RUSSIA ON IT WHILE RUSSIA OF
COURSE CONTINUES TO DENY IT.
FASCINATING.
AND THEN THERE’S THE ELECTION
INTERFERENCE.
AND THIS IS THE ONE THAT CAME
WITH AN EASTER EGG IN THE MIDDLE
OF IT THAT I STILL CAN’T QUITE
BELIEVE THEY JUST CONFIRMED.
SO LAST MONTH, THE BUSY, BUSY,
BUSY DNI’S OFFICE, DIRECTOR OF
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE OFFICE
UNDER AVRIL HAINES, THEY
DECLASSIFIED THIS INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT ABOUT THE
2020 ELECTION, ABOUT WHAT
FOREIGN ENTITIES DID TO MESS
WITH OUR ELECTION IN 2020.
AND WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT RUSSIA
DID IN 2020, THERE WAS VERY
BLUNT LANGUAGE.
IT WAS SPELLED OUT IN VERY
STRONG TERMS.
QUOTE, WE ASSESS THAT PRESIDENT
PUTIN AND THE RUSSIAN STATE
AUTHORIZED AND CONDUCTED
INFLUENCE OPERATIONS AGAINST THE
2020 U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
AIMED AT DENIGRATING PRESIDENT
BIDEN AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY,
SUPPORTING FORMER PRESIDENT
TRUMP, UNDERMINING PUBLIC
CONFIDENCE IN THE ELECTORAL
PROCESS AND EXACERBATING
SOCIOPOLITICAL DIVISIONS IN THE
UNITED STATES.
A KEY ELEMENT OF MOSCOW’S
STRATEGY THIS ELECTION CYCLE WAS
ITS USE OF PEOPLE LINKED TO
RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE TO LAUNDER
INFLUENCE NARRATIVES INCLUDING
MISLEADING OR UNSUBSTANTIATED
ALLEGATIONS AGAINST PRESIDENT
BIDEN THROUGH U.S. MEDIA
ORGANIZATIONS, U.S. OFFICIALS,
AND PROMINENT U.S. INDIVIDUALS,
SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
SOME OF WHOM WERE CLOSE TO
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS
ADMINISTRATION.
THE REPORT CONTINUES, QUOTE, A
NETWORK OF UKRAINE LINKED
INDIVIDUALS INCLUDING RUSSIAN
AGENT KONSTANTIN KILIMNIK,
INDIVIDUALS CONNECTED TO THE
FSB, TOOK STEPS THROUGHOUT THE
ELECTION CYCLE TO DAMAGE U.S.
TIES TO UKRAINE, TO DENIGRATE
PRESIDENT BIDEN AND HIS
CANDIDACY AND TO BENEFIT
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S PROSPECTS FOR
REELECTION.
WE ASSESS THIS NETWORK, AGAIN,
IT’S UKRAINE LINKED INDIVIDUALS
WHO ARE ALSO CONNECTED TO THE
FSB, WE ASSESS THIS NETWORK,
ALSO SOUGHT TO DISCREDIT THE
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION BY
EMPHASIZING ACCUSATIONS OF
CORRUPTION BY U.S. OFFICIALS AND
TO FALSELY BLAME UKRAINE FOR
INTERFERING IN THE 2015 U.S.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
SO THIS IS THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY’S DECLASSIFIED
ASSESSMENT OF FOREIGN ATTACKS ON
OUR ELECTION IN 2020.
THIS WAS DECLASSIFIED LAST
MONTH.
AND ALL THIS DETAIL ON WHAT
RUSSIA DID TO TRY TO BOOST
DONALD TRUMP’S CANDIDACY IN 2020
JUST AS THEY HAD BOOSTED HIM IN
2016.
AND IT WAS VERY INTERESTING AT
THE TIME, AND NOW IN RETROSPECT
MAYBE WE HAVE GREATER INSIGHT
INTO WHY THIS HAPPENED, BUT IT’S
VERY INTERESTING THAT BY NAME IN
THIS DECLASSIFIED REPORT, WE GOT
A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT THIS ONE
SPECIFIC GUY, KONSTANTIN
KILIMNIK, DID FOR THE KREMLIN IN
2020.
AND THE REASON HIS NAME WAS
FAMILIAR TO US WHEN WE ALL GOT
THIS REPORT LAST MONTH IS
BECAUSE THIS WAS A GUY WHO HAD A
VERY STARRING ROLE IN WHAT THE
KREMLIN TRIED TO DO TO ELECT
TRUMP IN 2016.
THIS IS A GUY WHO, LIKE, HAD A
STARRING ROLE IN THE MUELLER
REPORT.
THIS IS THE GUY, IF YOU
CONTROL-F HIS NAME, KONSTANTIN
KILIMNIK, HIS NAME COMES UP 754
TIMES.
KONSTANTIN KILIMNIK IS A MAJOR
IF I CAN IN
FIGURE IN WHAT RUSSIA DID TO TRY
TO PUT DONALD TRUMP IN THE WHITE
HOUSE.
AND HERE HE IS AGAIN, FOUR YEARS
LATER, IN THE 2020 ELECTION,
WITH U.S. INTELLIGENCE SAYING HE
AGAIN PLAYED A STARRING ROLE, A
LEADING ROLE, AN IMPORTANT ROLE
IN THE KREMLIN’S EFFORTS TO MESS
WITH YET ANOTHER U.S. ELECTION
TO TRY TO MAKE SURE DONALD TRUMP
WOULD STAY PRESIDENT.
AND TODAY, THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCED A WHOLE
NEW RAFT OF SANCTION ON DOZENS
PART OF HOW THEY DISSEMINATED
INFORMATION DURING THE 2020
CAMPAIGN.
THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION DID ALL
OF THIS DETAILED, HARD-HITTING
STUFF TODAY.
BUT IN EXPLAINING THE NEW
SANCTIONS TODAY AGAINST ONE
RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE OFFICIAL IN
PARTICULAR, IN EXPLAINING THE
NEW SANCTIONS TODAY AGAINST THIS
GUY KONSTANTIN KILIMNIK,
REMINDING THE WORLD THAT THERE’S
A QUARTER MILLION DOLLAR REWARD
OUT THERE FOR INFORMATION
LEADING TO HIS ARREST, REMINDING
THE WORLD THAT HE’S UNDER
INDICTMENT IN THE U.S., TODAY,
WE GOT SOME BIG NEWS.
HERE IS WHAT THE FORMAL
ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE TREASURY
DEPARTMENT SAID.
IT SAYS, QUOTE, KONSTANTIN
KILIMNIK IS A KNOWN RUSSIAN
INTELLIGENCE SERVICES AGENT,
IMPLEMENTING INFLUENCE
OPERATIONS ON THE RUSSIAN
GOVERNMENT’S BEHALF.
DURING 2016 HE PROVIDED THE
RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE SERVICES
WITH SENSITIVE INFORMATION ON
POLLING AND CAMPAIGN STRATEGY.
ADDITIONALLY HE SOUGHT TO
PROMOTE THE NARRATIVE THAT
UKRAINE, NOT RUSSIA, HAD
INTERVIEWED IN THE 2016
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
THAT’S NEW TODAY FROM THE
TREASURY TODAY.
THERE’S A SANCTIONS ON A TON OF
PEOPLE AND A TON OF ENTITIES.
THEY NAMED THE MALIGN WEBSITES
AND THEY PUT THESE NEW FINANCIAL
RESTRICTIONS ON HOW PEOPLE CAN
INVEST IN GOVERNMENT FUNDS IN
RUSSIA.
THERE’S A LOT OF STUFF THEY
ANNOUNCED HERE TODAY, INCLUDING,
WE’RE NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING
ABOUT THE RUSSIAN BOUNTIES
BECAUSE WE’RE NOT SATISFIED THAT
THAT DEFINITELY HAPPENED.
FASCINATING, TONS OF DETAIL,
LOTS OF INTERESTING INFORMATION
TODAY FROM THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY.
BUT THIS THING ABOUT KILIMNICK,
THEY SAY HE SOUGHT TO PROMOTE
THE NARRATIVE THAT UKRAINE, NOT
RUSSIA, HAD INTERVIEWED IN THE
2016 U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
IF YOU START AT THAT PART OF IT,
FINE.
THEY SAY KILIMNICK WAS PART OF
THE KREMLIN’S EFFORTS TO COVER
UP WHAT RUSSIA DID IN 2016.
RUSSIA TRIED TO COVER IT UP BY
CONCOCTING THIS STORY THAT
BLAMED ANOTHER COUNTRY, THAT
BLAMED UKRAINE FOR DOING THAT,
NOT RUSSIA.
THEY’RE SAYING KILIMNICK WAS
PART OF THAT ON BEHALF OF THE
KREMLIN.
GOT IT.
IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT ALMOST
THE WHOLE REPUBLICAN PARTY UNDER
DONALD TRUMP AND MOST OF THE
CONSERVATIVE MEDIA WORLD IN THIS
COUNTRY WENT FOR THAT HOOK,
LINE, AND SINKER, EVEN THOUGH IT
WAS RUSSIAN DISINFORMATION
DESIGNED TO GET THEM OFF THE
HOOK BY GIVINGDISGUISING THEIR O
ROLE AND BLAMING IT ON SOMEBODY
ELSE.
EVERYBODY WHO WENT ALONG WITH
THAT "IT WAS REALLY UKRAINE,"
YOU WERE PLAYING THE RUSSIAN
BLAME GAME.
GOT IT.
BUT THE OTHER ASSERTION THAT
THEY MAKE THERE, WHICH IS A
BRAND-NEW ASSERTION WE’VE NEVER
HAD FROM THE U.S. GOVERNMENT
BEFORE, ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN
2016, THEY DID NOT NEED TO
INCLUDE THAT TODAY.
BUT THEY DID.
AND IN SO DOING, THEY MADE BIG
NEWS.
I MEAN, WHAT THEY JUST DISCLOSED
HERE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN 2016
WAS, I THINK YOU WOULD CALL IT
THE COLLUSION.
THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN IN
2016 WAS PAUL MANAFORT, RECENTLY
PARDONED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP
AFTER TRUMP LOST REELECTION.
MANAFORT WAS DESCRIBED IN THE
MUELLER REPORT AS HAVING SENT
PRIVATE, NON-PUBLIC, SENSITIVE
CAMPAIGN POLLING DATA, INTERNAL
CAMPAIGN POLLING DATA FROM THE
TRUMP CAMPAIGN TO THIS GUY
KONSTANTIN KILIMNIK TO HELP
TRUMP.
WHY DID PAUL MANAFORT GIVE
KILIMNICK THAT SECRET TRUMP
POLLING DATA IN THE SUMMER OF
2016?
WE DON’T KNOW.
THE MUELLER TEAM DIDN’T EXPLAIN.
THEY DESCRIBED KILIMNICK AS
ASSOCIATED WITH RUSSIAN
INTELLIGENCE BUT THEY NEVER
DESCRIBED WHY MANAFORT WAS
GIVING CAMPAIGN INTELLIGENCE TO
HIM.
THE SENATE COMMITTEE DESCRIBED
KILIMNICK BLUNTLY AS SOMEBODY
WHO WAS A RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE
OFFICER, LET’S JUST CUT TO THE
CHASE.
BUT AS TO WHY TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN
CHAIR WAS GIVING A RUSSIAN
INTELLIGENCE OFFICER SENSITIVE
INTERNAL CAMPAIGN POLLING DATA
DURING THE CAMPAIGN?
THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE SAID THEY COULDN’T
TELL.
QUOTE, ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS
MANAFORT SOUGHT TO SECRETLY
SHARE INTERNAL CAMPAIGN
INFORMATION WITH KILIMNICK.
THE COMMITTEE WAS UNABLE TO
RELIABLY DETERMINE WHY MANAFORT
SHARED INFORMATION WITH
KILIMNICK OR WITH WHOM KILIMNICK
SHARED THAT INFORMATION.
THE COMMITTEE HAD LIMITED
INSIGHT INTO KILIMNICK’S
COMMUNICATIONS WITH MANAFORT OR
TO OTHER INDIVIDUALS ALL OF WHOM
USED COMMUNICATIONS SECURITY
PRACTICES.
IN OTHER WORDS, THESE GUYS ALL
USED ENCRYPTED CHANNELS TO
COMMUNICATE SO WE DON’T HAVE ANY
VISIBILITY INTO IT, WE DON’T
KNOW WHAT KILIMNICK, THIS
RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE AGENT, DID
WITH THE SECRET CAMPAIGN DATA.
WE DON’T KNOW WHO HE PASSED IT
ON TO, IF ANYONE, BECAUSE HE
USED ENCRYPTED CHANNELS.
BUT NOW APPARENTLY WE KNOW.
AND I DON’T KNOW WHY THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION CHOSE TO DISCLOSE
THIS TODAY.
THIS WAS NOT REALLY THE SUBJECT
OF THEIR ANNOUNCEMENTS OTHERWISE
TODAY.
BUT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
THROUGH THIS TREASURY SANCTIONS
LIST TODAY ANNOUNCED BLUNTLY
THAT, YEAH, KONSTANTIN KILIMNIK
IS UNDER INDICTMENT FOR
OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE ALREADY
IN THIS COUNTRY.
YEAH, THERE’S $250,000 REWARD
FOR HIM.
YEAH, HE’S NEWLY SANCTIONED NOW
FOR HIS ROLE IN THE KREMLIN’S
2020 ELECTION INTERFERENCE TO
HELP TRUMP.
BUT, BY THE WAY, WE ALSO FIGURED
OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON THERE
BETWEEN HIM AND THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN BACK IN 2016.
QUOTE, DURING THE 2016
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN,
KILIMNICK PROVIDED THE RUSSIAN
INTELLIGENCE SERVICES WITH
SENSITIVE INFORMATION ON POLLING
AND CAMPAIGN STRATEGY.
WE HAD KNOWN BEFORE THAT THE
TRUMP CAMPAIGN GAVE IT TO HIM.
WE HAD NEVER BEFORE KNOWN WHAT
HE DID WITH IT.
BUT NOW WE KNOW.
THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN GAVE
A RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE OFFICER
THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN’S INTERNAL
STRATEGY AND POLLING DATA.
THAT RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE
OFFICER THEN GAVE IT TO HIS
BOSSES IN THE RUSSIAN
INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES.
AND THAT PRESUMABLY MUST HAVE
BEEN VERY HELPFUL TO THE RUSSIAN
INTELLIGENCE ALLEGATIONS IN
THEIR CONCERTED, CONTEMPORANEOUS
EFFORTS TO TARGET THEIR ATTACKS
ON OUR ELECTION TO THE MAXIMUM
BENEFIT OF CANDIDATE DONALD
TRUMP.
RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE ATTACKED US
IN 2016 TO HELP THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN WIN THAT ELECTION.
WE NOW KNOW THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN
SECRETLY GAVE THEIR OWN DATA TO
RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE IN THE
MIDDLE OF THAT ATTACK, WHICH
AGAIN PRESUMABLY HELPED WHAT THE
RUSSIANS WERE DOING.
AS "THE NEW YORK TIMES" PUTS IT
IN THEIR NEW STORY ON THIS THAT
JUST POSTED TONIGHT, QUOTE, THE
REVELATION, MADE PUBLIC IN A
TREASURY DEPARTMENT DOCUMENT
ANNOUNCING NEW SANCTIONS AGAINST
RUSSIA, ESTABLISHED FOR THE
FIRST TIME THAT THERE WAS A
DIRECT PIPELINE FROM THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN TO RUSSIAN SPIES AT A
TIME WHEN THE KREMLIN WAS
ENGAGED IN A COVERT EFFORT TO
SABOTAGE THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION.
HAVING THE POLLING DATA WOULD
HAVE ALLOWED RUSSIA TO BETTER
UNDERSTAND THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN
STRATEGY INCLUDING WHERE THE
CAMPAIGN WAS FOCUSING RESOURCES
AT A TIME WHEN THE RUSSIAN
GOVERNMENT WAS CARRYING OUT ITS
OWN EFFORTS TO UNDERMINE TRUMP’S
OPPONENTS.
WHAT’S THE DEFINITION OF
COLLUSION AGAIN?
NOT JUST PASSIVELY BENEFITING
FROM SOMEBODY ELSE’S CRIME, BUT
ACTIVELY HELPING THEM COMMIT IT?
IS THAT WHAT WE CALL COLLUSION?
TELL ME MORE ABOUT HOW THE WHOLE
RUSSIA THING IS A HOAX.
I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, IT’S
BEEN A LONG YEAR.