compromised’. ® Strzok and Deputy Director MoCabe’s Special Assistant had pronounced hostile feelings toward Trump. As explained later in this report, in text messages before and after the opening of Crossfire Hurricane, the two had referred to him as “loathsome,” “an idiot,” someone who should lose to Clinton 100,000,000 ~ 0,” and a person who Strzok wrote “[wle'll stop” from becoming President. Indeed, the day before the Australian information was received at FBI Headquarters, Page sent a text message to Strzok stating, “Have we opened on him yet? (angry- faced emoji]” and referenced an article titled Trump d& Putin, Yes, It’s Really a Thing. * See SENATE-FISA2020-001 163 (Annotated version of article titled Trump Campaign Aides Had Repeated Contacts With Russian Intelligence, N.Y. Times (February 14, 2017); FBI- EMAIL-428172 (Annotated version of article titled Obama Administration Rushed to Preserve Intelligence of Russian Election Hacking, N.Y. Times (Mar. 1, 2017).and possibly illegal financial contribution to the Clinton campaign on behalf of a foreign entity as a precursor to a much larger donation being contemplated. And in a third, the Clinton Foundation matter, both senior FBI and Department officials placed restrictions on how those ‘matters were to be handled such that essentially no investigative activities occurred for months leading up to the election. These examples are also markedly different from the FBI's actions with respect to other highly significant intelligence it received from a trusted foreign source pointing to a Clinton campaign plan to vilify Trump by tying him to Vladimir Putin so as to divert attention from her own concems relating to her use of a private email server. Unlike the FBI’s opening of a full investigation of unknown members of the Trump campaign based on raw, uncorroborated information, in this separate matter involving a purported Clinton campaign plan, the FBI never opened any type of inquiry, issued any taskings, employed any analytical Personnel, or produced any analytical products in connection with the information. This lack of action was despite the fact that the significance of the Clinton plan intelligence was such as to have prompted the Director of the CIA to brief the President, Vice President, Attorney General, Director of the FBI, and other senior government officials about its content within days of its receipt. It was also of enough importance for the CIA to send a formal written referral memorandum to Director Comey and the Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, Peter Strzok, for their consideration and action.> The investigative refercal provided examples of information the Crossfire Hurricane fusion cell had “gleaned to date.” The jurricane Investigation Within days after opening Crossfire Hurricane, the FBI opened full investigations on four members of the Trump campaign team: George Papadopoulos, Carter Page, Paul Manafort, and Michael Flynn.” No defensive briefing was provided to Trump or anyone in the campaign concerning the information received from Australia that suggested there might be some type of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians, either prior to or after these investigations were opened. Instead, the FBI began working on requests for the use of FISA authorities against Page and Papadopoulos. The effort as related to Papadopoulos proved * Memorandum from the CIA to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Re: [Redacted] CROSSFIRE HURRICANE [redacted] (Sept. 7, 2016) (sent to the Director of the FBI and to the attention of Peter Strzok, Deputy Assistant Director for Operations Branch I, Counterintelligence Division)) (redacted version) (hereinafter “Referral Memo”). % The Referral Memo states that the FBI made a verbal request for examples of relevant information the fusion cell had obtained. Jd. at 2. In his July 26, 2021 interview with the Office, Supervisory Analyst Brian Auten advised that on the Friday before Labor Day, which was September 2, 2016, CIA personnel briefed Auten and Intelligence Section Chief Moffa (and possibly FBI OGC Unit Chief:1) at FBI Headquarters on the Clinton intelligence plan, Auten advised that at the time he wanted to see an actual investigative referral memo on the information. OSC Report of Interview of Brian Auten dated July 26, 2021 at 7. Separately, we note that the masked identities used in this report do not necessarily correspond to those used in any other document such as the OIG Review. 27 See infra §§ IV.A.3 and 4. 10unsuccessful.”* Similarly, the initial effort directed at Page was unsuccessful until the Crossfire Hurricane investigators first obtained what were designated as “Company Intelligence Reports” generated by Christopher Steele. As set forth in Sections [V.D. ii and iii and in brief below, the Steele Reports were first provided to the FBI in early July 2016 but, for unexplained reasons, only made their way to the Crossfire Hurricane investigators in mid-September. The reports were ostensibly assembled based on information provided to Steele and his company by a “primary sub source,” who the FBI eventually determined in December 2016 was Igor Danchenko. Our investigation determined that the Crossfire Hurricane investigators did not and could not corroborate any of the substantive allegations contained in the Steele reporting. Nor was Steele able to produce corroboration for any of the reported allegations, even after being offered $1 million or more by the FBI for such corroboration.” Further, when interviewed by the FBI in January 2017, Danchenko also was unable to corroborate any of the substantive allegations in the Reports. Rather, Danchenko characterized the information he provided to Steele as “rumor and speculation” and the product of casual conversation.” Section IV.D. Lh describes other efforts undertaken by the Crossfire Hurricane investigators working on the Page FISA application. Those efforts included having CHSs record conversations with Page, Papadopoulos and a senior Trump foreign policy advisor. The FBI's ‘own records and the recordings establish that Page made multiple exculpatory statements to the individual identified as CHS-1, but the Crossfire Hurricane investigators failed to make that information known to the Department attorneys or to the FISC, Page also made explicit statements refuting allegations contained in the Steele reporting about his lack of any relationship with Paul Manafort, but the FBI failed to follow logical investigative leads related to those statements and to report to Department lawyers what they found. Similarly, multiple recordings of Papadopoulos were made by CHS-1 and a second CHS, in which Papadopoulos also made multiple exculpatory statements that were not brought to the attention of the Department lawyers or the FISC. Furthermore, our investigation resulted in the prosecution and conviction of an FBI OGC attomey for intentionally falsifying a document that was material to the FISC’s consideration of ‘one of the Page FISA applications.”? The Steele Dossier In the spring of 2016, Perkins Coie, a U.S.-based international law firm, acting as counsel to the Clinton campaign, retained Fusion GPS, a U.S.-based investigative firm, to conduct 38 OSC Report of Interview of Chicago Agent-1 on Aug. 7, 2019 at 4. 2 $CO-101648 (Email from Special Agent-2 to Supervisory Special Agent-1, Strzok, Auten, Case Agent-I, Acting Section Chief-1 & Handling Agent-1 dated Oct. 4, 2016); United States v. Igor Danchenko, 21-CR-245 (E.D. Va.) Trial Transcript 10/11/2022 PM at 81:7-20 (hereinafter “Danchenko Tr.”).. % $CO_005801 (Interview of Igor Danchenko Electronic Communication dated 02/09/17) at 39. 31 $CO_105282 (CHS Reporting Document dated 06/01/2017) at 1. » See infra § IV.D.2.a. 1‘opposition research on Trump and his associates. In mid-May 2016, Glenn Simpson of Fusion. GPS met with Steele in the United Kingdom and subsequently retained Steele and his firm, Orbis Business Intelligence (“Orbis”), to investigate Trump’s ties to Russia. Steele described himself as a former intelligence official for the British government,” and was also at the time an FBI CHS, Beginning in July 2016 and continuing through December 2016, the FBI received a series of reports from Steele and Orbis that contained derogatory information about Trump conceming Trump's purported ties to Russia. As discussed in Section IV.D.1.b.i, Steele provided the first of his reports to his FBI handler on July Sth, These reports were colloquially referred to as the “Steele Dossier” or “Steele Reports,” AS noted, it was not until mid-September that the Crossfire Hurricane investigators received several of the Steele Reports.** Within days of their receipt, the unvetted and unverified Steele Reports were used to support probable cause in the FBI’s FISA applications targeting Page, a U.S. citizen who, for a period of time, had been an advisor to Trump. As discussed later in the report, this was done at a time when the FBI knew that the same information Steele had provided to the FBI had also been fed to the media and others in Washington, D.C.35 In particular, one allegation contained in an undated Steele Report, identified as 2016/095, described a “well-developed conspiracy of co-operation” between Trump, his campaign, and senior Russian officials. This allegation would ultimately underpin the four FISA applications targeting Page. Specifically, the allegation stated: Speaking in confidence to a compatriot in late July 2016, Source E, an ethnic Russian close associate of Republican US presidential candidate Donald TRUMP, admitted that there was a well-developed conspiracy of co-operation between them and the Russian leadership. This was managed on the TRUMP side by the Republican candidate's campaign manager, Paul MANAFORT, who was using foreign policy advisor, Carter PAGE, and others as intermediaries, The two sides had a mutual interest defeating Democratic presidential candidate Hillary CLINTON, whom President PUTIN apparently both hated and feared.27 ® Glenn Simpson & Peter Fritsch, Crime in Progress: Inside the Steele Dossier and the Fusion GPS Investigation of Donald Trump at 69-70 (2019) (hereinafter “Crime in Progress”) * Steele has testified in prior legal proceedings that between 1987 and 2009 that he was an intelligence professional working for the British government. Trial Testimony of Christopher Steele, Peter Aven, et al. v. Orbis Bus. Intel. Lid, Claim No, HQ18MO1646 (hereinafter “Steele Transcript") (Mar. 17, 2020) at 147-48. > While Steele first provided several of his Reports to his FBI handler in July 2016, the transmittal of these Reports to FBI Headquarters and the Crossfire Hurricane team met an inexplicable delay. This delay is discussed in Section IV.D.1.b.ii. % See infra § IV.D.1 71 $CO-105084 (Documents Known to the FBI Comprising the “Steele Dossier”) at 9 (“Company Intelligence Report 2016/095”) (Emphasis added, capitalization in original). 12Igor Danchenko — Steele's Primary Sub-Source As noted, the FBI attempted, over time, to investigate and analyze the Steele Reports but ultimately was not able to confirm or corroborate any of the substantive allegations contained in ‘those reports. In the context of these efforts, and as discussed in Sections [V.D.1.b.ix and x, the FBI leamed that Steele relied primarily on a U.S.-based Russian national, Igor Danchenko, to collect information that ultimately formed the core allegations found in the reports. Specifically, our investigation discovered that Danchenko himself had told another person that he (Danchenko) was responsible for 80% of the “intel” and 50% of the analysis contained in the Steele Dossier.2* In December 2016, the FBI identified Danchenko as Steele’s primary sub-source, Danchenko agreed to meet with the FBI and, under the protection of an immunity letter, he and his attomey met with the Crossfire Hurricane investigators on January 24, 25, and 26, 2017. Thereafter, from January 2017 through October 2020, and as part of its efforts to determine the truth or falsity of specific information in the Steele Reports, the FBI conducted multiple interviews of Danchenko regarding, among other things, the information he provided to Steele. As discussed in Section IV.D.1.b.ix, during these interviews, Danchenko was unable to provide any corroborating evidence to support the Steele allegations, and further, described his interactions with his sub-sources as “rumor and speculation” and conversations of a casual nature.** Significant parts of what Danchenko told the FBI were inconsistent with what Steele told the FBI during his prior interviews in October 2016 and September 2017. At no time, however, was the FISC informed of these inconsistencies. Moreover, notwithstanding the repeated assertions in the Page FISA applications that Steele’s primary sub-source was based in Russia, Danchenko for many years had lived in the Washington, D.C. area, After learning that Danchenko continued to live in the Washington area and had not left except for domestic and foreign travel, the FBI never corrected this assertion in the three subsequent Page FISA renewal applications. Rather, beginning in March 2017, the FBI engaged Danchenko as a CHS and began making regular financial payments to him for information — none of which corroborated Steele's reporting, 'Danchenko Government Exhibit 1502 (LinkedIn message from Danchenko dated Oct. 11, 2020), » Our investigators uncovered little evidence suggesting that, prior to the submission of the first Page FISA application, the FBI had made any serious attempts to identify Steele’s primary sub- source other than asking Steele to disclose the identities of his sources, which he refused to do. The reliability of Steele’s reporting depended heavily on the reliability of his primary sub-source because, as represented to the FISC, Steeles source reporting was principally derived from the primary sub-source, who purportedly was running a “network of sub-sources.” In re Carter W. Page, Docket No. 16-1182, at 16 n.8 (FISC Oct. 21, 2016). The failure to identify the primary sub-source early in the investigation’s pursuit of FISA authority prevented the FBI from properly examining the possibility that some or much of the non-open source information contained in Steele’s reporting was Russian disinformation (that wittingly or unwittingly was passed along to Steele), or that the reporting was otherwise not credible. © See supra footnotes 30 and 31 13‘The Unresolved Prior FBI Counterintelligence Investigation of Danchenko Importantly, and as discussed in Section IV.D.1.c, the FBI knew in. January 2017 that Danchenko had been the subject of an FBI counterintelligence investigation from 2009 to 2011. In late 2008, while Danchenko was employed by the Brookings Institution, he engaged two fellow employees about whether one of the employees might be willing or able in the future to Provide classified information in exchange for money. According to one employee, Danchenko believed that he (the employee) might be following a mentor into the incoming Obama administration and have access to classified information, During this exchange, Danchenko informed the employee that he had access to people who were willing to pay for classified information. The concerned employee passed this information to @ U.S. government contact, and the information was subsequently passed to the FBI. Based on this information, in 2009 the FBI opened a preliminary investigation into Danchenko. The FBI converted its investigation into a full investigation after learning that Danchenko (i) had been identified as an associate of two FBI Counterintelligence subjects and (ii) had previous contact with the Russian Embassy and known Russian intelligence officers. Also, as discussed in Section [V.D. I.c, at that earlier time, Agents had interviewed several former colleagues of Danchenko who raised concerns about Danchenko’s potential involvement with Russian intelligence. For example, one such colleague, Who had interned at a U.S. intelligence agency, informed the Office that Danchenko frequently inquired about that person's knowledge of a specific Russian military matter. Meanwhile in July 2010, the FBI initisted a request to use FISA authorities against Danchenko, which was subsequently routed to Department attorneys in August 2010. However, the investigation into Danchenko was closed in March 2011 after the FBI incorrectly concluded that Danchenko had left the country and retumed to Russi Our review found no indication that the Crossfire Hurricane investigators ever attempted {o resolve the prior Danchenko espionage matter before opening him as a paid CHS. Moreover, our investigation found no indication that the Crossfire Hurricane investigators disclosed the existence of Danchenko’s unresolved counterintelligence investigation to the Department attorneys who were responsible for drafting the FISA renewal applications targeting Carter Page. Asa result, the FISC was never advised of information that very well may have affected the FISC’s view of Steele's primary sub-source’s (and Steele’s) reliability and trustworthiness. Equally important is the fact that in not resolving Danchenko’s status vis-a-vis the Russian intelligence services, it appears the FBI never gave appropriate consideration to the possibility that the intelligence Danchenko was providing to Steele — which, again, according to Danchenko himself, made up a significant majority of the information in the Steele Dossier reports — was, in whole or in part, Russian disinformation. Danchenko’s Relation: Dolan During the relevant time period, Danchenko maintained a relationship with Charles Dolan, a Virginia-based public relations professional who had previously held multiple positions and roles in the Democratic National Committee (“DNC”) and the Democratic Party. In his role a5 a public relations professional, Dolan focused much of his career interacting with Eurasian clients, with a particular focus on Russia. As described in Section IV.D.1.d.ii, Dolan previously conducted business with the Russian Federation and maintained relationships with several key Russian government officials, including Dimitry Peskov, the powerful Press Secretary of the Russian Presidential Administration. A number of these Russian government officials with 14whom Dolan maintained a relationship — and was in contact with at the time Danchenko was collecting information for Steele - would later appear in the Dossier. In the summer and fall of 2016, at the time Danchenko was collecting information for Steele, Dolan traveled to Moscow, as did Danchenko, in connection with ¢ business conference. As discussed in Section IV.D.1.diii, the business conference was held at the Ritz Carlton Moscow, which, according to the Steele Reports, was allegedly the site of salacious sexual conduct on the part of Trump. Danchenko would later inform the FBI that he leamed of these allegations through Ritz Carlton staff members. Our investigation, however, revealed that it was Dolan, not Danchenko, who actually interacted with the hotel staff identified in the Steele Reports, so between the two, Dolan appears the more likely source of the allegations. As discussed in Section IV.D.1.d.vi, our investigation also uncovered that Dolan was the definitive source for at least one allegation in the Steele Reports. This allegation, contained in Steele Report 2016/105, concerned the circumstances surrounding the resignation of Paul Manafort from the Trump campaign. When interviewed by the Office, Dolan admitted that he fabricated the allegation about Manafort that appeared in the Steele Report. Our investigation also revealed that, in some instances, Dolan independently received other information strikingly similar to allegations that would later appear in the Steele Reports. Nevertheless, when interviewed by the FBI, Danchenko denied that Dolan was a source for any information in the Steele Reports. Furthermore, as discussed in Section IV.D.1.d.iii, during the relevant time period, Dolan maintained a business relationship with Olga Galkina, a childhood friend of Danchenko, who, according to Danchenko, was a key source for many of the allegations contained in the Steele Reports. In fact, when Galkina was interviewed by the FBI in August 2017, she admitted to providing Dolan with information that would later appeer in the Steele Reports ‘The FBI's Failure to Interview Charles Dolan Our investigation revealed that the Crossfire Hurricane investigators were aware of Dolen and his connections to Danchenko and the Steele Reports. In fact, as discussed in Section IV.D.L.b., in early October 2016, Steele informed the FBI that Dolan was a person who might have relevant information about Trump. The FBI interviewed hundreds of individuals through the course of the Crossfire Hurricane and later investigations, and yet it did not interview Dolan asa possible source of information about Trump. Our investigators interviewed Dolan on several occasions, as well as the two other persons mentioned by Steele. Dolan initially denied being a source of information for the Steele Reports. When, however, he was shown a particular Steele Report relating to Paul Manafort and his resignation as Trump’s campaign manager, along with related emails between himself and Danchenko in August 2016, he acknowledged that the reporting mirrored the information he had provided to Danchenko. Dolan acknowledged to the Office that he fabricated this information. Although both Steele and Olga Galkina suggested to the FBI that Dolan may have had information related to the Steele Reports, our investigation was rot able to definitively show that Dolan was the actual source — whether wittingly or unwittingly — for any additional allegations set forth in the Steele Reports. Regardless, in light of the foregoing, there does not appear to have been an objectively sound reason for the FBI’s failure to interview Dolan. 15Danchenko’s Claims Regarding Sergei Millian Pethaps the most damning allegation in the Steele Dossier reports was Company Report 2016/95, which Steele attributed to “Source E,” one of Danchenko’s supposed sub-sources. This report, portions of which were included in each of the four Page FISA applications, contributed {o the public narrative of Trump's conspiring and colluding with Russian officials. As discussed in Section IV.D.1.f, Danchenko’s alleged source for the information (Source E) was an individual by the name of Sergei Millian who was the president of the Russian-American ‘Chamber of Commerce in New York City and a public Trump supporter. The evidence uncovered by the Office showed that Danchenko never spoke with Sergei Millian and simply fabricated the allegations that he attributed to Millian. ‘When interviewed by Crossfire Hurricane investigators in late January 2017, Danchenko said that Source E in Report 2016/95 sounded as though it was Sergei Millian, As discussed in Section IV.D.1.£i, Danchenko stated that he never actually met Millian. Instead, he said that in {ate-July 2016 he received an anonymous call from a person who did not identify himself, but who spoke with Russian accent, Danchenko further explained that he thought it might have been Millian ~ someone Danchenko previously had emailed twice and received no response — after watching a YouTube video of Millian speaking. Thus, as detailed in Section IV.D.1fi, the total support for the Source E information contained in Steele Report 2016/95 is a purported anonymous call from someone Danchenko had never met or spoken to but who he believed might be Sergei Millian - a Trump supporter — based on his listening to a YouTube video of Millian. Unfortunately, the investigation revealed that, instead of taking even basic steps, such as securing telephone call records for either Danchenko or Millian to investigate Danchenko's hard-to-believe story about Millian, the Crossfire Hurricane investigators appear to have chosen to ignore this and other red flags concerning Danchenko’s credibility, as well as Steele’s,*! ‘The Alfa Bank Allegations The Office also investigated the actions of Perkins Coie attomey Michael Sussmann and others in connection with Sussmann's provision of data and “white papers” to FBI General Counsel James Baker purporting to show that there existed a covert communications channel between the Trump Organization and a Russia-based bank called Alfa Bank. As set forth in Section IV.E..c.iti in doing so he represented to Baker by text message and in person that he was acting on his own and was not representing eny client or company in providing the information to the FBI. Our investigation showed that, in point of fact, these representations to Baker were false in that Sussmana was representing the Clinton campaign (as evidenced by, among other things, his law firm's billing records and internal communications). In addition, Sussmann was representing a second client, a technology executive named Rodney Joffe (as evidenced by various written communications, Sussmann’s subsequent congressional testimony, and other records). *! As noted in Section IV.D.2.f, a federal grand jury in the Bastern District of Virginia returned a five-count indictment against Danchenko charging him with making false statements. A teial Jury, however, found that the evidence was not sufficient to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. See United States v. Igor Danchenko, 21-CR-245 (E.D. Va), © Sussmann Government Exhibit 553 (Perkins Coie billing records for HFA). 16Cyber experts from the FBI examined the materials given to Baker and coneluded that they did not establish what Sussmann claimed they showed. At a later time, Sussmann made a separate presentation regarding the Alfa Bank allegations to another U.S. government agency and it too concluded that the materials did not show what Sussmann claimed, In connection with that second presentation, Sussmann made a similar false statement to that agency, claiming that he was not providing the information on behalf of any client. With respect to the Alfa Bank materials, our investigation established that Joffe had tasked a number of computer technology researchers who worked for companies he Was affiliated with, and who had access to certain internet records, to mine the internet data to establish “an inference” and “narrative” tying then-candidate Trump to Russia. In directing these researchers to exploit their access in this manner, Joffe indicated that he was seeking to please certain “VIPs,” in context referring to individuals at Perkins Coie who were involved in campaign matters and the Clinton campaign. During its investigation, the Office also learned that, after the 2016 presidential election, Joffe emailed an individual and told that person that “(he - Joffe] was tentatively offered the top [cybersecurity] job by the Democrats when it looked like they'd win.” As explained in Section IV.E.L.c.i, the evidence collected by the Office also demonstrated that, prior to providing the unfounded Alfa bank claims to the FBI, Sussmann and Fusion GPS (the Clinton campaign’s opposition research firm) had provided the same information to various news organizations and were pressing reporters to write articles about the alleged secret communications channel. Moreover, during his September 2016 meeting at the FBI, Sussmann told Baker that an unnamed news outlet was in possession of the information and ‘would soon publish a story about it. The disclosure of the media’s involvement caused the FBI to contact the news outlet whose name was eventually provided by Sussmann in the hope of delaying any public reporting on the subject. In doing so it confirmed for the New York Times that the FBI was looking into the matter. On October 31, 2016, less than two weeks before the election, the New York Times and others published articles on the Alfa Bank matter and the Clinton campaign issued tweets and public statements on the allegations of a secret channel of communications being used by the Trump Organization and a Russian bank - allegations that had been provided to the media and the FBI by Fusion GPS and Sussmann, both of whom were working for the Clinton campaign. Conclusion Based on the review of Crossfire Hurricane and related intelligence activities, we conclude that the Department and the FBI failed to uphold their important mission of strict fidelity to the law in connection with certain events and activities described in this report. As noted, former FBI attorney Kevin Clinesmith committed a criminal offense by fabricating language in an email that was material to the FBI obtaining a FISA surveillance order. In other instances, FBI personnel working on that same FISA application displayed, at best, a cavalier attitude towards accuracy and completeness. FBI personnel also repeatedly disregarded important requirements When they continued to seek renewals of that FISA surveillance while acknowledging — both then and in hindsight — that they did not genuinely believe there was probable cause to beliove that the target was knowingly engaged in clandestine intelligence 17activities on behalf of a foreign power, or knowingly helping another person in such activities."? And certain personnel disregarded significant exculpatory information that should have prompted investigative restraint and re-examination. Our investigation also revealed that senior FBI personnel displayed a serious lack of analytical rigor towards the information that they received, especially information received from politically affiliated persons and entities. This information in part triggered and sustained (Crossfire Hurricane and contributed to the subsequent need for Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation. In particular, there was significant reliance on investigative leads provided or funded (directly or indirectly) by Trump's political opponents. ‘The Department did not adequately examine or question these materials and the motivations of those providing them, even when at about the same time the Director of the FBI and others leamed of significant and Potentially contrary intelligence.*> In light of the foregoing, there is a continuing need for the FBI and the Department to recognize that lack of analytical rigor, apparent confirmation bias, and an over-willingness to rely on information from individuals connected to political opponents caused investigators to fail to adequately consider altemative hypotheses and to act without appropriate objectivity or restraint in pursuing allegations of collusion or conspiracy between a U.S. political campaign and 8 foreign power. Although recognizing that in hindsight much is clearer, much of this also seems to have been clear at the time. We therefore believe itis important to examine past conduct to identify shortcomings and improve how the government carries out its most sensitive functions. Section V discusses some of these issues more fully. This report does not recommend any wholesale changes in the guidelines and policies that the Department and the FBI now have in place to ensure proper conduct and accountability in how counterintelligence activities are carried out. Rather, itis intended to accurately describe the matters that fell under our review and to assist the Attorney General in determining how the Department and the FBI can do a better, more credible job in fulfilling its responsibilities, and in analyzing and responding to politically charged allegations in the future. Ultimately, of course, ‘meeting those responsibilities comes down to the integrity of the people who take an oath to follow the guidelines and policies currently in place, guidelines that date from the time of Attorney General Levi and that are designed to ensure the rule of law is upheld. As such, the answer is not the creation of new rules but a renewed fidelity to the old. The promulgation of additional rules and regulations to be learned in yet more training sessions would likely prove to bea fruitless exercise ifthe FBI's guiding principles of “Fidelity, Bravery and Integrity” are not ® See, eg., OSC Report of Interview of ‘Supervisory Special Agent-2 on May 5, 2021 at 1-2; OSC Report of Interview of Supervisory Special Agent-3 on Mar. 18, 2021 at 2-3, “See, e.g., FBI-EC-00008439 (Lyne message exchange between Case Agent-I and Support Operations Specialist-1 dated 09/27/2016); E2018002-A-002016 (Handwritten notes of FBI OGC Unit Chief-I dated 10/12/2016); FBI-LP-00000111 (Handwritten notes of Lisa Page dated 10/12/2016); OSC Report of Interview of OT Attorney-1 on July 1, 2020 at 2-7. * See infra §1V.B.1 18engrained in the hearts and minds of those sworn to meet the FBI’s mission of “Protect[ing] the American People and Uphold{ing] the Constitution of the United States.“ TH. APPLICABLE LAWS AND DEPARTMENT AND FBI POLICIES This section begins by summarizing some of the Principles of Federal Prosecution, which govern all federal prosecutions. Next, this section describes the laws and policies that we considered in the course of our investigation. These include the requirements that apply to the FBI’s assessments and investigations of counterintelligence matters, most of which are found in guidelines promulgated by the Attomey General and FBI policies, and the legal standards for conducting electronic surveillance under FISA. This section concludes by describing the principal statutes that we used to evaluate possible criminal conduct for prosecution: 18 U.S.C. § 1001 (@)Q) (false statements); 18 U.S.C. § 1621(2) (perjury); 18 U.S.C. § 1519 (falsification of records); 18 U.S.C. § 242 (violation of civil rights); 18 U.S.C. §§ 241, 371 (conspiracy); 18 U.S.C. § 1031(a) (fraud against the United States); 52 U.S.C. §§ 30116, 30121(a) (campaign contributions); 18 U.S.C. §§ 1956-57 (money-laundering); and 18 U.S.C. § 793(d) (transmission of classified information). A. Principles of Federal Prosecution In deciding whether to exercise prosecutorial authority with respect to the statutes discussed below, the Office has been guided by the Principles of Federal Prosecution set forth in ‘the Justice Manual.” Those principles include: 1. Determination to prosecute A determination to prosecute represents a policy judgment that the fundamental interests of society require the application of federal criminal law to a particular set of circumstances. ‘The attorney for the government should commence or recommend federal prosecution if he/she believes that the person’s conduct constitutes a federal offense, and that the admissible evidence will probably be sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction, unless (i) the prosecution would serve no substantial federal interest; (ii) the person is subject to effective prosecution in another jurisdiction; or (iii) there exists an adequate non-criminal alternative to prosecution. 2, Substantial federal interest In determining whether a prosecution would serve a substantial federal interest, the attomey for the government should weigh all relevant considerations, including: Federal law enforcement priorities, including any federal law enforcement initiatives or operations aimed at accomplishing those priorities; ‘The nature and seriousness of the offense; The deterrent effect of prosecution; ‘® See Mission Statement of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, hetps://www.fbi.goviabout/mission. US. Department of Justice, Justice Manual § 9-27.00 (Feb. 2018), https://www justice.gov/jm/jm-9-27000-principles-federal-prosecution#9-27.001. “8 Justice Manual §§ 9-27.001; 9-27.220. 19‘The person's culpability in connection with the offense; The person's history with respect to criminal activity; The person’s willingness to cooperate in the investigation or prosecution of others; ‘The person’s personal circumstances; The interests of any victims; and ‘The probable sentence or other consequences if the person is convicted,"? 3. Most serious, readily provable offense During our investigation, the Justice Manual provided that once the decision to prosecute has been made, the attorney for the government should charge and pursue the most serious, readily provable offenses. By definition, the most serious offenses are those that carry the most substantial guidelines sentence, including mandatory minimum sentences.>? 4. Unpopularity Where the law and the facts create a sound, prosecutable case, the likelihood of an ‘acquittal due to unpopularity of some aspect ofthe prosecution or because of the overwhelming Popularity of the defendant or his/her cause is not a factor prohibiting prosecution." This provision from the Justice Manual is quoted more fully in section I. 5. Interests of uncharged parties Im all public filings and proceedings, federal prosecutors should remain sensitive to the privacy and reputation interests of uncharged third parties, In the context of public plea and sentencing proceedings, this means that, in the absence of some significant justification, itis not ‘appropriate to identify (ether by name or unnecessarily specific description), or cause a defendant to identify, a third-party wrongdoer unless that party has been officially charged with the misconduct at issue,** Asa series of cases makes clear, there is ordinarily “no legitimate governmental interest served" by the government's public allegation of wrongdoing by an uncharged party, and this is true “[rJegardless of what criminal charges may ... b(s] contemplated by the Assistant United States Attomey against the [third-party] for the future.”® Courts have applied this reasoning to preclude the public identification of unindicted third-party wrongdoers in plea hearings, sentencing memoranda, and other government pleadings. * 9 Id. § 9-27.230, *° Id. § 9-27.30. This charging policy has since been revised. See At’y Gen., General Department Policies Regarding Charging, Pleas, and Sentencing Memorandum (Dec. 16, 2022). 5 Justice Manual § 9-27.20. Id. § 9-27.760, * In re Smith, 656 F.2d 1101, 1106-07 (Sth Cir. 1981), * Justice Manual § 9-27.760. See Finn v. Schiller, 72 F.3d 1182, 1189 (4th Cit, 1996) (“Overzealous prosecutors must not be allowed to file sweeping statements of fact alleging violations of various laws by unindicted individuals. A primary purpose of Rule 6 is to protect 20Ina similar vein, Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein stated that “we do not hold press conferences to release derogatory information about the subject of a declined criminal investigation.” He went on to say that “[d]erogatory information sometimes is disclosed in the course of criminal investigations and prosecutions, but we never release it gratuitously."55 B. The FBI’s Assessment and Investigation of Counterintelligence Matters This subsection describes the requirements that apply to the FBI’s assessments and investigations of counterintelligence matters. The AGG-Dom gives the FBI a broad mandate to “detect, obtain information about, and prevent and protect against federal crimes and threats to the national security.”** These crimes and threats include espionage and other intelligence activities and foreign computer intrusions.” The AGG-Dom provides that “[tJhese Guidelines do not authorize investigating or collecting or maintaining information on United States persons solely for the purpose of monitoring activities protected by the First Amendment or the lawful exercise of other rights secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States."** ‘The requirements of the AGG-Dom are implemented and expanded upon in FBI policy.* In its investigative activities, the FBI is to use less intrusive investigative techniques where feasible, and investigative activity is broken down into various levels. There are also requirements in separate guidelines approved by the Attomey General governing the FBI’s use of confidential human sources (“CHSs”).©° In 2020, the Department imposed additional requirements for politically sensitive assessments and investigations and for applications under FISA. the unindicted .. .."); United States v. Anderson, 55 F. Supp. 2d 1163 (D. Kan 1999); United States v. Smith, 992 F, Supp. 743 (D.N.J. 1998). The Fifth Circuit has stated: Nine of the ten persons named in the indictment were active in the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, an anti-war group. The naming of appellants as unindicted conspirators was not an isolated occurrence in time or context. ..., There is at least a strong suspicion that the stigmatization of appellants was part of an overall governmental tactic directed against disfavored persons and groups. Visiting opprobrium on persons by officially charging them with crimes while denying them a forum to vindicate their names, undertaken as extra-judicial punishment or to chill their expressions and associations, is not a governmental interest that we can accept or consider. United States v. Briggs, 514 F.2d 794, 805-06 (5th Cir. 1975) (footnote omitted). *5 Memorandum for the Attorney General from Rod J. Rosenstein, Deputy Attorney General, Restoring Public Confidence in the FBI at | (May 9, 2017). % AGG-Dom § Il. 57 Id. § VILS. 8 id. § LC.3. % See FBI, Domestic Investigations and Operations Guide (Mar. 3, 2016) (hereinafter “DIOG”), © These are discussed in Subsection 3 below. 211. Use of least intrusive means The President has directed that the Intelligence Community “shall use the least intrusive collection techniques feasible within the United States or directed against United States persons abroad.”*" The Intelligence Community includes the intelligence elements of the FBI. The AGG-Dom implements this provision and observes that: ‘The conduct of investigations and other activities .. . may present choices between the use of different investigative methods that are each operationally sound and effective, but that are mote or less intrusive, considering such factors as the effect on the privacy and civil liberties of individuals and potential damage to reputation. ‘There is additional discussion of requirements for a “sensitive investigative matter” or “SIM,” principally in the DOG. One category of SIM is a matter involving a political candidate or a “domestic political organization or individual prominent in such an organization.”® The definition of e SIM also includes “any other matter which, in the judgment of the official authorizing an investigation, should be brought to the attention of FBI Headquarters and other Department of Justice officials.” It goes on to explain: + Ina SIM, “particular care should be taken when considering whether the planned course of action is the least intrusive method if reasonable based on the circumstances of the investigation.” " Executive Order 12333 § 2.4 (Dee. 4, 1981). ® AGG-Dom § 1.C.2.a. © DIOG § 10.1.2.1; see also AGG-Dom § VILN. “ AGG-Dom§ VILN. The DIOG says that, “[s]s a matter of FBI policy, ‘judgment’ means that the decision of the authorizing official is discretionary.” DJOG § 10.1.2.1. For preliminary or full investigations involving SIMs, there are notice requirements: An FBI field office shall notify FBI Headquarters and the United States Attorney or other appropriate Department of Justice official of the initiation by the field office of a predicated investigation involving a sensitive investigative matter. If the investigation is initiated by FBI Headquarters, FBI Headquarters shall notify the United States Attorney or other appropriate Department of Justice official of the initiation of such an investigation. If the investigation concems a threat to the national security, an official of the National Security Division must be notified, ‘The notice shall identify all sensitive investigative matters involved in the investigation. AGG-Dom § ILB.S. © DIOG §10.1.3. 22* More generally, “when First Amendment rights are at stake, the choice and use of investigative methods should be focused in a manner that minimizes pote infringement of those rights." « “If... the threat is remote, the individual’s involvement is speculative, and the probability of obtaining probative information is low, intrusive methods may not be Justified, and, in fact, they may do more harm than good.”*? ‘The DIOG says that the FBI will “{ajpply best judgment to the circumstances at hand to select the most appropriate investigative means to achieve the investigative goal."** At the same time, it “shall not hesitate to use any lawful method . .. even if intrusive, where the degree of intrusiveness is warranted in light of the seriousness of a ctiminal or national security threat.” The factors that may support the use of more intrusive collection techniques include operational security. 2. Levels of investigation means requirement is by describing four different levels of activity. The first is activity that the FBI may conduct without any formal opening or authorization process and is referred to as “activities authorized prior to opening an assessment.””" The other, more formalized levels of activity are assessment, preliminary investigation, and full investigation. AAs the level increases, the FBI may use a broader range of techniques: a. Activity authorized before opening an assessment The DIOG states that “[wJhen initially processing a complaint, observation, or information,” an FBI employee may take limited steps to evaluate the information. These include looking at goverment records and at commercially and publicly available information, The employee may also “{cJonduct a voluntary clarifying interview of the complainant or the person who initially furnished the information . .. for the sole purpose of eliminating confusion in the original allegation or information provided.” The DIOG explains that “{tJhese activities ‘may allow the FBI employee to resolve a matter without the need to conduct new investigative activity.”” New investigative activity requires the opening of an assessment or predicated investigation.” % Id. §4.4.4, Ia Ia. § 4.1.1(F) (bolding omitted). © AGG-Dom § 1.0.2. ® DIOG § 4.4.4. 1 See id. §5.1. ® DIOG 85.1.1. Bia 23b. Assessment The FBI may open an assessment if it has an authorized purpose and a clearly defined objective, No particular factual predication is required, but the basis for opening an assessment “cannot be arbitrary or groundless speculation.” In addition to the techniques that are authorized without opening an assessment, in an assessment the FBI may recruit and use CHSs, conduct physical surveillance in 72-hour increments, and obtain some grand jury subpoenas. An FBI employee should be able to explain the reason for the use of particular investigative methods.” ©. Preliminary investigation The factual predicate required to open a preliminary investigation is “information or an allegation” that federal crime or threat to the national security “may be” occurring, Authorized investigative methods include undercover operations, trash covers, consensual monitoring, pen registers, national security letters, and polygraphs. The FBI may also conduct physical searches and use monitoring devices that do not require judicial authorization. A preliminary investigation is to last a relatively short time and lead either to closure ot full investigation. 5 d. Full investigation a full investigation is “an articulable factual basis for the estigation that reasonably indicates that... [aJn activity constituting a federal crime or a threat to the national security... is or may be occurring ... and the investigation may obtain information relating to the activity." The DIOG gives as examples of sufficient predication to open a full investigation: * “{Clorroborated information from an intelligence agency” stating “that an individual is a member of a tertorist group.” * “[AJn analyst discovers on a blog a threat to a specific home builder and additional information connecting the blogger to a known terrorist group.””” ‘The FBI may use “all lawful methods” in a full investigation, including court-authorized electronic surveillance and physical searches.” 3. The Confidential Human Source Guidelines In addition to the AGG-Dom, the Attomey General has approved separate guidelines governing the FBI's use of human sources. The guidelines in place at the time of Crossfire ™ Id. §§ 5.1; 18.5; 18.5.8.3.2, ™ See id. § 6.7.2 (“Extensions of preliminary investigations beyond one year are discouraged and may only be approved . . . for ‘good cause"”); see also id. § 6.7.2.1 (describing “good cause” and focusing on need to move to a full investigation or to closure); AGG-Dom § IL.B.4.a.ii (requiring approval to extend a preliminary investigation beyond six months). %6 Td, §§ 1LB.3.a; 11.B.4.b.i. 7 DIOG §7.5. 7 AGG-Dom § UL.B.4.b.ii; see also id. § V.A.11-13. 24Hurricane required the validation of a CHS when the person was opened as a source.” ‘Validation included documenting the person’s criminal record and motivation for providing information.”*° Because a source’s reliability can change, the guidelines directed the FBI to review each CHS's file “at least annually” and “ensure that all available information that might materially alter a prior validation assessment . .. is promptly reported” to a supervisor and documented.®! The guidelines also required that an FBI agent instruct the CHS." Because the instructions are important, another agent or official was to be present as a witness.*? The agent was to direct the CHS to provide truthful information and to “abide by the instructions of the FBI." If the FBI compensated the CHS, the CHS was “liable for any taxes that may be owed.”®> The guidelines explained that “(t]he content and meaning of each of the . . . instructions must be clearly conveyed” to the CHS." Immediately afterward, the agent “shall require” the CHS “to acknowledge his or her receipt and understanding of the instructions.”*” ® The Attorney General's Guidelines Regarding the Use of FBI Confidential Human Sources §ILA (Dec. 13, 2006), as amended by Attorney General Orders 3019-2008 (Nov. 26, 2008) and 3596-2015 (Nov. 18, 2015) (hereinafter “2006 CHS Guidelines”). In 2020, the Attorney General approved new CHS guidelines. The Attorney General's Guidelines Regarding the Use of FBI Confidential Human Sources (Dec. 23, 2020) (hereinafter “2020 CHS Guidelines"), The 2020 Guidelines are discussed below in Section TILB.5.b. *° The guidelines required the following information as part of the initial validation: ‘whether the person has a criminal history, is reasonably believed to be the subject or target of a pending criminal investigation, is under arrest, or has been charged ina pending prosecution; the person’s motivation for providing information or assistance, including any consideration sought from the government for this assistance; [and] any other information that is required to be documented . .. pursuant to... FBI policies. 2006 CHS Guidelines § ILA.3.c; A.3.d; AB. \ Id § ILC. The FBI was to establish procedures to ensure the prompt reporting of information that might alter a prior assessment. See id. § I.C.2. 1a §BA ® iad. “Td §1LB.1a; B.Ld. % Id §1LB2. "Td §1LB3. "Ud. 25‘The guidelines did not include an explicit requirement to document whether the person had previously been a source of an intelligence or law enforcement agency. Moreover, the FBI was not required to seek or obtain the approval of the Department before using sources to record conversations and obtain information not only from targets of its investigations in Crossfire Hurricane (such as Page and Papadopoulos) but also from a senior campaign official to whom its sources had access. 4. Analytic integrity The FBI's Counterintelligence Division is an operational component, whereas a Separate Directorate of Intelligence provides analytic support. The Counterintelligence Division’s policy guidance says that “e /féctive . . . operations are based on integration” of personnel from the two entities who work “toward common goals.” Division personnel “must cultivate and develop relationships” with Directorate of Intelligence elements “in order to ‘maximize operational performance.” Case agents “should rely on” the Directorate of Intelligence “for strategic and tactical guidance on targeting priorities, the generation of source debriefing packages, the evaluation of source reporting, preparation of various raw intelligence dissemination products, and the identification of intelligence gaps.”?" For the Intelligence Community as a whole, Congress has directed the Director of National Intelligence (“DNI”) to assign a person or entity “to be responsible for ensuring that finished intelligence products . . . are timely, objective, independent of political considerations, based upon all sources of available intelligence, and employ the standards of proper analytic tradecraft.”*? The Intelligence Community's Analytic Standards say that analysts “must perform their functions with objectivity and with awareness of their own assumptions and reasoning.”®? They are to “employ reasoning techniques and practical mechanisms that reveal and mitigate bias.” Moreover, “[alll IC analytic products” should be “[iJndependent of political consideration” and “not be distorted by . . . advocacy of a Particular... . agenda . . . or policy viewpoint.” Responding to a congressional inquiry, the Intelligence Community’s Analytic Ombudsman documented “a few incidents” from 2020 “where individuals, or groups of * See id. § I1.A.3. © See AGG-Dom §§ V.A4; VILO (authorizing consensual monitoring as a technique and requiring Department approval in a “sensitive monitoring circumstance,” but not including the monitoring of campaign officials as such a circumstance); see also Redacted OIG Review at 30. © The Directorate of Intelligence is part of the FBI’s Intelligence Branch. See FBI Leadership & Structure — Intelligence Branch, https://www.foi.gov/about/leadership-and-structure, °' FBI Counterintelligence Division, Counterintelligence Division Policy Directive and Policy Guide § 5.1 (Nov. 1, 2018) (emphases added). ® SOUS.C. § 3364(a), ® Intelligence Community Directive 203, Analytic Standards at 2 (Jan. 2, 2015), % Ta. Id. 26individuals, [took] willful actions that . .. had the effect of politicizing intelligence, hindering objective analysis, or injecting bias into the intelligence process.” The ‘Ombudsman’s assessment mentioned the reluctance of China analysts “to have their analysis brought forward because they tended to disagree with the Administration's policies.” On the other hand, Russia analysts were frustrated because management was “slowing down or not wanting to take their analysis to customers, claiming that it was not well received.” The assessment also has a section entitled “historical context.” It discusses the politicization of intelligence about Iraq in 2003, but it does not mention Crossfire Hurricane or the Carter Page FISA.” The assessment paraphrases former intelligence official Neil Wiley: [Intelligence is the only great function of state that does not come to top decision makers with an agenda . ... The purpose of intelligence is to provide objective, unbiased, and policy-neutral assessments. We are, pethaps, most important to decision makers when we bring to them the bad news... . This, _ sometimes demands moral courage to carry out. Other institutions are inherently political and are much less likely to bring bad news. If we lose that objectivity, or even are perceived to have lost it, we have endangered the entire reason for us to exist. 5. Recently upgraded protections a. Investigative activities ‘The Sensitive Investigations Memorandum, promulgated by the Attomey General in 2020, imposes additional approval requirements for politically sensitive activities. If the FBI takes “exploratory investigative steps relating to” a presidential candidate, a senior staff member, or an advisor, it must give prompt written notice to the appropriate Assistant Attomey General and U.S. Attorney. The Attorney General explained that “this includes any person who has been publicly announced by a campaign as a staffer or member of an official campaign advisory committee or group.” The same notice requirement applies if the FBI opens an assessment of such a person. If the FBI opens either a preliminary or full investigation of such a person, then % Barry Zulauf, Independent IC Analytic Ombudsman's [sic] on Politicization of Intelligence at 3 (Jan. 6, 2021) (attached to letter from Zulauf to Senators Rubio and Warmer (Jan. 6, 2021). 7 See id. at 8. % Jd, at 9 (italics omitted). 27notice to the Department is not enough; the Attomey General must approve the opening of the investigation.” The memorandum also directs: ‘+ Department components to “review their existing policies governing notification, consultation, and/or approval of politically sensitive investigations,” provide a summary of those policies, and recommend “any necessary changes or updates.”!%° + The Department to study, after the 2020 elections, “its experiences and consider whether changes” to the requirements in the memorandum are necessary. '°! ‘The Attorney General recently reaffirmed the need to adhere to the requirements of the Sensitive Investigations Memorandum that govern “the opening of criminal and counter-intelligence investigations by the Department . . . related to politically sensitive individuals and entities.”"" b. CHS guidelines and policy In 2020, following various OIG reviews, the FBI undertook a “comprehensive review” of the 2006 CHS Guidelines “to ensure that the FBI’s source validation process was wholly refocused, revised, and improved across the FBI.”"® The 2020 CHS Guidelines thus provide additional direction to the FBI in the handling of human sources, They require information about whether the CHS “is reasonably believed to be a current or former subject or target of an FBI investigation.” '® There is also a new requirement for information about a source’s reporting relationship with other government agencies.'* At the time when the Attomey General approved the Guidelines, he also directed that “pending further guidance” he or the Deputy Attorney General must approve “any use” of a CHS “to target a federal elected official or political campaign .. . for the purposes of investigating political or campaign activities." ® Sensitive Investigations Memorandum at 2 & n.3. ia at3. "Id. '® Attomey General Memorandum, Election Year Sensitivities (May 25, 2022). 5 Stephen C. Laycock, Memorandum to the Attomey General, Re: Proposed Revisions to the Attorney General Guidelines Regarding the Use of FBI's Confidential Human Sources (Dec. 23, 2020). 1% 2020 CHS Guidelines § ILA.3.. "5 Id. §ILA3.d. '°S Letter from Attorney General William Barr to FBI Director Christopher Wray (Dec. 23, 2020). 28The FBI's Confidential Human Source Policy Guide'" also includes new or strengthened requirements and implements portions of the Sensitive Investigations Memorandum. Its requirements include: «Identifying the specific source-related activities in which FBI intelligence analysts and other non-agent personnel may engage.'® For example, an intelligence analyst may only contact a CHS or a potential CHS in the presence of a case agent, and an analyst may only accompany an agent to a debriefing of a CHS with supervisory approval. '° ig information about “[al likely motivations the CHS could have for providing © Requi wld information. © Enhancing the requirements for source validation reviews. Requiring detailed information and additional approvals in a request to reopen a CHS who was previously closed for cause, either by the FBI or another agency.""! Finally, the CHS Policy Guide requires « CHS to be treated as “sensitive” and thus subject to more controls based on either the position the source holds or the position held by someone the source is reporting on.'!? So, for example, even though a CHS may not hold a position in a campaign, ifthe source is reporting on such a person he/she would still be treated as sensitive, Post-Crossfire Hurricane, the Guide now provides this example: A CHS with indirect access to a U.S. Presidential campaign is tasked to report on. campaign activities involving possible cooperation with foreign entities to influence the outcome of a U.S. Presidential election. The CHS had only indirect access, but his or her affiliation nevertheless enabled the CHS to be tasked to collect information on the campaign.'? c. Defensive briefings ‘The O1G's review of Crossfire Hurricane discusses defensive briefings for those who may be targets of nefarious activities by foreign powers and, specifically at the time of the ' FBL, Confidential Human Source Policy Guide (Dec. 15, 2021) (hereinafter “CHS Policy Guide”). 108 Jd. §§ 2.2.3; 2.23.1 109 fd. § 2.2.3.1 10 74, '"" Id, 8§ 4.3; 4.5.1; see also § 4.5.2 (when a closed CHS from one field office is opened in another, the new office “must promptly be provided with any information that reflects negatively upon the reliability of the CHS") "2 See id. § 7.19; see also § 6.1 (explaining § 7.19). There is also now a requirement for approval by the Assistant Director of Intelligence. See § 7.19.2.1 (requiring an electronic communication to the Assistant Director of the Directorate of Intelligence before the approval request goes to the Director and the Department) "3 Id. § 7.19.13. 29investigation, the possibility of conducting a defensive briefing for the Trump campaign on Russian activities. The Review says that: We did not identify any Department or FBI policy that applied to this decision and therefore determined that the decision whether to conduct defensive briefings in lieu of opening an investigation, or at any time during an investigation, was a judgment call that is left to the discretion of FBI officials. It went on to suggest that it would be desirable to give “senior Department leadership the ‘opportunity .. . to consult with the FBI about whether to conduct a defensive briefing in a circumstance such as this one.”!'* ‘The Department and the FBI have taken steps to address this issue. First, the Attorney General has instructed the FBI Director to promulgate procedures concerning defensive briefings. The purpose ofthis requirement is “[tJo address concerns” that U.S. persons “may become unwitting participants in an effort by a foreign power to influence an election or the policy or conduct” of the government!’ Second, the FBI has established a Foreign Influence Defensive Briefing Board (“FIDBB”). The FBI is continuing [its] newly implemented review process for malign foreign influence defensive briefings, and in particular briefings to Legislative and Executive Branch officials. This will encompass actions taken after receipt of specific threat information that identifies malign foreign influence operetions ~that is, foreign operations that are subversive, undeclared, coercive, or criminal - including convening the [FIDBB] to evaluate whether and how to provide defensive briefings to affected parties. To determine whether notification is warranted and appropriate in each case, the FIDBB uses consistent, standardized criteria guided by principles that include, for example, the protection of sources and methods and the integrity and independence of ongoing criminal investigations and Prosecutions." C. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (“FISA”) FISA permits the government to seek authority from the FISC to use a range of investigative techniques.""” For the installation and use of pen register and trap and trace devices, which are relatively unintrusive, FISA requires that the information likely to be obtained ™ See Redacted OIG Review at 348 & n.482. "5 Attomey General Memorandum, Supplemental Reforms to Enhance Compliance, Oversight, and Accountability with Respect to Certain Foreign Intelligence Activities of the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 3 (Aug. 31, 2020) (hereinafter “Supplemental Reforms Memorandum), "6 See Redacted OIG Review, Appendix 2, The FBI’s Response to the Report, at 433 (Dec. 6, 2019) (emphasis added). "7 FISA contains provisions related to numerous intelligence collection activities. The principal provisions of the statute are codified at 50 U.S.C. §§ 1801-1812; 1821-1829; 1841-1846; 1861- 1864; 1871-1874; 1881-1881g; 1885-1885c. 30