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{{See also|Obamagate timeline}}
{{See also|Obamagate timeline}}
===2016===
===2016===
*'''25 March.''' Ukrainian-American '''employee of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Alexandra Chalupa''' meets with top Ukrainian officials at Ukrainian Embassy in Washington D.C. to “expose ties between Trump, top campaign aide Paul Manafort and Russia,” according to ''Politico''. Chalupa previously worked for the [[Clinton administration]]. Ukrainian embassy proceeds to work “directly with reporters researching Trump, Manafort and Russia to point them in the right directions,” according to an embassy official (though other officials later deny meddling in election-related activities.)
*'''25 March.''' Ukrainian-American '''employee of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Alexandra Chalupa''' meets with top Ukrainian officials at Ukrainian Embassy in Washington D.C. to “expose ties between Trump, top campaign aide [[Paul Manafort]] and Russia,” according to ''Politico''. Chalupa previously worked for the [[Clinton administration]]. Ukrainian embassy proceeds to work “directly with reporters researching Trump, Manafort and Russia to point them in the right directions,” according to an embassy official (though other officials later deny meddling in election-related activities.)
*'''31 March.''' Ukrainian-American DNC operative Alexandra Chalupa briefs DNC staff on alleged Russia ties to Paul Manafort and Trump. With “DNC’s encouragement,” Chalupa asks Ukrainian embassy to arrange meeting with Ukrainian President [[Petro Poroshenko]] to discuss Manafort’s lobbying for Ukraine’s former president [[Viktor Yanukovych]]. The embassy declines to arrange meeting but becomes “helpful” in trading info and leads. Ukrainian embassy officials and Democratic operative Chalupa “coordinat[e] an investigation with the Hillary team” into Paul Manafort, according to a source in Politico. This effort reportedly includes working with U.S. media.
*'''28 March.''' Manafort joins Trump Campaign as campaign convention manager.
*'''Spring.''' Christopher Steele was already on the FBI payroll. [[Michael Isikoff]] published a story on Yahoo News about Paul Manafort’s business dealings with Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska. Chalupa met with top officials in the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington in an effort to expose ties between Trump, Manafort, and Russia.
*'''31 March.''' Alexandra Chalupa briefs DNC staff on alleged Russia ties to Paul Manafort and Trump. With “DNC’s encouragement,” Chalupa asks Ukrainian embassy to arrange meeting with Ukrainian President [[Petro Poroshenko]] to discuss Manafort’s lobbying for Ukraine’s former president [[Viktor Yanukovych]]. The embassy declines to arrange meeting but becomes “helpful” in trading info and leads. Ukrainian embassy officials and Democratic operative Chalupa “coordinat[e] an investigation with the Hillary team” into Paul Manafort, according to a source in Politico. This effort reportedly includes working with U.S. media.
*'''6-10 April.''' Ukrainian-American DNC operative Alexandra Chalupa and office of Rep. Mary Kaptur (D-Ohio), co-chair of Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, discuss possible congressional investigation or hearing on Paul Manafort-Russia “by September.” Chalupa begins working with investigative reporter Michael Isikoff, according to WikiLeaks and her later account.<ref>https://wikileaks.org/dnc-emails/emailid/3962</ref>
*'''Spring.''' [[Christopher Steele]] was already on the FBI payroll. [[Michael Isikoff]] published a story on Yahoo News about Paul Manafort’s business dealings with Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska. Chalupa met with top officials in the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington in an effort to expose ties between Trump, Manafort, and Russia.
<!--*[[John Brennan]] shared his invented narrative with [[James Clapper]] and [[James Comey]] to form a Joint Counter-Intelligence Task Force (FBI, DOJ and Treasury) and the Foreign task force (CIA, ODNI and NSA). The FBI is investigating Paul Manafort's associations. This investigation led to wiretapping of at least three Trump associates, Paul Manafort, [[Carter Page]], and [[Roger Stone]].<ref>''NYT'', 1/19/17</ref>-->
*'''6-10 April.''' Ukrainian-American DNC operative Alexandra Chalupa and office of Rep. [[Marcy Kaptur]] (D-Ohio), co-chair of Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, discuss possible congressional investigation or hearing on Paul Manafort-Russia “by September.” Chalupa begins working with investigative reporter Michael Isikoff, according to WikiLeaks and her later account.<ref>https://wikileaks.org/dnc-emails/emailid/3962</ref>
*'''26 April.''' [[Michael Isikoff]] publishes story on Yahoo News about Paul Manafort’s business dealings with Oleg Deripaska. [[Victoria Nuland]] and Alexandra Chalupa are sources.<ref>https://www.yahoo.com/amphtml/news/trumps-campaign-chief-ducks-questions-about- 214020365.html</ref><ref>https://themarketswork.com/2018/03/09/victoria-nuland-alexandra-chalupa-ukrainian-ties-the-steele-dossier/</ref>
*'''26 April.''' [[Michael Isikoff]] publishes story on Yahoo News about Paul Manafort’s business dealings with Oleg Deripaska. [[Victoria Nuland]] and Alexandra Chalupa are sources.<ref>https://www.yahoo.com/amphtml/news/trumps-campaign-chief-ducks-questions-about- 214020365.html</ref><ref>https://themarketswork.com/2018/03/09/victoria-nuland-alexandra-chalupa-ukrainian-ties-the-steele-dossier/</ref>
*'''28 April.''' Ukrainian-American DNC operative Alexandra Chalupa is invited to discuss her research about Paul Manafort with 68 investigative journalists from Ukraine at Library of Congress for Open World Leadership Center, a U.S. congressional agency. Chalupa invites investigative reporter Michael Isikoff to “connect(s) him to the Ukrainians.” After the event, reporter Isikoff accompanies Chalupa to Ukrainian embassy reception.
*'''28 April.''' Alexandra Chalupa is invited to discuss her research about Paul Manafort with 68 investigative journalists from Ukraine at Library of Congress for Open World Leadership Center, a U.S. congressional agency. Chalupa invites investigative reporter Michael Isikoff to “connect(s) him to the Ukrainians.” After the event, reporter Isikoff accompanies Chalupa to Ukrainian embassy reception.
*'''3 May.''' Ukrainian-American DNC operative Alexandra Chalupa emails Democratic National Committee (DNC) that she’ll share sensitive info about Paul Manafort “offline” including “a big Trump component…that will hit in next few weeks.”
*'''3 May.''' Ukrainian-American DNC operative Alexandra Chalupa emails Democratic National Committee (DNC) that she’ll share sensitive info about Paul Manafort “offline” including “a big Trump component…that will hit in next few weeks.”
*'''Late July.''' Democratic operative and Ukrainian-American Chalupa leaves the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to work full-time on her research into Manafort, Trump and Russia; and provides off-the-record guidance to “a lot of journalists.”
*'''Late June.''' Justice Dept. seeks [[FISA]] warrant to eavesdrop on [[Michael T. Flynn]], Paul Manafort, Carter Page and [[George Papadopoulos]] (earlier reports listed Donald Trump, Carter Page, Paul Manafort and Boris Epshteyn). FISA court denies request.<ref>https://www.nationalreview.com/article/443768/obama-fisa-trump-wiretap-may-have-been-sought</ref> Ordinary procedures call for the [[Justice Department]] to ask a FISA Court for a warrant. It is improbable that [[Attorney General]] [[Loretta Lynch]] acted on her own against a presidential nominee of another party without consulting President Obama.<ref>https://youtu.be/5CSZKmssG2o</ref>
*FBI agent [[Peter Strzok]] has direct contact with Christopher Steele and receives preliminary draft of the ''[[Steele dossier]]''.<ref>https://www.wsj.com/articles/lifting-the-steele-curtain-1510274070</ref> According to Robby Mook, the partial dossier information was also given to the DNC and Clinton campaign.
*DCLeaks website begins publishing Democratic National Committee emails.
*The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) signs evidence-sharing agreement with FBI and will later publicly release the ''Black Ledger File'' implicating Paul Manafort in allegedly improper payments.
*'''July.''' Ukraine minister of internal affairs Arsen Avakov attacks Trump and Trump campaign adviser Paul Manafort on [[Twitter]] and [[Facebook]], calling Trump “an even bigger danger to the US than terrorism.” Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk writes on Facebook that Trump has “challenged the very values of the free world.”
*'''4 July.''' Franklin Foer writes in ''[[Slate]]'', an article enitled ''Putin’s Puppet,'' which appears to come from Christopher Steele and the ''Steele dossier''. Foer’s piece argues the Trump campaign was overly Russia-friendly. Foer discusses Trump’s team, including campaign convention manager Paul Manafort, who worked with former Ukrainian president Victor Yanukovich, and Carter Page.<ref>[http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/cover_story/2016/07/vladimir_putin_has_a_plan_for_destroying_the_west_and_it_looks_a_lot_like.html Putin’s Puppet], By Franklin Foer, ''Slate'', July 4, 2016.</ref>
*'''Late July.''' Alexandra Chalupa leaves the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to work full-time on her research into Manafort, Trump and Russia; and provides off-the-record guidance to “a lot of journalists.”
*'''21 July.''' Anne Applebaum of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' writes a “Trump presidency could destabilize Europe.” The issue, she explained, was Trump’s positive attitude toward Putin. “The extent of the Trump-Russia business connection has already been laid out, by Franklin Foer at ''Slate'',” wrote Applebaum. She named Carter Page and his “long-standing connections to Russian companies.” Applebaum repeats the kenard that the “Trump’s campaign team helped alter the Republican party platform to remove support for Ukraine” from the Republican National Committee’s platform. Maybe, she hints, that was because of Trump aide Manafort’s ties to Ukrainian President [[Viktor Yanukovych|Victor Yanukovich]]. The Manafort-Yanukovich relationship is an important part of the ''Steele dossier''. So is the claim that in exchange for Russia releasing the DNC emails, “the TRUMP team had agreed to sideline Russian intervention in Ukraine as a campaign issue.” For Applebaum, it was hard to understand why Trump would express skepticism about the [[North Atlantic Treaty Organization]], except to appease Putin. She referred to a recent interview in which Trump “cast doubt on the fundamental basis of transatlantic stability, NATO’s Article 5 guarantee: If Russia invades, he said, he’d have to think first before defending U.S. allies.”<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/how-a-trump-presidency-could-destabilize-europe/2016/07/21/9ec38a20-4f75-11e6-a422-83ab49ed5e6a_story.html?sw_bypass=true</ref> The talking points come directly from Hillary Clinton opposition research, FusionGPS and the ''Steele dossier''.
*Jeffrey Goldberg of ''[[The Atlantic]]'' publishes an article entitled, ''It’s Official: Hillary Clinton is Running Against Vladimir Putin'' using the same opposition research material from the ''Steele dossier'' paid for by Hillary Clinton: “The Republican nominee for president, Donald J. Trump, has chosen this week to unmask himself as a ''de facto'' agent of Russian President Vladimir Putin.” Trump’s admiration for Putin and other “equivocating, mercenary statements are unprecedented in the history of Republican foreign policymaking.” However, insofar as Trump’s fundamental aim was to find some common ground with Putin, it’s a goal that has been a 25-year U.S. policy constant across party lines. Starting with George W.H. Bush, every American commander-in-chief since the end of the Cold War sought to “reset” relations with Russia. But Trump, according to Goldberg, was different. “Trump’s understanding of America’s role in the world aligns with Russia’s geostrategic interests.” Goldberg alleged “watered down” the RNC’s platform on Ukraine and “questioned whether the U.S., under his leadership, would keep its [NATO] commitments,” including Article 5. Thus, Goldberg concluded: “Donald Trump, should he be elected president, would bring an end to the postwar international order.”<ref>https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/07/clinton-trump-putin-nato/492332/</ref>
*'''30 July.''' '''[[Bruce Ohr]], [[Nellie Ohr]], Christopher Steele have breakfast''' at the Washington Mayflower Hotel. Also present at the breakfast meeting was a fourth individual, described by Ohr as “an associate of Mr. Steele’s, another gentleman, younger fellow. I didn’t catch his name.”
:*Steele relayed information from his dossier and claimed that “a former head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, the [[SVR]], had stated to someone … that they had Donald Trump over barrel.”<ref>https://www.theepochtimes.com/mccabes-fbi-tried-to-re-engage-christopher-steele-after-comey-was-fired_2766822.html</ref>
:*Steele also referenced [[Oleg Deripaska]]’s business dealings with Paul Manafort, and foreign policy adviser Carter Page’s meetings in Moscow.
::*"Paul Hauser, who was an attorney working for Oleg Deripaska, had information about Paul Manafort, that Paul Manafort had entered into some kind of business deal with Oleg Deripaska, had stolen a large amount of money from Oleg Deripaska, and that Paul Hauser was trying to gather information that would show that, you know, or give more detail about what Paul Manafort had done with respect to Deripaska.” The money relates to a failed Ukrainian cable TV project Deripaska invested money with Manafort in.
*'''31 July.''' '''Peter Strzok formally begins [[Crossfire Hurricane]] counterintelligence investigation into Trump'''.
*'''28 August.''' Serhiy Leshchenko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, tells the the ''Financial Times'' of London that “a Trump presidency would change the pro-Ukrainian agenda in American foreign policy.” Leshchenko gave the Black Ledger file of the Ukrainian Party of Regions to Alexandra Chalupa and Glenn Simpson; Chalupa gave it to Mike Isiskoff and Simpson gave it to Nellie Ohr. When Isikoff published allegations about Paul Manafort from the files, Manafort resigned the next day. Nellis Ohr and Christopher Steele used some of the Black Ledger file in the ''Steele dossier''.<ref>https://www.theepochtimes.com/ties-to-ukrainian-national-a-unifying-theme-in-early-attacks-on-trump_2872609.html</ref>
*'''28 August.''' Serhiy Leshchenko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, tells the the ''Financial Times'' of London that “a Trump presidency would change the pro-Ukrainian agenda in American foreign policy.” Leshchenko gave the Black Ledger file of the Ukrainian Party of Regions to Alexandra Chalupa and Glenn Simpson; Chalupa gave it to Mike Isiskoff and Simpson gave it to Nellie Ohr. When Isikoff published allegations about Paul Manafort from the files, Manafort resigned the next day. Nellis Ohr and Christopher Steele used some of the Black Ledger file in the ''Steele dossier''.<ref>https://www.theepochtimes.com/ties-to-ukrainian-national-a-unifying-theme-in-early-attacks-on-trump_2872609.html</ref>