010111;;er at the illititeh gnaw Manlyiugtmt, E10: 2?515 September 12, 2017 Alex G. Copson Managing Director Dynamics Strategic Partners Rear Admiral Michael W. Hewitt (Ret.) Chairman namics lnc./lronBridge Group lnc./IP3 Intel Group, LLC c/o Robert K. Kelner, Esq. Dear Mr. Copson, Rear Admiral Hewitt, and Mr. Kelner: On June 19, 2017, we wrote to request infonnation about a press report that retired Lt. General Michael former National Security Advisor to President Donald Tmmp, failed to disclose a trip he made to the Middle East in 2015 on behalf of your companies to promote a joint U.S.-Russian, Saudi??nanced program to build nuclear reactors in the Arab world. Based on this account, ?the genius idea developed by and Co. was a U.S.?Russian partnership to build and operate plants and export the dangerous spent fuel under stn'ct controls.?l General did not disclose this trip or any contacts he had with foreign government of?cials or foreign business associates as part of his security clearance renewal application in 2016.2 Michael lynn, Russia and a Grand Scheme to Build Nuclear Power Plants in Saudi Arabia and the Arab World, Newsweek (June 9, 2017) (online at 2 Letter from Ranking Member Elijah E. Cummings, House Committee on Oversight and Government Refonn, and Ranking Member Eliot L. Engel, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, to Intel Group et al. (June 19, 2017) (online at PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER Mr. Alex G. Copson Rear Admiral Michael W. Hewitt (Ret) Mr. Robert Kelner, Counsel to Intel Group Page 2 We are writing today to thank you for your responses and to request additional information about new concerns that your responses raise. First, your responses provide multiple independent con?rmations that General traveled to the Middle East to meet with foreign government of?cials and foreign business associates in June 2015 to promote this U.S.-Russian nuclear power project. Based on your responses, it appears that General violated federal law by omitting this trip and these foreign contacts from his security clearance renewal application in 2016 and concealing them from security clearance investigators who interviewed him as part of the background check process. Since these violations carry criminal penalties of up to ?ve years in prison, we are providing your responses to Special Counsel Robert Mueller. We now request copies of all documents in your possession or control relating to any communications General had with foreign government of?cials or other foreign individuals at any time regarding this project. Second, your responses raise signi?cant questions about whether General continued to communicate with you and others about this project after the presidential election, after Donald Trump was sworn in as president, and after General assumed the post of National Security Advisor?without disclosing his foreign travel or contacts. Your responses suggest that you and other of?cials at your companies continue to strongly believe in the desirability of this project and that you may have discussed it with Trump Administration of?cials during and after General tenure at the White House. The American people deserve to know whether General was secretly promoting the private interests of these businesses while he was a campaign advisor, a transition of?cial, or President Trump ?s National Security Advisor. For these reasons, we now request all communications that you and other of?cials at your companies had with General or other Trump Administration of?cials during the presidential campaign, during the transition, during General tenure as National Security Advisor, or after General departure from the White House. We also request that you participate in transcribed interviews with Committee staff. The rest of this letter provides additional details about these concerns. Mr. Alex G. Copson Rear Admiral Michael Hewitt (Ret. Mr Robert Kelner, Counsel to Intel Group Page 3 Response from Dr. Thomas Cochran, ACU Strategic Partners On June 22, 2017, Dr. ThomasCochran of ACU Strategic Partners responded to our letter by providing a ?rst-hand description of General involvement with this project. Dr. Cochran con?rmed that General traveled to Egypt and Israel in June 2015, and Dr. Cochran wrote that he personally joined General for the Israeli portion of the trip. He indicated that General met with Egyptian and Israeli government of?cials to promote this projeCt. He wrote: As signi?cant background information, you should know that prior to General Michael trip to the Middle East in June 2015, Russia had expressed interest in ?nancing and constructing four reactors in Egypt and two in Jordan. Because General ?rmly believed in the necessity of the project from a US national security perspective, he traveled to Egypt and Israel to explain the ACU project?s importance. In Egypt, a primary purpose of his meetings was to convince the government at least to postpone accepting the Russian o?er to ?nance and build four reactors in order to carefully consider the ACU alternative. I joined General in Israel. The primary purpose of the Israeli leg of the trip. was to ensure that the ACU project architecture would be in the best interests of Israel.3 Dr. Cochran did not address why General omitted all of this information from his security clearance renewal application in 2016 or concealed it from background check investigators who interviewed him as part of that process. 'Dr. Cochran made clear that he and his colleagues have been working extensively for some time on this project?not only communicating with foreign government of?cials, but also working with foreign business entities. He wrote: To deliver the new Middle East electricity authority?which is expected to be fully funded by the Gulf Arab states?ACU has organized a substantial ready-to- go international consortium of leading US, French, Dutch, Russian, Gulf Arab, British, Ukrainian and Israeli industrial companies. The consortium members have been designated to build, operate and secure in the region 40 proliferation-proof nuclear power 3 Letter from Thomas B. Cochran, ACU Strategic Partners, to Ranking Member Elijah E. Cummings, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Ranking Member Eliot L. Engel, House Committee on Foreign Affairs (June 22, 2017) (emphasis in original) (online at oversight. house. gov/ sites/ democrats . oversight .house. gov/?les/ documents/Response%20 from%20Cochran%20%28 Mr. Alex G. Copson Rear Admiral Michael W. Hewitt (Ret) Mr. Robert Kelner, Counsel to Intel Group Page 4 reactors a high-voltage electric grid, and a fuel 1n/ spent fuel out service?ensuring complete control over the reactors and nuclear fuel. 4 Dr. Cochran characterizations are consistent with other descriptions of this project? outreach to foreign businesses and off c1als For example: 0 One internal slide presentation promoting this project stated that ?Total Regional Security? would be provided by Rosoboron, a Russian state-owned weapons exporter that is currently subject to US sanctions.5 0 Mr. Copson forwarded an email to Admiral Hewitt and General in April 2016 that stated: ?recently, ACU has further scoped the potential for geopolitical stabilization of the Middle East by inviting China to participate.?6 a An internal strategy memorandum deseribed the creation of ?a public/private security partnership developed in concert with relevant US. government agencies, the host country governments, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and regional defense forces.?7 0 Two April 2016 email chains about the project show that General Mr. Copson, and Rear Admiral Hewitt were in communication with Major General G. Omar Al Khaldi, who was the Chief Executi'Ve Of?cer of ordan?s King Abdullah 11 Design and Development Bureau.8 However, in his letter to us, Dr. Cochran did not disclose the identities of any foreign government of?cials with whom General communicated before, during, or after his trip or 41d. 5 The Iron Bridge (undated) (online at 6 Email from Alex Copson, Managing Partner, ACU Strategic Partners, to Michael Hewitt et al. (Apr. 6, 2016) (forwarding email from Fred Johnson, Chief Strategist, ACU Strategic Partners) (online at 7 ACU/International Power Generators/X- Co Dynamics, A US -Based Project ProvidingN uclear Power Plants, A Secure Fuel Cycle. and a Shared Security Partnership for the Middle East (undated) (online at com/?les/acu_ - __ipg general_ overview. pdi). . 8 Email from Michael Hewitt, X- Co Dynamics, to Alex Copson et Ial (Apr. 6, 2016) (online at //democrats- oversight. house. gov/sites/democrats. oversight house. 06- 2016 .pdt); email from Alex Copson, Managing Partner, ACU Strategic Partners, to Michael Hewitt et al. (Apr 6,2016) (forwarding email from Fred Johnson, Chief Strategist, ACU Strategic Partners) (online at //democrats- oversight. house gov/sites/democrats oversight. house. 06- 2016 .pdi). See also Major General Dr. Omar Khaldz' Named K4DDB CEO, Al Defaiya (May 27, 2014) (online at khaldi-named-kaddb-ceo). Mr. Alex G. Copson Rear Admiral Michael Hewitt (Ret) Mr Robert Kelner, Counsel to Intel Group Page 5 the identities 'of any foreign business associates in Russia, China, or other countries With whom General was working. Finally, Dr. Cochran made clear that he believes the proposal is an ongoing, viable project that is now part of the Trump Administration?s ?toolkit.? He also wrote: As the US administration now prepares for a critical meeting with President Putin, the ACU project gives President Trump and Secretary Tillerson a valuable private sector mechanism for helping stabilize and improve relations with Russia as well as helping accelerate US-Russia cooperation in the Middle East. The project provides the ?exibility that Secretary Tillerson 'called for last week to ensure a ?constructive dialogue? with Russia.9 Dr. Cochran did not disclose the scope of communications that he or others may have had with General about this project before or after President Trump named him as National Security Advisor, nor did Dr Cochran disclose the identities of other transition of?cials or Administration of?cials with whom he or his associates have communicated. Response from Alex Copson, Managing Director, ACU Strategic Partners On June 27, 2017, Alex Copson, the Managing Director of ACU Strategic Partners, also responded to our request. According to press reports, Mr. Copson is a ?British?American dealmaker? who reportedly touted connections to the Trump campaign in promoting this project?including connections 'with now~Attorney General Jeff Sessions.10 Like Dr. Cochran, Mr. Copson also con?rmed that General took the trip to the Middle East in June 2015 that General omitted from his security clearance renewal application and concealed from background check investigators. He wrote: ?As noted in Dr. Cochran?s letter, General made this trip to the-Middle East in June 2015.?11 Mr. Copson did not disclose the identities of foreign government officials with whom General communicated before, during, or after his trip. He also failed to disclose the identities of any foreign business associates involved with this project. 91d. 10 Michael Russia and a Grand Scheme to Build Nuclear Power Plants in Saudi Arabia and the Arab World, Newsweek (June 9, 2017) (online at Email from Alex Copson, Managing Director, ACU Strategic Partners, to Ranking Member Elijah E. Cummings, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Ranking Member Eliot L. Engel, House Committee on Foreign Affairs (June 27, 2017) (online at l/democrats- oversight. house. gov/sites/democrats. oversight. house. 27-2017. pdf). Mr. Alex G. Copson Rear Admiral Michael W. Hewitt (Ret.) Mr. Robert Kelner, Counsel to Intel Group Page 6 Mr. Copson did not disclose the identities of foreign government of?cials with whom General communicated before, during, or after his trip. He also failed to disclose the identities of any foreign business associates involved with this project. Mr. Copson did not disclose the scope of communications that he or others may have had with General about this project before or after President Trump named him as National Security Advisor, nor did Mr. Copson disclose the identities of other transition of?cials or Administration employees with whom he or his associates have communicated. However, Mr. Copson provided new information about General compensation, for the June 2015 trip. He wrote: covered his travel expenses. ACU also wrote him a check for $25, 000 to compensate him for the loss of income and business opportunities resulting from this trip. ?12 Mr. Copson reported that General apparently did not cash the check for $25, 000, but did not explain why. With respect to the payment for travel expenses, General apparently accepted those funds, but failed to publicly report them on his ?nancial disclosure form submitted on February 11, 2017,13 or on the amended ?nancial disclosure he submitted on March 31, 2017.14 It was not until his third ?ling on August 3, 2017, that General ?nally disclosed that he had been paid in excess of $5,000 by ACU Strategic Partners.15 Response from IronBridge Group, Inc. and IP3 Corporation On July 19, 2017, counsel for Rear Admiral Michael W. Hewitt who worked in partnership with ACU Strategic Partners to promote the project, and his companies, IronBridge Group, Inc. and IP3 Corporation, also con?rmed that General took the June 2015 trip to promote this proposal. Speci?cally, the letter conveyed that Rear Admiral Michael Hewitt, the chief executive of IronBridge and IP3, ?recalls that, prior to the formation of these entities [IronBridge Group, Inc. ?2 Id. 13 Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 2786) for Michael (Feb. 11, 2017) (online at (disclosing that was a ?Board Member? and ?Consultant? with Dynamics Inc/Iron Bridge Group? between August 2015 and December 2016, but disclosing no income). '4 Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 278e) for Michael (Mar. 31, 2017) (online at W. politico. corn/17?id= 0000015b- 2aa9- d874- addf- 3aa9e9760000) (correcting earlier disclosure to read that was an ?Advisor? to Co Dynamics Inc. /Iron Bridge Group? between August 2015 and December 2016, but disclosing no income). ?5 Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 278e) for Michael (Aug. 3, 2017) (online at W. documentcloud . org/ documentsdisclosurehtml) (adding separate entries for Dynamics Strategic Partners? and ?IronBridge Group Inc.? and disclosing ?compensation exceeding $5000 in a year? from ACU Strategic Partners). @ ě$ Ęě!sěŒ * ě C ě- OÉ Úěž ěEtě“ :]ěhD }iě @ ~ěD ú:ě› Û4 öjě> ěĀ ě. # ě• + ě/ òě B§ =ě 5°ě– …ě 9 Ê ¦ ě ě ( aě ' ě$>¥ě ě ě T ěā ěŽ2Ě ě ě— Üě Ă ě ?H ă é ě! ě # )ě ê ě ěË7ě3 ě‚,<‡uc £Â ě 6 ě ěë ě 3 ě ěÌ ě ±ě bě´Q Í ě ĕ ý Zě µ Ý ě ě1R ¿ě Ď 5 ě ě [ ě ě‘ Þě # ě (( ¬ Ą ě ě ě × ě ˜7 kěą ě T * ě Ć ‹ě E ě ě ě· Àě ć ě Uě®åÎ \ ě ěP ě )ě G ě ²ěœÖ ď\ 6 +ě’ 8 ßě 3 f ě¡.rŠˆě vě A ě ě aě ; Ė ě lě ÷ěV à ě¸ ě ě O á ě ³ě Ĉ ě wě $ Ï â mě ěS ě ě ě ¯ ě 0ě? 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