Carter Page on His Russian Contacts

Quotes by Carter Page on His Russian Contacts During the 2016 Election

THEN
NOW


Sept 2016 - Feb 2017
March - Nov 2017

Carter Page Russian Contacts Then
Carter Page Russian Contacts Now


#CarterPage 9/25/16: "I have not met this year with any sanctioned official in Russia." » #Page 7/16: "❲The Deputy Russian Prime Minister❳ expressed strong support for Mr. Trump ❲to me in Moscow❳." Click To Tweet

Quotes by Carter Page on His Russian Contacts During the 2016 Election

THEN

Sept 2016 - Feb 2017

Carter Page Russian Contacts Then
“I have not met this year with any sanctioned official in
Russia
despite the fact that there are no restrictions on U.S. persons speaking with such individuals.”
- Sept 25, 2016

Letter to FBI Director James Comey

Carter Page (via Just Security), Sept. 25, 2016
Carter Page letter to James Comey, Sept. 25, 2016 (pdf)

(retrieved 6/23/18)
“I had no meetings [with Russian officials in 2016]. No meetings. I might have said hello to a few people as they were walking by me at my graduation — the graduation speech that I gave in July, but no meetings.”
- Feb 15, 2017

PBS Newshour interview

PBS, Feb 15, 2017
Former Trump adviser says he had no Russian meetings in the last year

(retrieved 6/23/18)
starts at 5:27

NOW

March - Nov 2017

Carter Page Russian Contacts Now
“I’m not going to deny that I talked with [the Russian ambassador], although I will say I never met him anywhere outside of Cleveland [at the 2016 Republican National Convention].”
March 2, 2017 -

All In With Chris Hayes interview

MSNBC (via Internet Archive), March 2, 2017
All In With Chris Hayes MSNBC March 2, 2017

(retrieved 6/23/18)
starts at 1:05

“Any discussions I had [with Kremin-connected Russian oil executive Andrey Baranov] was just about two old friends getting together to have a chat, you know, just kind of reconnecting.”
Nov 2, 2017 -

House Intelligence Committee hearing

House Intelligence Committee (via Internet Archive), Nov. 2, 2017
Full text of 'Testimony of Carter Page Before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence'

(retrieved 6/23/18)

In November, 2017, the House Intelligence Committee released these communications from Page to members of the Trump campaign in July, 2016 (the FBI obtained them in a seizure):

“In a private conversation [in Moscow the Russian Deputy Prime Minister] expressed strong support for Mr. Trump and a desire to work together and a desire to work together toward devising better solutions in response to the vast range of current international problems.”
(released Nov 2017) July, 2016 -

Communication to the Trump campaign obtained by the FBI

House Intelligence Committee (via Internet Archive), Nov 2, 2017
Full text of 'Testimony of Carter Page Before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence'

(retrieved 6/23/18)
“I’ll send you guys a readout soon regarding some incredible insights and outreach I’ve received from a few Russian legislators and senior members of the [Russian] Presidential administration.”
(released Nov 2017) July 8, 2016 -

Communication to the Trump campaign obtained by the FBI

House Intelligence Committee (via Internet Archive), Nov 2, 2017
Full text of 'Testimony of Carter Page Before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence'

(retrieved 6/23/18)


#CarterPage 2/15/17: "I had no meetings ❲with Russia officials❳." » Page 3/2/17: "I talked with ❲the Russian ambassador at the Republican National Convention❳." #TrumpRussia Click To Tweet


Context: Page’s Russian Connections

On March 2, 2017, USA Today reported that Carter Page spoke with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the July, 2016, Republican National Convention.1USA Today, March 2, 2017
Exclusive: Two other Trump advisers also spoke with Russian envoy during GOP convention
retrieved 6/23/18
Page confirmed the report that evening on “All In With Chris Hayes”.2MSNBC (via Internet Archive), March 2, 2017
All In With Chris Hayes MSNBC March 2, 2017
retrieved 6/23/18

On November 2, 2017, Page testified before the House Intelligence Committee that he informed several campaign officials, including then-campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and senior campaign adviser Jeff Sessions, of his upcoming trip to Moscow in early July, 2016. Page said Lewandowski approved the trip provided he did not go as a Trump campaign adviser.3House Intelligence Committee (via Internet Archive), Nov. 2, 2017
Full text of ‘Testimony of Carter Page Before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence’
retrieved 6/23/18
(Sessions later testified under oath that he did not recall Page’s informing him of his Moscow trip.4CNN, Nov. 14, 2017
Transcript: Continuing Coverage of House Judiciary Hearing. November 14, 2017
retrieved 6/23/18

During the hearing Page was asked about communications he had with members of the Trump campaign regarding his Moscow trip that he failed to provide to the House Intelligence Committee under subpoena (the FBI obtained them in a seizure). Shortly after his return from Moscow Page sent a memo to the Trump campaign wherein he wrote that he had a private conversation with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkadiy Dvorkovich:

“In a private conversation, Dvorkovich expressed strong support for Mr. Trump and a desire to work together toward devising better solutions in response to the vast range of current international problems.”

– Carter Page to Trump campaign, July, 20165House Intelligence Committee (via Internet Archive), Nov 2, 2017
Full text of “Testimony of Carter Page Before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence”
retrieved 6/23/18

Page then acknowledged that he met Dvorkovich for “well less than 10 seconds.” He also acknowledged that he with other Russian government officials while in Moscow as well, all of which he characterized as “greetings and brief conversations” and “in passing.” Page’s acknowledgements are in conflict with his September 25, 2016, statement to FBI Director James Comey that he did not meet with Russian officials while in Russia.

Page was also asked about an email that he sent on July 8, 2016, to Trump campaign members Tera Dahl and J.D. Gordon, wherein he wrote:

“I’ll send you guys a readout soon regarding some incredible insights and outreach I’ve received from a few Russian legislators and senior members of the [Russian] Presidential administration.”

– Carter Page to Trump campaign, July 8, 20166House Intelligence Committee (via Internet Archive), Nov 2, 2017
Full text of “Testimony of Carter Page Before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence”
retrieved 6/23/18

In response Page said he was referring to speeches that he’d heard while in Moscow.7House Intelligence Committee (via Internet Archive), Nov 2, 2017
Full text of “Testimony of Carter Page Before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence”
retrieved 6/23/18

During questioning Page was also asked if while in Moscow he met with Igor Sechin, the president of the giant Russian state-run Rosneft oil company, as Christopher Steele had reported in the Steele Dossier. Carter testified that he did not but under further questioning acknowledged that he did meet with Andrey Baranov, Rosneft’s head of investor relations, whom Carter characterized as an “old friend”:

“Any discussions I had [with Baranov] was just about two old friends getting together to have a chat, you know, just kind of reconnecting… In terms of anything sanctions-related, we never got into those types of specifics in any way, shape, or form.”

– Carter Page, Nov 2, 20178House Intelligence Committee (via Internet Archive), Nov 2, 2017
Full text of “Testimony of Carter Page Before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence”
retrieved 6/23/18

The Russian government is the majority stakeholder in Rosneft, and Sechin is a close Vladimir Putin associate. The US Treasury Department sanctioned Rosneft after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.9CNN, Nov. 8, 2017
Carter Page reveals new contacts with Trump campaign, Russians
retrieved 6/23/18