Most Americans favor independent inquiry into Trump campaign’s Russia ties, poll shows

Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that some “patriotic” individuals may have engaged in hacking in the U.S. election, but continues to deny government involvement. After President Barack Obama announced sanctions on Russian spy agencies and expelled 35 diplomats, Putin declined to immediately retaliate, drawing praise from President-elect Donald Trump. On Jan. 17, 2017, Putin took a parting shot at the Obama administration, accusing it of trying to undermine Trump’s election and calling a dossier alleging Russian spy agencies collected compromising material on Trump as “nonsense.” After a report that Trump revealed classified information in a May 10 meeting with Russian diplomats, Putin offered to turn over to Congress records of the discussion. In a June 2017 interview with NBC’s Megyn Kelly, Putin dismissed as “a load of nonsense” that Russia has damaging information on Trump. After 13 Russians were indicted by the United States in February 2018 for election-meddling, Putin insisted they didn’t act on behalf of his government. Putin won re-election as Russian president on March 18, 2018, and received a phone call from Trump, congratulating him on the victory.

Donald Trump raised eyebrows throughout the presidential campaign with his praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin, even saying he was more of a leader than President Barack Obama during a national security forum. At the third presidential debate, Hillary Clinton called Trump Putin’s “puppet,” to which Trump fired back, “you’re the puppet.” After the election, U.S. intelligence officials presented Trump with unsubstantiated claims that Russia had amassed compromising personal and financial allegations about him. Trump’s decision not to release his taxes also has left questions about possible financial ties that he and his company may have with Russian oligarchs. On May 9, 2017, Trump abruptly fired FBI Director James Comey, who was leading the counterintelligence investigation into Russia’s effort to sway the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Trump initially said the firing was necessary to restore “public trust and confidence” in the FBI. A few days later, he told NBC he was thinking of “this Russia thing” when deciding to fire Comey. According to White House officials, Trump’s anger with James Comey had been boiling over for weeks over Comey’s Congressional testimonies concerning the Russia investigation, sources said. Comey’s prepared remarks to the Senate Intelligence Committee described Trump seeking his “loyalty” and asking him to help “lift the cloud” of the Russia investigation. As the Russia investigation gained steam, Trump railed against the media, calling for investigation of “Fake News Networks.” He also called for investigation of Hillary Clinton and Democrats for their involvement in funding research that led to the highly publicized “dossier.” Trump’s demands that the Justice Department and FBI investigate his political opponents drew criticism as a breach of political boundaries.

Former FBI director Robert Mueller was appointed by the Justice Department as special counsel to lead an investigation into the ties between the Trump campaign and Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Mueller’s appointment earned bipartisan praise from Congress. Muller took over a separate criminal probe involving former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, and looked at expanding his inquiry to investigate the roles of the attorney general and deputy attorney general in the firing of FBI Director James Comey, The Associated Press reported. Mueller recruited Justice Department deputy solicitor general Michael Dreeben, one of the top criminal law specialists, to assist in the investigation. His office cast a broad net, requesting records and email correspondence from the White House that span 13 categories identified as critical to their probe. On Oct. 30, Mueller’s investigation entered a new phase, bringing charges against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manfort and two other aides, Rick Gates and George Papadopoulos. Also in fall 2017, Mueller reached a plea deal with former Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Flynn pled guilty to a single count of lying to the FBI in exchange for his cooperation as a witness. In February 2018, Mueller brought a federal indictment against 13 Russians for meddling in the election through a social media trolling campaign. On Feb. 22, Mueller ratcheted up pressure on Manafort and Gates, filing new charges. The next day, Gates pled guilty, offering his cooperation in the probe.

Michael Flynn was a loyal Donald Trump supporter during the campaign, but his ties to Russia came to the forefront as he was named national security adviser. Flynn was paid in 2015 to attend a gala dinner for the television network Russia Today, where he sat next to Vladimir Putin. Flynn resigned as President Trump’s national security adviser Feb. 13, 2017, after reports that he misled White House colleagues, including Vice President Mke Pence, about conversations he had with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Flynn had initially said that he did not discuss sanctions with Kislyak, but later conceded that the issue may have come up. Flynn also had denied to FBI agents in an interview in January that he discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia, contradicting communications captured by U.S. intelligence agencies. In March, Flynn offered to cooperate with congressional investigators in exchange for immunity from prosecution. In May, McClatchy news service reported that when Flynn was still national security adviser, he blocked a military plan against the Islamic State that was opposed by Turkey. Flynn had not disclosed that he had been paid more than $500,000 to lobby on behalf of Turkey. Late in May, Flynn agreed to provide documents to the Senate intelligence committee. Flynn had previously invoked his Fifth Amendment rights in declining an earlier subpoena. In September, those familiar with the probe revealed that the lobbying activities of Flynn’s son, Michael G. Flynn, were being examined by the special counsel. Flynn reached a plea deal with investigators, pleading guilty on Dec. 1 to a single count of lying to the FBI. In exchange, Flynn agreed to share what he knows with investigators.

Paul Manafort served as campaign chairman for Donald Trump, taking primary control when campaign manager Corey Lewandowski was fired in June 2016. Two months later, Manafort would be ousted when emails obtained by The Associated Press shed new light on the activities of his lobbying firm. They show it directly orchestrated a covert Washington lobbying operation on behalf of Ukraine’s ruling political party, attempting to sway American public opinion in favor of the country’s pro-Russian government. Manafort and his deputy, Rick Gates, never disclosed their work as foreign agents as required under federal law. In February 2017, the New York Times reported that Manafort had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence officials during the year before the election. In March 2017, the Associated Press reported that Manafort secretly worked for Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska to advance the interest of Russian President Vladmir Putin a decade ago, contradicting assertions from the Trump campaign. More recently, U.S. Treasury agents were reported to be investigating Manafort’s banking transactions in the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus, once known as a haven for money laundering by Russian billionaires. On June 2, The Associated Press reported that Robert Mueller, appointed as special counsel in the Russia investigation, had taken over the Justice Department’s separate criminal investigation into Manafort. On Oct. 30, Manafort and Gates were indicted on a total of 12 counts of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering in a financial scheme that ran from 2006 to 2017. Both pleaded not guilty to the charges. On Feb. 22, 2018, a new 32-count indictment was filed against Manafort and Gates. Gates pled guilty the next day. Manafort continues to fight the charges.

Rick Gates is a political consultant and lobbyist with longtime ties to Paul Manafort and served as his deputy when Manafort became campaign manager for Donald Trump. Gates remained with the campaign after Manafort was forced out. He has been seen inside the White House on a number of occasions, helped plan Trump’s inauguration and was involved in a nonprofit organization, America First Policies, to back the White House agenda. On Oct. 31, Gates and Manafort were indicted on a total of 12 counts of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering in a financial scheme that ran from 2006 to 2017. Both pleaded not guilty to the charges. On Feb. 22, Gates and Manafort were hit with a new 32-count indictment. The next day, Gates pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy and false-statements charges, switching from defendant to cooperating witness in the special counsel’s probe of Trump’s campaign and Russia’s election interference.

This undated image posted on his Linkedin profile shows George Papadopoulos posing on a street of London. Former Trump campaign aide, George Papadopoulos, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his Kremlin-related contacts, and more specifically on a Moscow-linked professor who was offering “dirt” on Trump’s election rival Hillary Clinton. In March 2018, Papadopoulos married his sweetheart, Italian attorney Simona Mangiante, in Chicago. Read the indictment against Papadopoulos.

Jeff Sessions became the first sitting U.S. senator to endorse Donald Trump, declaring his support in the early months of the primary on Feb. 28, 2016. After the election, Trump went on to nominate Sessions as attorney general. Sessions was narrowly confirmed after a contentious confirmation hearing that would echo in the weeks to come. Sessions said he would recuse himself from any investigations related to the 2016 presidential campaign after reports that he twice met with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the campaign. He failed to disclose the meetings to the Senate Judiciary Committee during his confirmation hearing in January. In May, reports came out that Sessions did not reveal the meetings when he applied for his security clearance. Sessions’ role in the firing of FBI Director James Comey could be brought into the investigation being conducted by Robert Mueller, who was appointed special counsel by the Justice Department. In July, Trump blasted Sessions for recusing himself from the Russia investigation, saying he would not have appointed him attorney general if he knew Sessions would step aside. At a Senate hearing in October, Sessions frustrated Democrats by refusing to say what Trump told him before Comey’s firing. During late 2017 and early 2018, Sessions continued to be the target of his president’s attacks over his handling of the Department of Justice.

James Comey was appointed FBI director in September 2013 by President Barack Obama. He drew widespread criticism from his handling of the Hillary Clinton email controversy – from Republicans for exonerating her criminally and from Democrats for his unusual public statements during the campaign. On May 3, 2017, Comey testified on Capital Hill that he’d felt “mildly nauseous” to think he might have tipped the results of the election, but said he would make the same decision. Comey was dismissed as FBI director by President Donald Trump on May 9, 2017, releasing a memo criticizing his handling of the Clinton investigation. In an interview later that week with NBC’s Lester Holt, Trump said he was thinking of “this Russia thing” when he decided to fire Comey. A week later, reporting revealed private notes Comey had taken after meeting with Trump that described Trump asking the FBI to drop its probe into former national security adviser Michael Flynn. In advance of his June 8, 2017 testimony before the Senate intelligence committee, Comey’s prepared testimony was released, stating that Trump repeatedly pressed him for his “loyalty” and asked his help to “lift the cloud” of the Russia investigation.

Former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe took over as acting director of the agency after Donald Trump fired James Comey as FBI director. At a Senate hearing in May, McCabe rejected the Trump White House’s characterization of the Russian meddling probe as a low priority and delivered a passionate defense of Comey. McCabe became the target of attacks by Trump and his allies. House Democrats and Republicans clashed over testimony he made before the House Intelligence Committee. A conversation McCabe had with Trump where Trump asked him who he voted for is of interest to Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Under fire from the White House, McCabe announced that he would retire from the FBI in March, but Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired him before he could retire with his pension.

Russia’s ambassador to the U.S., Sergey Kislyak, has found himself in the spotlight after details emerged of contacts he had with Donald Trump’s campaign team. Among those meeting or talking with Kislyak were then-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, who advised the Trump campaign on foreign affairs, and Michael Flynn, then Trump’s incoming national security adviser. A White House official said President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner also met with Kislyak in December. In July, Kislyak met with Trump advisers Carter Page and J.D. Gordon after a Republican convention-related event at Case Western Reserve University. Kislyak reported to his superiors in Moscow that during the presidential transition, Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner attempted to set up a secret communications channel between the transition and the Kremlin. Kislyak and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with Trump in the Oval Office in May. Later, it was revealed that Trump revealed highly classified intelligence about the Islamic State during the meeting.

Christopher Steele, a former British intelligence officer, emerged with reports of an explosive and unproven dossier he compiled on Donald Trump’s purported activities in Russia before he was elected president. Intelligence officials believed the sources were credible enough to warrant inclusion of their claims in a report on Russian interference in the presidential campaign. Both President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump were briefed on the contents of the dossier. After going into hiding in January, Steele has returned to work and spoke to the media for the first time on March 7, 2017, in London. In January 2018, the transcript of Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson’s interview with the Senate Judiciary Committee was released by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Calif., shedding more light on Steele’s work on the dossier.

Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon was first a cheerleader of the Trump campaign as executive chairman of the right-wing Breitbart News. In August 2016, Bannon was chosen to lead the Trump campaign. After Trump’s victory, Bannon was named a top White House aide. Bannon left the White House in August 2017 after a tumultuous time that was partially documented in Michael Wolff’s book “Fire and Fury.” Bannon was subpoenaed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller in January 2018 to testify before the grand jury. In February, Bannon was interrogated for 20 hours by Mueller’s investigators. Meanwhile, members of the House intelligence committee were frustrated that Bannon declined to answer some of lawmakers’ questions, despite a subpoena.

Donald Trump Jr. is interviewed by host Sean Hannity on his Fox News Channel television program, in New York Tuesday, July 11, 2017 after revelations emerged about a meeting he had during the presidential campaign. President Donald Trump’s eldest son eagerly accepted help from what was described to him as a Russian government effort to aid his father’s campaign with damaging information about Hillary Clinton, according to emails he released publicly. The Senate Judiciary Committee later announced that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Trump Jr., had agreed to turn over documents and speak to panel members behind closed doors as part of its ongoing probe into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election. The Russian lawyer who met with Trump Jr., Natalia Veselnitskaya, later said he indicated the Magnitsky law that punished Russian officials could be re-examined if his father won the election.

In this July 11, 2017, photo, Natalia Veselnitskaya speaks to journalists in Moscow, Russia. The Russian lawyer at the center of the June 2016 meeting with Donald Trump Jr. is known for her work trying to roll back U.S. sanctions on Russia. But Veselnitskaya was on the radar of American officials long before revelations about the meeting emerged. Government and legal documents show officials have tried to seize her emails and at times denied her entry into the U.S. Veselnitskaya said she met with Trump Jr. to press her client’s interest in the Magnitsky Act, a wide-ranging Russian sanctions bill. Veselnitskaya later said said she’s ready to testify before the U.S. Senate and “clarify the situation behind this mass hysteria.”

Alex van der Zwaan leaves Federal District Court in Washington, Feb. 20, 2018. The attorney formally pleaded guilty to a single charge of making false statements. He admitted he lied to federal investigators working for special counsel Robert Mueller. The charge does not involve election meddling or relate to the Trump campaign’s operations. It stems from a part of the special counsel’s investigation into Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chair, and Rick Gates, a former campaign aide and longtime business associate of Manafort.

Former Trump campaign aide Sam Nunberg leaves the U.S. District Courthouse on March 9, 2018 in Washington. Nunberg appeared before a grand jury as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe. Nunberg, who had previously been interviewed by Mueller’s investigators, was subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury. That prompted a day of cable news interviews where Nunberg said he would defy the subpoena. Nunberg eventually relented and spent more than six hours inside the federal courthouse in Washington. He declined to speak with journalists on the way in or out of the building, and it was not immediately clear what testimony he offered to the grand jury or what documents he provided.

Long before he was named secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, as CEO of ExxonMobil, established a relationship with Russia and Vladimir Putin through years of deal-making. In 2013, Putin awarded Tillerson the Order of Friendship. In 2014, Tillerson had argued against sanctions that the U.S. and European allies had imposed on Russia after the annexation of Crimea. In his confirmation hearing, Tillerson called Russia a “danger” to the U.S., but he would not call Putin a war criminal. In July, Tillerson said that during Trump’s first face-to-face meeting with him, Putin denied election meddling and Trump said the two countries shoud find ways to move forward. Over time Tillerson developed a more hard-line posture toward Moscow than Trump. He appeared to break with the White House by singling out Russia as responsible for a poisoning attack in Great Britan. A short time later, Tillerson was fired as Secretary of State by Trump

Keith Schiller was the longtime bodyguard of Donald Trump who became deputy assistant to the president and director of Oval Office operations. He left the White House in September, frustrated by the limits that new chief of staff John Kelly set on access to the president, according to White House aides. The House Intelligence Committee called Schiller to appear for an interview about allegations in the 35-page dossier that Russian officials obtained compromising information about Trump’s personal behavior when he visited Moscow for the 2013 Miss Universe pageant, according to people familiar with the investigation.

Worth an estimated $2.9 billion, Wilbur Ross has extensive business ties around the globe. As part of his ethics agreement, Ross will divest from the private equity firm he founded. He was confirmed by the Senate after a confirmation hearing where senators from both political parties were largely deferential. Questions did, however, arise about his ownership of a bank on Cyprus that did business with wealthy Russians. In November 2017, newly leaked documents show that Ross had a stake in a company that does business with gas producer partly owned by Vladimir Putin’s son-in-law Kirill Shamalov.