U.S. Department of Justice
Attorney Work Product // May Contain Material Protected Under Fed. R. Crim. P. 6(e)
manager Corey Lewandowski.[1] Senior White House advisors described Lewandowski as a "devotee" of the President and said the relationship between the President and Lewandowski was "close."[2]
During the June 19 meeting, Lewandowski recalled that, after some small talk, the President brought up Sessions and criticized his recusal from the Russia investigation.[3] The President told Lewandowski that Sessions was weak and that if the President had known about the likelihood of recusal in advance, he would not have appointed Sessions.[4] The President then asked Lewandowski to deliver a message to Sessions and said "write this down."[5] This was the first time the President had asked Lewandowski to take dictation, and Lewandowski wrote as fast as possible to make sure he captured the content correctly.[6]
The President directed that Sessions should give a speech publicly announcing:
I know that I recused myself from certain things having to do with specific areas. But our POTUS ... is being treated very unfairly. He shouldn't have a Special Prosecutor/Counsel b/c he hasn't done anything wrong. I was on the campaign w/ him for nine months, there were no Russians involved with him. I know it for a fact b/c I was there. He didn't do anything wrong except he ran the greatest campaign in American history.[7]
The dictated message went on to state that Sessions would meet with the Special Counsel to limit his jurisdiction to future election interference:
Now a group of people want to subvert the Constitution of the United States. I am going to meet with the Special Prosecutor to explain this is very unfair and let the Special Prosecutor move forward with investigating election meddling for future elections so that nothing can happen in future elections.[8]
- ↑ Lewandowski 4/6/18 302, at 2; SCRO26 000201 (President's Daily DiaryPersonal Privacy
- ↑ Kelly 8/2/18 302, at 7; Dearborn 6/20/18 302, at 1 (describing Lewandowski as a "comfort to the President" whose loyalty was appreciated). Kelly said that when he was Chief of Staff and the President had meetings with friends like Lewandowski, Kelly tried not to be there and to push the meetings to the residence to create distance from the West Wing. Kelly 8/2/18 302, at 7.
- ↑ Lewandowski 4/6/18 302, at 2.
- ↑ Lewandowski 4/6/18 302, at 2.
- ↑ Lewandowski 4/6/18 302, at 2.
- ↑ Lewandowski 4/6/18 302, at 3.
- ↑ Lewandowski 4/6/18 302, at 2-3; Lewandowski 6/19/17 Notes, at 1-2.
- ↑ Lewandowski 4/6/18 302, at 3; Lewandowski 6/19/17 Notes, at 3.
91
