A Top Trump Campaign Official Requested Proposals in 2016 from an Israeli Company to create Fake Online Identities, to use Social Media Manipulation and to gather Intelligence to help Defeat Republican Primary Opponents and Hillary Clinton in the General Election, according to Interviews and Copies of the Proposals.
The Trump Campaign’s interest in the Work began as Russians were Escalating their effort to Aid Trump. Though the Israeli Company’s Pitches were narrower than Moscow’s Interference Campaign and appear Unconnected, Documents show that a Senior Trump Aide saw the Promise of a Disruption effort to Swing Voters in Trump’s Favor.
The Campaign Official, Rick Gates, sought One Proposal to use Bogus Personas to Target and Sway 5,000 Delegates to the 2016 Republican National Convention by Attacking Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. Another Proposal describes Opposition Research and “complementary intelligence activities” about Mrs. Clinton and People Close to her, according to Copies of the Proposals and Interviews with Four People involved in Creating the Documents.
A Third Proposal by the Company, Psy-Group, which is Staffed by former Israeli Intelligence Operatives, sketched out a months long Plan to help Trump by using Social Media to help Expose or Amplify Division among Rival Campaigns and Factions. The Proposals, part of what Psy-Group called “Project Rome,” used Code Names to identify the Players, Trump was “Lion” and Mrs. Clinton was “Forest.” Cruz, who Trump Campaign Officials feared might lead a Revolt over the Republican Presidential Nomination, was “Bear.”
Also an Israeli Company drew up Digital Manipulation Proposals for a Trump Campaign Aide.
There is No Evidence that the Trump Campaign acted on the Proposals, and Gates ultimately was Uninterested in Psy-Group’s work, a Person with Knowledge of the Discussions said, in part because other Campaign Aides were Developing a Social Media Strategy. Psy-Group’s Owner, Joel Zamel, did meet in August 2016 with Donald Trump Jr., Trump’s eldest son.
Investigators working for Robert S. Mueller III, the Special Counsel Investigating Russia’s Campaign to Disrupt the 2016 Election and whether any Trump Associates Conspired, have obtained Copies of the Proposals and Questioned Psy-Group Employees.
The scope of the Social Media Campaigns, essentially a Broad effort to Sow Disinformation among Republican Delegates and General Election Voters, was more Extensive than the Work typically done by Campaign Operatives to spread the Candidate’s Message on Digital Platforms. The Proposal to gather Information about Mrs. Clinton and her Aides has Elements of Traditional Opposition Research, but it also contains Cryptic Language that suggests using Clandestine means to Build “intelligence dossiers”.
Gates first heard about Psy-Group’s work during a March 2016 Meeting at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel along the Washington Waterfront with George Birnbaum, a Republican Consultant with Close Ties to Current and Former Israeli Government Officials. Gates had joined the Trump Campaign days earlier with Paul Manafort, his longtime Business Partner, to try to Prevent a Revolt of Republican Delegates from Trump toward Cruz.
According to Birnbaum, Gates expressed Interest during that Meeting in using Social Media Influence and Manipulation as a Campaign Tool, most immediately to try to sway Republican Delegates toward Trump.
“He was interested in finding the technology to achieve what they were looking for,” Birnbaum said in an Interview. Through a Lawyer, Gates Declined to Comment. A Person familiar with Gates’s Account of the Meeting said that Birnbaum first raised the Topic of Hiring an Outside Firm to Conduct the Social Media campaign.
Former Trump Campaign Official, Rick Gates, pleaded Guilty in the Special Counsel's Case against him and former Trump Campaign Chairman Paul Manafort. Gates has been Accused in Multiple Indictments of Charges including Bank Fraud, Lying to Investigators, Money Laundering, and Failing to Register as a Foreign Agent. After agreeing to Cooperate, Gates pleaded Guilty to just Two Counts: One Count of Conspiracy against the United States, and One Count of making a False Statement. but these Two Counts covered the all of the Original Counts.
According to the Sentencing Guidelines, Gates could face nearly Six years in Prison. But the Special Counsel could Petition the Court to Reduce his Sentencing Time based on his Cooperation with Investigators.
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