A That's a funny question. But I don't -- actually, my wife has shared those opinions with Ms. Veselnitskaya. I can't remember whether I said those things. In any event, I do remember doing this research. I thought it was good research. It was research for the lawsuit. I didn't think it was important research. I thought it was well done. We were able to figure out from a pretty big paper chase who the clients of this hedge fund were. And in fact, they potentially do have tax liability in Russia if the Hermitage Fund was cheating on their taxes in Russia.
Q So that was the point of the research. But does it disturb or trouble you at all that this research was incorporated, used somehow, found its way in part to what you described earlier as a part of a Russian Government-directed operation?
A I prepared this research in connection with an American lawsuit for an American law firm.
Q I understand.
A It all happens to be accurate. And so, you know, if someone used this research that they, you know, commissioned through a law firm for a legitimate legal purpose, took it and repurposed it in some other way, I can't say as I am upset by that. I mean, I must say in my business, right, I am in the information business, so when people commission research from you, it becomes their property when you are finished with the research, when you give it to them. So if they decide to go and use it for something else, I mean, that's just beyond my control. So I will add that, you know, as someone who is not a fan of Vladimir Putin, I don't take any great -- I certainly am not happy to do anything that anyone would think was helping Vladimir Putin. And to the extent that this has subjected me to an unfair accusation that I was engaged in some kind of Kremlin operation, I
UNCLASSIFIED, COMMITTEE SENSITIVE
