Trump-Russia tale began with simple ‘Internet phone book’ search

WASHINGTON, D.C. — They let their cyber fingers do the strolling.

Opposition analysis that discovered a since-debunked again channel between Donald Trump and Russia acquired began with a simple search of the title Trump within the “phone ebook of the web.”

The misguided origin of the purported Russia-Trump cyber connection was revealed in a doc entered into evidence at the trial of former Hillary Clinton marketing campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann.

The eight-page report, titled “White Paper #1 — Auditable V3,” claims that on July 28, 2016, a search of the worldwide Domain Name System — also referred to as the “phonebook of the web” — yielded 1,933 outcomes containing the phrase “Trump.”

Another search turned up 3,352 domains registered by the Trump Organization, together with “trump-email.com,” which was then linked to an e mail server named “mail1.trump-email.com” that confirmed “anomalous information,” in keeping with the doc.

Special counsel John Durham, whom Attorney General William Barr appointed in 2019 to probe the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation.
Ron Sachs – CNP

The white paper additional asserted that between May 4 and Sept. 4, 2016, the vast majority of on-line lookups for mail1.trump-email.com got here from IP addresses registered or linked to Russia’s Alfa-Bank, together with an “unusually configured server” run by the Spectrum Health system in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

“The solely believable rationalization for this server configuration is that it reveals the Trump Organization and Alfa Bank to be utilizing a number of layers of safety with a view to obfuscate their appreciable current e mail site visitors,” in keeping with the report’s “findings.”

Sussmann, 57, is charged with lying to the government by denying that he wasn’t “performing on behalf of any consumer” when he gave White Paper #1 and different materials to then-FBI common counsel James Baker on Sept. 19, 2016, in keeping with an indictment obtained final yr by particular counsel John Durham.

Michael Sussmann arrives for court in a grey suit, white shirt and blue tie, while carrying a black briefcase.
Michael Sussmann arrives for court docket on Wednesday.
Ron Sachs – CNP

During opening statements in DC federal court docket Tuesday, prosecutor Deborah Brittain Shaw accused Sussmann of engaging in “a plan to create an October shock on the eve of the presidential election.”

Shaw additionally instructed jurors that an FBI investigation of the fabric Sussmann gave Baker discovered it merely concerned a “spam e mail server” used for advertising functions.

FBI agent Scott Hellmann testified Monday that he disagreed with the conclusions in White Paper #1, saying they “weren’t supported by the technical information.”

A headshot of April Lorentzen, who has medium-length brown hair and is wearing a light blue bottun down.
April Lorenzen, the information scientist who reportedly “assembled” Sussmann’s information.
m3aawg.org

Hellman was additionally questioned by the protection about an electronic mail by which he instructed an FBI colleague that the report “feels slightly 51-50ish,” utilizing a slang time period that refers to psychological sickness.

“I believed maybe the one that drafted this doc was affected by a psychological incapacity,” Hellman stated.

Who’s who within the case

  • Michael Sussmann: Cybersecurity lawyer who labored for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 marketing campaign; charged with mendacity to the FBI
  • Rodney Joffee: Former tech government and Sussmann consumer who instructed him a couple of purported cyber again channel between the Trump Organization and Russia’s Alfa-Bank
  • Christopher Steele: British ex-spy employed by Fusion GPS; compiled the notorious “Steele file” of experiences on Trump and Russia
  • John Durham: Special counsel investigating potential criminality within the authorities investigations of former President Donald Trump’s purported ties to Russia
  • James A. Baker: Former FBI common counsel; acquired Alfa-Bank info from Sussmann
  • Marc Elias: Clinton marketing campaign common counsel, former accomplice of Sussmann’s at Perkins Coie regulation agency
  • Judge Christopher Cooper: Presiding over Sussman’s trial in Washington, DC, federal court docket
  • Peter Fritsch and Glenn Simpson: Former Wall Street Journal reporters who co-founded the Fusion GPS analysis firm; labored for Clinton’s marketing campaign
  • Andrew McCabe: Former FBI deputy director; allegedly contradicted the premise for the cost towards Sussmann throughout a 2017 briefing

It’s unclear from the exhibit who wrote White Paper #1, however the underlying information was “assembled” by April Lorenzen, a knowledge scientist and founding father of the ZETAlytics firm based mostly in Rhode Island, in keeping with court docket papers.

Lorenzen, a registered Democrat, final week declined to remark by way of a lady who recognized herself as her partner when The Post visited their dwelling in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.

“She is not going to discuss to you. Do not waste your time or breath,” the lady stated.

051222-LORENZEN-DM-3    Woman claiming to be partner of  April Lorenzen outside their home 

photo: David McGlynn
A girl claiming to be accomplice of April Lorenzen exterior their dwelling.
David McGlynn for NY Post

The lady additionally used a cellphone to take an image of a Post photographer after rising from the home to smoke a cigarette.

Last yr, Lorenzen’s lawyer told the New York Times that she’s “devoted her life to the important work of thwarting harmful cyberattacks on our nation.”

“Any suggestion that she engaged in wrongdoing is unequivocally false,” lawyer Michael J. Connolly added.

https://nypost.com/2022/05/18/trump-russia-tale-began-with-simple-internet-phone-book-search/

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