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WSJ: Key Claims in Trump Dossier Said to Come From Head of Russian-US Business Group

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C

chadskin

Member
Some of the most explosive parts of a dossier containing unverified allegations that President Donald Trump had secret ties to Russian leaders originated from the Belarus-born head of a Russian-American business group, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Sergei Millian, a 38-year-old American citizen who has claimed he helped market Trump properties to Russian buyers, wasn't a direct source for the 35-page dossier, this person said. Rather, his statements about the Trump-Russia relationship were relayed by at least one third party to the British ex-spy who prepared the dossier, the person said.

Among the unverified allegations of Mr. Millian's that an intermediary passed along, the person said: The claim that the Russians had compromising video of Mr. Trump that could be used to blackmail him, and a claim that there was a ”conspiracy of cooperation" between the Trump camp and Russian leadership that involved hacking the computers of Mr. Trump's Democratic opponents.
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Mr. Millian, who posted photos of himself at several VIP events at the Trump inauguration last week, said in an email that the information in the dossier was ”fake news (created by sick minds)," and was ”an attempt to distract the future president from real work."

Mr. Millian didn't respond to a long list of other questions, including whether he was a source for the dossier.

Michael Cohen, a Trump Organization executive vice president who is resigning to become Mr. Trump's personal attorney, said he was baffled by the idea that Mr. Millian could have been a source for claims in the dossier about events, such as a 2013 Moscow hotel stay, that he had nothing to do with.

Mr. Cohen said ”there is not an ounce of truth" to Mr. Millian's claims to have had a relationship with Mr. Trump or the Trump Organization. Mr. Millian had met Mr. Trump once, at a photo op, Mr. Cohen said.

Mr. Millian may not have realized he was feeding information to anyone acting on behalf of the ex-spy. In the dossier, the source believed to be Mr. Millian is referred to at various times as both Source D and Source E and is cited as somebody ”speaking in confidence to a compatriot" or ”speaking in confidence to a trusted associate."

This is a common technique among spies, according to a former CIA case officer, who said ”it makes it a lot easier to get your target to open up if they think they are talking to somebody of the same background."

Secondhand intelligence like that typically would need to be corroborated, said John Sipher, another former CIA official. ”You would use that information as a lead, to find other sources who could prove that or not prove that." Another concern: the target and the intermediary could be colluding to provide false information.

The dossier states that some of the key assertions Mr. Millian made were backed up by other sources, also unnamed.
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As for his relationship with Mr. Trump, Mr. Millian early last year told a Russian news agency that he had first met the future president in 2007, at the Moscow Millionaire Fair, after ”common acquaintances of ours" arranged Mr. Trump's trip. Mr. Millian said Mr. Trump then invited him to meet at a Florida racetrack and, later, at Mr. Trump's New York office ”where he introduced me to his right-hand man, Michael Cohen."

Later, in a 2009 newsletter, Mr. Millian claimed that he had ”formal agreements" with the Trump Organization to service the real estate needs of Russian clients.

Mr. Cohen said Mr. Trump didn't go to Moscow in 2007, and that the Trump Organization never had any agreement with Mr. Millian. He also said he had never met Mr. Millian in person, but instead had exchanged a few emails after Mr. Millian got in touch with him via LinkedIn.

After media reports focused on Mr. Millian last summer as a link between Mr. Trump and Russia, Mr. Millian began distancing himself. There had been ”quite negative press related to Russia so I don't want to be involved," Mr. Millian told The Daily Beast in September, adding that ”I didn't represent him personally ever" but merely worked on some Trump projects.

Mike Costache, a friend of Mr. Millian who attended inaugural events with him last week, said ”there's a confidentiality clause there. When all this happened, he wasn't allowed to speak, because he was going to get sued by Trump's lawyers."
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http://www.wsj.com/articles/key-cla...ian-american-business-group-source-1485253804

More on Sergei Millian on MotherJones: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/01/donald-trump-russia-sergei-millian
 
Y

yanipheonu

Member
I just contemplated Trump being impeached, kicking and screaming the whole way. It was pretty fun. Hopefully it makes it's way to reality.
 
A

Abstruse Moose

Member
How much evidence would the intelligence community need to charge the Trump camp with treason? It feels like that's where we're heading.
 
L

Lord Fagan

Junior Member
Abstruse Moose said:
How much evidence would the intelligence community need to charge the Trump camp with treason? It feels like that's where we're heading.
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Given the current climate where the parties can't seem to agree on the terms to discuss photo comparisons of groups of people, I think you'd have to have whistleblowers actually confessing and pointing fingers in exchange for immunity. Then you know it's a full on, legit -gate.
 
M

Morts

Member
As far as I can tell this just identifies a secondary source, it doesn't actually lend more credence to the allegations? I hope I'm wrong.
 
W

woodland

Member
Saw this today and thought of the GAF thread, would love to know more about their sources.

Find it funny how the comments are "what a hit piece, unsubscribing", but then they always are.
 
D

daveo42

Banned
Missed the original thread, but damn...that's insane. I agree that nothing will come from this, but there is a ton of rumors out there about Trump and his ties to Russia. They might be benign for all we know, but the amount of smoke about it seems to point there's some credibility behind it.

RPGCrazied said:
Won't matter. Trump controls the CIA and FBI now.
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That's not how this works.

SwiftDeath said:
Huh you know having also been I think a Top 10 referral site for Clinton, I wonder if Trump's team will cyber Gaf
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Come on. I wouldn't wish cyber from Trump on anyone. Nobody wants that.
 
Luschient

Luschient

Member
iRAWRasaurus said:
Are we the target now?!? When are the Russians coming to get all of us?!
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raw
 
J

jellies_two

Member
Giganteus said:
..That's..not how it works, thankfully.
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It is how many people think though, I am copy pasting this from another site I moderate. It is a response to an explanation of a moderation decision they didn't like.

"Outside of this site/forum, it appears that Trump is right. He is now President of the most powerful nation in the entire world."
 
Y

yanipheonu

Member
jellies_two said:
It is how many people think though, I am copy pasting this from another site I moderate. It is a response to an explanation of a moderation decision they didn't like.

"Outside of this site/forum, it appears that Trump is right. He is now President of the most powerful nation in the entire world."
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"That's not how truth works."
 
RPGCrazied

RPGCrazied

Member
Giganteus said:
..That's..not how it works, thankfully.
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daveo42 said:
Missed the original thread, but damn...that's insane. I agree that nothing will come from this, but there is a ton of rumors out there about Trump and his ties to Russia. They might be benign for all we know, but the amount of smoke about it seems to point there's some credibility behind it.



That's not how this works.



Come on. I wouldn't wish cyber from Trump on anyone. Nobody wants that.
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So he can still get in trouble?

696669786935672.gif
 
N

Nafai1123

Banned
So Millian tells some confidante about this stuff and then when it comes out in the dossier he calls it fake news? LMAO
 
S

sphagnum

Banned
Nafai1123 said:
So Millian tells some confidante about this stuff and then when it comes out in the dossier he calls it fake news? LMAO
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Yeah, it's either one of two things. He was told by Russia to provide disinformation or he's an idiot who was having some laughs ("Can you believe Trump did this?!") not realizing word would get out.
 
L

Lowmelody

Member
chadskin said:
Mr. Cohen said ”there is not an ounce of truth" to Mr. Millian's claims to have had a relationship with Mr. Trump or the Trump Organization. Mr. Millian had met Mr. Trump once, at a photo op, Mr. Cohen said.
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Mr. Cohen said Mr. Trump didn't go to Moscow in 2007, and that the Trump Organization never had any agreement with Mr. Millian. He also said he had never met Mr. Millian in person, but instead had exchanged a few emails after Mr. Millian got in touch with him via LinkedIn.
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So which is it?

ah, Cohen it seems. nvm
 
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