Steele Deposition - Exhibit 66
Steele Deposition - Exhibit 66
Steele Deposition - Exhibit 66
66
Christopher Steele
Vol. 1
06/18/2018
Page 1 Page 3
1 Mr Christopher Steele 1 Mr Christopher Steele
2 CONFIDENTIAL - ATTORNEYS' EYES ONLY 2 W LEGAL LIMITED
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
3 SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA 3 47 Red Lion Street
______________________________
4 : 4 London WC1R 4PF
ALEKSEJ GUBAREV, XBT HOLDING : Case No:
5 SA and WEBZILLA, INC : 17-cv-60426-UU 5 United Kingdom
:
6 Plaintiffs : 6 Telephone: 020 7220 9139
:
7 -v- : 7 Email: [email protected]
:
8 BUZZFEED, INC and BEN SMITH : 8 BY: MR STEVEN LOBLE
:
9 Defendants : 9
______________________________:
10 10 W LEGAL LIMITED
11 Videotaped deposition 11 47 Red Lion Street
12 of 12 London WC1R 4PF
13 Mr Christopher Steele 13 United Kingdom
14 14 Telephone: 020 7220 9136
15 On Monday, June 18th 2018 15 Email: [email protected]
16 16 BY: MS SONAL SACHANIA
17 Commencing at 9.35 am 17
18 18 ONE ESSEX COURT
19 Taken at: 19 Temple
20 15 Old Bailey 20 London EC4Y 9AR
21 London 21 Telephone: 020 7583 2000
22 EC4M 7EF 22 Email: [email protected]
23 United Kingdom 23 BY: MS HANNAH BROWN QC
24 24
25 Reported by: Miss Pamela Henley 25
Page 2 Page 4
1 Mr Christopher Steele 1 Mr Christopher Steele
2 2 On behalf of the Defendants:
3 A P P E A R A N C E S 3 DAVIS WRIGHT TREMAINE LLP
4 4 1251 Avenue of the Americas
5 On behalf of the Plaintiffs: 5 New York, New York 10021
6 CIAMPA FRAY-WITZER, LLP 6 Telephone: 212 402 4068
7 20 Park Plaza 7 Email: [email protected]
8 Suite 505 8 BY: MS KATHERINE M BOLGER
9 Boston, MA 02116 9
10 Telephone: 617 426 0000 10 BLACK SREBNICK KORNSPAN STUMPF
11 Email: [email protected] 11 201 S Biscayne Boulevard
12 BY: MR EVAN FRAY-WITZER 12 Suite 1300
13 13 Miami, Florida 33131
14 BOSTON LAW GROUP, PC 14 Telephone: 305 371 6421
15 825 Beacon Street 15 Email: [email protected]
16 Suite 20 16 BY: MR ROY BLACK
17 Newton Centre, MA 02459 17
18 Telephone: 617 928 1800 18 MATRIX CHAMBERS
19 Email: [email protected] 19 Griffin Building
20 BY: MR VAL GURVITS 20 Gray's Inn
21 21 London WC1R 5LN
22 22 United Kingdom
23 23 Telephone: 020 7404 3447
24 24 BY: MR ALEX BAILIN QC
25 25
www.european-depositions.com Pages 1 - 4
Steele, Christopher Vol. 1 06/18/2018
Page 37 Page 39
1 Mr Christopher Steele 1 Mr Christopher Steele
2 the FCO submission means that this question should 2 A. I reviewed the documents that were
3 not be asked. 3 submitted to me by my legal team, which were a
4 The witness can choose whether to 4 range of different documents, but primarily our
5 answer. 5 own pleadings in the English proceedings, and the
6 A. I choose not to answer. 6 two sealed, I believe, testimonies of Mr Kramer
7 BY MR FRAY-WITZER: 7 and Mr Bensinger.
8 Q. Are you familiar with 8 And I reviewed the congressional
9 Glenn Simpson? 9 testimony, I think, to the judiciary committee of
10 A. I am. 10 Mr Simpson. Those were the main documents that I
11 Q. Can you tell us who Mr Simpson is? 11 reviewed. And, of course, the questions that have
12 A. He is the co-owner and co-director 12 been submitted. And the orders. Yes.
13 of Fusion GPS, an investigative firm based in 13 Q. Did you discuss your deposition
14 Washington DC. 14 with anyone prior to today?
15 Q. When did you first meet Mr Simpson? 15 A. Only with the people that I have
16 A. I do not remember exactly when, but 16 indicated just now, so my English legal team and
17 I would say either late 2009, or early 2010. 17 my American attorney.
18 Q. Do you recall the circumstances of 18 Q. Did you discuss your deposition at
19 meeting Mr Simpson? 19 all with Mr Simpson?
20 A. I do. 20 A. I did not.
21 Q. And can you tell us what those 21 Q. Did you discuss your deposition at
22 were? 22 all with anyone connected to BuzzFeed?
23 A. I was introduced to him in London 23 A. I did not.
24 by a British investigator who I already knew. 24 Q. Did you discuss your deposition
25 Q. What was the purpose of the 25 with anyone from the Penn Quarter Group?
Page 38 Page 40
1 Mr Christopher Steele 1 Mr Christopher Steele
2 introduction? 2 A. I did not.
3 A. To get to know somebody else in the 3 (Exhibit 4 marked for identification)
4 sector and potentially to co-operate or do 4 Q. Did you discuss your deposition
5 business in the future. 5 today with the FCO?
6 Q. Prior to working with Mr Simpson or 6 A. I did not.
7 Fusion GPS on the matter that is the subject of 7 Q. You are being shown what has been
8 the present proceedings, did you work with 8 marked as Exhibit Number 4 to your deposition, can
9 Mr Simpson or Fusion GPS on any other matters? 9 you tell me if you recognize this document.
10 A. Yes, a number of projects. 10 A. I do.
11 Q. Are you able to tell us in general 11 Q. And can you tell us what this
12 terms what those projects were? 12 document is?
13 A. I think only in very general terms. 13 A. It is what it says it is, which is
14 So the classic due diligence, anti-money 14 an intelligence memorandum concerning Russia's
15 laundering and strategic advice. 15 interference in the 2016 American presidential
16 Q. Can you tell us what you did to 16 election.
17 prepare for your deposition today? 17 Q. If I refer to this document as the
18 A. I met twice with my British legal 18 December memo, would that be acceptable?
19 team for about 2 to 3 hours each, and I had a half 19 A. Yes.
20 an hour telephone conversation with my US attorney 20 Q. When did you create this document?
21 yesterday. 21 A. I believe it was created on the
22 Q. Did you review any documents in 22 given date, which is 13th December 2016.
23 preparation for today? 23 Q. I am sorry, I got ahead of myself,
24 A. I did. 24 let me just ask, did you create this document?
25 Q. And what documents did you review? 25 A. I did create this document.
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Steele, Christopher Vol. 1 06/18/2018
Page 41 Page 43
1 Mr Christopher Steele 1 Mr Christopher Steele
2 Q. If you would turn to the second 2 question.
3 page of the document, please, paragraph 3, it 3 THE WITNESS: Okay.
4 begins first with a black bar that is a redaction, 4 MR MILLAR: There are 2 objections,
5 and it has: 5 first, it would require the consent of the Foreign
6 "[Redacted] reported that over the 6 & Commonwealth Office to answer that question in
7 period March to September 2016 a company called 7 relation to the period prior to 2009, to the
8 XBT/Webzilla and its affiliates had been using 8 extent that his answer deals with the period prior
9 botnets and porn traffic to transmit viruses, 9 to 2009.
10 plant bugs, steal data and conduct 'altering 10 But, secondly, we are, as I
11 operations' against the Democratic Party 11 understand it, on topic 2 now, the operative words
12 leadership. Entities linked to one Aleksej 12 in topic 2 are Mr Steele's efforts to verify the
13 GUBAROV were involved and he and another hacking 13 allegations. So one needs to look to see what the
14 expert, both recruited under duress by the FSB, 14 allegations are in paragraph 3 of the December
15 Seva KAPSUGOVICH, were significant players in this 15 memorandum that are the basis of the defamation
16 operation. In Prague, COHEN agreed [to] 16 action in Florida. They are very specific. They
17 contingency plans for various scenarios to protect 17 have been read to my client, and the topic which
18 the operation, but in particular what was to be 18 we spent a lot of time discussing in the hearings
19 done in the event that Hillary CLINTON won the 19 in the High Court has been formulated as
20 presidency. It was important in this event that 20 addressing his efforts to verify those
21 all cash payments owed were made quickly and 21 allegations.
22 discreetly and that cyber and other operators were 22 What he may or may not have known
23 stood down/able to go effectively to ground to 23 about a particular company or entity prior to that
24 cover their traces." 24 has nothing to do with his efforts at
25 Did I read that correctly? 25 verification.
Page 42 Page 44
1 Mr Christopher Steele 1 Mr Christopher Steele
2 A. I believe so, yes. 2 THE EXAMINER: US plaintiffs.
3 (Exhibit 5 marked for identification) 3 MR FRAY-WITZER: I would argue that
4 Q. You are being shown what has been 4 knowledge or lack of knowledge of the plaintiffs
5 marked as Exhibit Number 5, the witness statement 5 in the US action would speak towards verification.
6 of Nicola Cain dated 1 December 2018 (sic). 6 Whether or not he had any familiarity with these
7 A. That cannot be right. 7 entities is relevant to the question of what may
8 Q. 2017. Thank you. We have not 8 have been done or not done to verify the
9 transported into the future! If you could look at 9 allegations contained in the December memo.
10 paragraph 18, please. It says: 10 THE EXAMINER: US defendants.
11 "Paragraphs 18 to 21 of the Defence 11 MR BLACK: We support the
12 explain that, having received the unsolicited 12 relevance of the plaintiffs' question.
13 timed raw intelligence written up in the December 13 THE EXAMINER: My opinion is it is
14 memorandum, Mr Steele and Orbis considered that it 14 not within topic 2, which concerns efforts to
15 had implications for national security of the US 15 verify the allegations. The witness may choose
16 and the UK and that it needed to be further 16 whether to answer.
17 analyzed and verified." 17 A. I choose not to answer.
18 First, did I read that correctly? 18 BY MR FRAY-WITZER:
19 A. You did. 19 Q. And simply for the record then, I
20 Q. Do you agree with that statement? 20 will ask the next two questions, prior to
21 A. I do. 21 receiving the unsolicited raw information had you
22 Q. Prior to receiving the unsolicited 22 ever heard of Webzilla?
23 raw information that was included in the December 23 MR MILLAR: Same objection.
24 memo had you ever heard of XBT Holdings? 24 A. Same answer.
25 MR MILLAR: We object to that 25 BY MR FRAY-WITZER:
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Steele, Christopher Vol. 1 06/18/2018
Page 145
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3 ERRATA
4 (Please make any amendments or corrections on the
5 errata sheet and not on the original deposition)
6 CORRECTION PAGE
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23 ____________________ ______________
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25 Signature Date
GUBAREV vs BUZZFEED
17-CV-60426-UU
BENJAMIN SMITH
Confidential
BENJAMIN SMITH· Confidential February 08, 2018
GUBAREV vs BUZZFEED 1
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800.211.DEPO (3376)
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BENJAMIN SMITH· Confidential February 08, 2018
GUBAREV vs BUZZFEED 5
·1
·2· ·B E N J A M I N· ·S M I T H, called as a
·3· · · ·witness, having been duly sworn by a
·4· · · ·notary public, was examined and testified
·5· · · ·as follows:
·6· · · · · · · · · · EXAMINATION
·7· ·BY MR. FRAY-WITZER:
·8· · · · Q.· ·Good morning.
·9· · · · A.· ·Good morning.
10· · · · Q.· ·Let me start by asking you if you
11· ·have ever been deposed before.
12· · · · A.· ·No, I haven't.
13· · · · Q.· ·Okay.· So I'm going to lay out for
14· ·you some of the ground rules of a deposition.
15· · · · · · ·The first thing is that I will ask
16· ·you a series of questions.· Hopefully you'll
17· ·give a series of answers.· All of your
18· ·answers need to be verbal so head nods,
19· ·um-hums, uh-uhs, can't be recorded accurately
20· ·by the transcriptionist, so I would ask that
21· ·if you're giving an answer -- yes-or-no
22· ·answer that you say "yes" or "no"; if it's a
23· ·longer answer, that you give your longer
24· ·answer but your answers be verbal.
25· · · · · · ·Is that okay?
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·1
·2· · · · · · · ·C E R T I F I C A T E
·3· ·STATE OF NEW YORK· · )
·4· · · · · · · · · · · · : ss.
·5· ·COUNTY OF NEW YORK· ·)
·6
·7· · · · · · ·I, TAMI H. TAKAHASHI, a Notary
·8· · · · Public within and for the State of New
·9· · · · York, do hereby certify:
10· · · · · · ·That BENJAMIN SMITH, the witness
11· · · · whose deposition is hereinbefore set
12· · · · forth, was duly sworn by me and that
13· · · · such deposition is a true record of the
14· · · · testimony given by the witness.
15· · · · · · ·I further certify that I am not
16· · · · related to any of the parties to this
17· · · · action by blood or marriage, and that I
18· · · · am in no way interested in the outcome
19· · · · of this matter.
20· · · · · · ·IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto
21· · · · set my hand this 13th day of February
22· · · · 2018.
23
24· · · · · · · · · · · ·_____________________
25· · · · · · · · · · · ·TAMI H. TAKAHASHI
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