U.S. Department of Justice
Attorney Work Product // May Contain Material Protected Under Fed. R. Crim. P. 6(e)
discussed further below) so that Deripaska would not move forward with his lawsuit against Manafort.[1] Gates further stated that Deripaska wanted a visa to the United States, that Deripaska could believe that having Manafort in a position inside the Campaign or Administration might be helpful to Deripaska, and that Manafort's relationship with Trump could help Deripaska in other ways as well.[2] Gates stated, however, that Manafort never told him anything specific about what, if anything, Manafort might be offering Deripaska.[3]
Gates also reported that Manafort instructed him in April 2016 or early May 2016 to send Kilimnik Campaign internal polling data and other updates so that Kilimnik, in turn, could share it with Ukrainian oligarchs,[4] Gates understood that the information would also be shared with Deripaska.Grand Jury .[5] Gates reported to the Office that he did not know why Manafort wanted him to send polling information, but Gates thought it was a way to showcase Manafort's work, and Manafort wanted to open doors to jobs after the Trump Campaign ended.[6] Gates said that Manafort's instruction included sending internal polling data prepared for the Trump Campaign by pollster Tony Fabrizio.[7] Fabrizio had worked with Manafort for years and was brought into the Campaign by Manafort. Gates stated that, in accordance with Manafort's instruction, he periodically sent Kilimnik polling data via WhatsApp; Gates then deleted the communications on a daily basis.[8] Gates further told the Office that, after Manafort left the Campaign in mid-August, Gates sent Kilimnik polling data less frequently and that the data he sent was more publicly available information and less internal data.[9]
Gates's account about polling data is consistent Grand Jury [10] with multiple emails that Kilimnik sent to U.S. associates and press contacts between late July and mid-August of 2016. Those emails referenced "internal polling," described the status of the Trump Campaign and
- ↑ Gates 2/2/18 302, at 11; Gates 9/27/18 302 (serial 740), at 2.
- ↑ Gates 2/2/18 302, at 12.
- ↑ Gates 2/2/18 302, at 12.
- ↑ Gates 1/31/18 302, at 17; Gates 9/27/18 302 (serial 740), at 2. In a later interview with the Office. Gates stated that Manafort directed him to send polling data to Kilimnik after a May 7, 2016 meeting between Manafort and Kilimnik in New York, discussed in Volume I, Section IV.A.8.b.iii, infra. Gates 11/7/18 302, at 3.
- ↑ Gates 9/27/18 302, Part II, at 2; Grand Jury
- ↑ Gates 2/12/18 302, at 10; Gates 1/31/18 302, at 17.
- ↑ Gates 9/27/18 302 (serial 740), at 2; Gates 2/7/18 302, at 15.
- ↑ Gates 1/31/18 302, at 17.
- ↑ Gates 2/12/18 302, at 11-12, According to Gates, his access to internal polling data was more limited because Fabrizio was himself distanced from the Campaign at that point.
- ↑ Grand Jury
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