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above quite clearly show, at least on the part of certain personnel intimately involved in the matter, a predisposition to open an investigation into Trump.

3. The opening of Crossfire Hurricane

The FBI opened Crossfire Hurricane as a full counterintelligence investigation “to determine whether individual(s) associated with the Trump campaign [were] witting of and/or coordinating activities with the Government of Russia.”[1] The starting point for the Office’s inquiry was to examine what information was known or available to the FBI about any such ties as of July 31, 2016, prior to opening Crossfire Hurricane. That question then divided itself into two related questions: (i) what was the information that predicated the opening of the investigation and (ii) did that information support such an investigation being opened not as an “assessment” or “preliminary” investigation, but from the start as a “full” investigation. In exploring these questions, we determined the following:

a. The information used to predicate Crossfire Hurricane

In March 2016, the Trump campaign identified George Papadopoulos as a foreign policy advisor.[2] Papadopoulos had previously worked as an energy consultant, with a particular focus on projects in the Eastern Mediterranean.[3] At the time of his appointment, Papadopoulos was employed in the United Kingdom at the London Center of International Law Practice.[4] Among Papadopoulos’s acquaintances in London was a diplomat from another country (“Foreign Government-1 Diplomat-1”). Foreign Government-1 Diplomat-1 was familiar with an Australian diplomat (“Australian Diplomat-1”).[5] On May 6, 2016, by prearrangement, Foreign Government-1 Diplomat-1 introduced Papadopoulos to Australian Diplomat-1.[6] On May 10, 2016, Papadopoulos and Australian Diplomat-1 met again, and this time they were joined by

  1. ↑ FBI-0002784 (FBI EC from Counterintelligence, Re: Crossfire Hurricane dated July 31, 2016 at 3–4) (hereinafter “Crossfire Hurricane Opening EC” or “Opening EC”).
  2. ↑ Missy Ryan & Steven Mufson, One of Trump’s Foreign Policy Advisers Is a 2009 College Grad Who Lists Model UN As a Credential, Wash. Post (Mar. 22, 2016).
  3. ↑ FBI-AAA-02-0019485 (Crossfire Hurricane Papadopoulos Profile dated 08/05/2016); See also SSCI Russia Report, pt. 5, at 471.
  4. ↑ FBI-AAA-02-0019485 (Crossfire Hurricane Papadopoulos Profile dated 08/05/2016); SSCI Russia Report, pt. 5, at 470.
  5. ↑ OSC Report of Interview of Australian Diplomat-1 on Oct. 09, 2019 at 1–2; SSCI Russia Report, pt. 5, at 487.
  6. ↑ OSC Report of Interview of Australian Diplomat-1 on Oct. 09, 2019 at 2; FBI-0002775 (FBI interview of Australian diplomats dated Aug. 11, 2016 at 1–2) (hereinafter “Australia 302”).

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