EFTA00173837.pdf

FD-302 (Rev. 5-8-10) RO UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Date of entry 06/25/2020 (U//FOUO) On 05/04/2020 from approximately 3:30 PM to 4:40 PM, CHARLES "CHUCK" JOHNSON, Social Security Account Number (SSN) date of birth (DOB) , telephone number , was interviewed via phone, by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agents (SA) and . After being advised of the identity of the interviewing Agents and the nature of the interview, JOHNSON provided the following information: (U//FOLIO) At the beginning of the interview, Agents thanked JOHNSON for taking the time to follow up on topics from a prior phone call with Agents on 04/28/2020. JOHNSON expressed concerns with talking to Agents because he did not want to possibly incriminate himself. JOHNSON was concerned with former contacts acquired from past business ventures in the marijuana business. JOHNSON was hesitant to further discuss STEVE BANNON with Agents. JOHNSON believed BANNON to be friends with powerful people within the United States. JOHNSON referenced BANNON's relationship with JEFFREY EPSTEIN. Agents explained that the interview was voluntary and he did not need to talk with Agents. JOHNSON understood and continued to talk to the Agents. (U//FOUO) JOHNSON informed Agents he spoke to MICHAEL WALLER who agreed to speak to the FBI. (U//FOUO) JOHNSON provided these additional individuals as personal references from business: • RICHARD SCHWARTZ (CLEAR VIEW): • DAVID MIDDLETON (OTHRAM): (U//FOUO) JOHNSON had knowledge on topics that involved STEVE BANNON's relationship with the Chinese. JOHNSON believed there was some strange things going on with Russia. UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO Investigation on 05/04/2020 at Washington, District Of Columbia, United States (Phone) 65D-WF-2285684-302, 272-LA-3093439, 65X-WF-242460, 50D-NY- mb4 3027571, 361I-WF-2192524, 332A-WF-2221136 Dated:rifted 06/23/2020 M• This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of the FBI. It is the mop. to be distributed outside your agency. of the FBI and is loaned to your agency; it and its contents arc not EFTA00173837 FD-302a (Rev. 5-8-10) UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO 65D-WF-2285684-302 (U//FOUO) Interview of of CHARLES "CHUCK" ComthuldionolTD-30.1of JOHNSON (U//FOLIO) JAMES WOLFE: (U//FOUO) Agents asked JOHNSON about 04/28/2020 on former U.S. Senate Select Director of Security JAMES WOLFE. WOLFE JOHNSON regarding "The Russia Collusion not remember the mention the word information from .on 05/04/2020 .page 2 of 4 his previous Committee disclosed statements on on Intelligence (SSCI) classified information Investigation," but JOHNSON could to specific classified information WOLFE disclosed. WOLFE did "FISA" during the phone conversation. JOHNSON identified conversations with WOLFE being reported by CNN. WOLFE threatened to have JOHNSON testify in the Russia probe. (U//FOUO) JOHNSON was unable to locate the two audio recordings of WOLFE. JOHNSON checked the backed up files on his current phone and iCloud account with negative results. JOHNSON remembered recording the WOLFE conversation from a female friend's house. JOHNSON's friend heard the conversation with WOLFE. JOHNSON believed the call with WOLFE took place on 10/16/2017 and was about 1.5 hours long. JOHNSON was unable to remember his password for his old email account which may have the recording and said he got rid of his old phone which may have it as well. (U//FOUO) JOHNSON believed CNN's MANU RAJU obtained information from WOLFE. JOHNSON said CNN called JOHNSON 30 minutes after WOLFE spoke with him. (U//FOUO) JOHNSON said he identified United States Senator RICHARD BURR as a leaker of classified information. Approximately three to four years ago, BURR would hold separate presentations for donors and non donors. During the donor presentations, BURR would reveal classified information. (U//FOUO) ASSANGE: (U//FOUO) JOHNSON identified Yahoo News Journalist MICHAEL ISIKOFF as someone who obtained classified information. JOHNSON was contacted by ISIKOFF after JOHNSON met with JULIAN ASSANGE at the Embassy of Ecuador in London. JOHNSON could not remember all of the specifics from the meeting and was not allowed to take notes. JOHNSON recalled the former United States Congressman DANA ROHRABACHER did not have his hearing aide for the JOHNSON said the meeting with ASSANGE lasted about three hours and part arranged by his connection to ALAN DERSHOWITZ, who he used to meeting. was in work for. UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO EFTA00173838 FD-302a (Rev. 5-8-10) UNCLASSIFIED//FOLIO 65D-WF-2285684-302 (U//FOUO) Interview of of CHARLES "CHUCK" Continuation of FD-302 of JOHNSON ion 05/04/2020 m g, 3 of 4 (U//FOU0) JOHNSON added that in 2017, JOHANNES WAHLSTROM was tasked to build a back channel between the White House Administration and ASSANGE. JOHNSON was not sure if this was directed by BANNON but believed there was an introduction between WAHLSTROM, ASSANGE, and BANNON. JOHNSON believed "friends" of his were associated with British Intelligence and they were tracking JOHNSON when he visited ASSANGE with ROHRABACHER. JOHNSON recalled discussing Bitcoin. He said it was during the flight back to the United States from London that ISIKOFF called JOHNSON. JOHNSON was surprised at how quick ISIKOFF knew JOHNSON had met with ASSANGE. (U//FOU0) JOHNSON and ROHRABACHER were friends and JOHNSON previously donated money towards his campaign. ROHRABACHER had a number of Russian friends and contacts. JOHNSON described some of ROHRABACHER's friends as crazy due to their ideas of using Russia to defeat the Chinese. JOHNSON said ROHRABACHER was the head of the European Subcommittee on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and he wanted closer relations with the Russians in order to fight the Chinese. (U//FOU0) JOHNSON added that ROHRABACHER said he was traveling to Europe for his wedding anniversary and wanted to see ASSANGE for himself. He attempted to talk with former White House Chief of Staff JOHN KELLY about it. Senator RAND PAUL was briefed on the matter by ROHRABACHER, his Chief of Staff (PAUL BEHRENDS) and JOHNSON. (U//FOUO) ASSANGE told them at the embassy meeting an Israeli group was involved in the hacking of the emails. (U//FOLIO) JOHNSON said there was a close friendship between DONALD TRUMP, JR. and SERGIO GOR. GOR was a naturalized citizen from Malta, ethnic Russian, and a "Russian Spy". JOHNSON also mentioned STEVE BAER, who has passed away. (U//FOLIO) RICK GRENELL and ARTHUR SCHWARTZ: (U//FOLIO) JOHNSON described ARTHUR SCHWARTZ as a shady person who opposed the President of the United States. JOHNSON said an unidentified Member of Congress had told him SCHWARTZ was a spy. SCHWARTZ was believed to have UNCLASSIFIED//FOLIO EFTA00173839 FD-302a (Rev. 5-8-10) UNCLASSIFIED//FOLIO 650-WF-2285684-302 (U//FOUO) Interview of of CHARLES "CHUCK" Continuation of FD-302 of JOHNSON ion 05/04/2020 m g, 4 of 4 setup a back channel with former Acting Director of National Intelligence RICHARD GRENELL. In 2016, GRENELL was perceived to be a major player in the incoming White House Administration. JOHNSON remembered GRENELL to be anti Qatar and not wealthy. JOHNSON said GRENELL leaked information to SCHWARTZ. (U//FOUO) JOHNSON said CASSANDRA FAIRBANKS and JACK POSOBIEC were aware of potentially another SCHWARTZ back channel effort separate from JOHNSON's. He provided the following contact information: • FAIRBANKS: • POSOBIEC: (U//FOLIO) JOHNSON said POSOBIEC was a former intelligence officer. (U//FOUO) Other Matters and Future Contact: (U//FOUO) JOHNSON mentioned to Agents of MICHAEL CERNOVICH's anti FBI posts. (U//FOUO) After the 2016 Presidential election, JOHNSON was approached by a number of Russian and Chinese individuals. (U//FOUO) JOHNSON was contacted by a female in Silicon Valley who inquired about JOHNSON's companies. JOHNSON believed the female had close ties with VLADIMIR PUTIN. (U//FOLIO) JOHNSON agreed to further discuss additional topics with the FBI. JOHNSON was in Texas for the next two to three weeks before travel to California. JOHNSON preferred future communications be done through Signal. JOHNSON said he would be willing to meet with an FBI Agent based in California and would be willing to set aside 10 hours if necessary to discuss China, Russia, Israel, cyber, and whatever else. UNCLASSIFIED//FOLIO EFTA00173840