GOP Senate Report On FBI, GSA Abuse Against Trump Transition Team

TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY …………………………………………………………………… 2
I. Background: Legal Ownership of Presidential Transition Team Records……….......... 6
II. Contrary to the Memorandum of Understanding, the GSA Preserved Trump Transition
Team Records …………………………..……………………………………………... 7
III. The GSA Intentionally Withheld Notification from Trump for America of Its Decision to
Preserve Transition Records in Violation of the Terms of the Memorandum of
Understanding …………………………………………..…………………………….. 11
IV. For Weeks, the GSA Refused to Provide Trump for America with Access to Its Own
Records ……………………………………………………….…………….………… 13
V. Although the GSA Assessed that a Subpoena or Warrant Was Required for the FBI to
Access Trump for America Records, the GSA Ultimately Consented to the Production of
Those Records to the FBI without Any Legal Process ……………………………….. 20
VI. Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………….. 24
Majority Staff Report

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Committee on Finance
United States Senate
1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The United States is renowned for its peaceful transitions of power. Since at least the
early 1960s, presidential candidates have received government assistance in forming and
administering their transition teams. Government assistance to transition teams is crucial to
“promot[ing] the orderly transfer of the executive power in connection with the expiration of the
term of office of a President and the inauguration of a new President.” 1 In providing this
support, Congress soberly assessed that “[t]he national interest requires that such transitions in
the office of the President be accomplished so as to assure continuity in the faithful execution of
the laws and in the conduct of any affairs of the Federal Government, both domestic and
foreign,” and that “[a]ny disruption occasioned by the transfer of executive power could produce
results detrimental to the safety and well-being of the United States and its people.” 2 Every
major presidential candidate over the past five decades—both winners and losers in the general
election—has made use of government assistance to support his or her transition team under the
assumption that government employees were cooperating with the team in good faith.
That presumption of good faith was called into question in 2016. This majority staff
report tells an important, yet overlooked, story about how the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) and Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Office (Special Counsel) secretly sought and
received access to the private records of Donald J. Trump’s presidential transition team, Trump
for America, Inc. They did so despite the terms of a memorandum of understanding between the
Trump transition team and the General Services Administration (GSA)—the executive agency
responsible for providing services to both candidates’ transition teams—that those records were
the transition team’s private property that would not be retained at the conclusion of the
transition.3 At the time of the events highlighted by this report, Denise Turner Roth, an Obama
appointee, was Administrator of GSA until Timothy Horne’s appointment as acting
Administrator on January 20, 2017. Mr. Horne served until Emily Murphy was sworn in as GSA
Administrator on December 12, 2017. 4
Even after the Trump transition team learned about the FBI’s secret preservation request,
the GSA nevertheless refused to provide the Trump transition team copies of its own records. 5
Instead, after denying the Trump transition team its basic legal rights to control its own
information, including the opportunity to protect privileged or confidential information, the GSA
turned those same records over to the Special Counsel without requiring any legal process, such
as a subpoena or warrant.6
1
Presidential Transition Act of 1963, Pub. L. No. 88-277, § 2, 78 Stat. 153, 153 (1964).
2
Id. at 153–54.
3
See infra Section I.
4
Timothy O. Horne, Acting Administrator, U.S. Gen. Serv. Admin., ACT-IAC Advancing Government,
https://www.actiac.org/timothy-o-horne; Emily W. Murphy, Administrator, U.S. Gen. Serv. Admin.,
https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/leadership-directory/administrator.
5
See infra Section IV.
6
See infra Section V.

2
On December 19, 2017, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
received a letter from Kory Langhofer, Trump for America’s General Counsel, explaining that
the GSA provided Trump for America’s records to the Special Counsel without giving prior
notice, obtaining its consent, or providing it an opportunity to review the records for privilege or
relevance.7 The Committees’ review of the information provided by the GSA and the FBI
confirmed this conduct and further revealed several other problems with the GSA’s stewardship
of the Trump transition records.8 The Committees’ findings include:
 On February 15, 2017, after watching the news about Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn’s
resignation as national security advisor, GSA officials proactively contacted the FBI
(through the GSA’s Office of the Inspector General) to ask if they should preserve the
Trump transition team records;9
O In response, the FBI asked the GSA to preserve all Trump transition team records
associated with Lt. Gen. Flynn;
O The GSA then decided to preserve all remaining transition team records even
though the GSA assured Trump for America in their memorandum of
understanding that transition team records would not be retained;
O The GSA decided not to tell the White House about this decision; 10 and
O The GSA decided not to tell counsel for Trump for America about this decision;
 The GSA preserved all remaining Trump transition team records for months even though
the GSA did not receive a formal preservation request until June 12, 2017; 11
 After Trump for America learned about the preservation, the GSA refused to provide it
with copies of all remaining transition team records; and
 In August 2017, the Special Counsel sought and received the production of all remaining
transition team records for 13 different Trump for America officials, including then-CIA
Director Mike Pompeo, then-national security advisor to the vice president Keith
Kellogg, and Jared Kushner;12
7
Letter to Chairman Ron Johnson and Ranking Member Claire McCaskill, S. Comm. on Homeland Sec. &
Governmental Affairs, and Chairman Trey Gowdy and Ranking Member Elijah Cummings, H. Comm. on Oversight
and Gov’t Reform, from Kory Langhofer, Counsel to Trump for America, Inc. (Dec. 16, 2017).
8
Over the course of this investigation, the GSA produced thousands of lightly redacted pages that were responsive
to requests made by both Committees. In contrast, the FBI produced heavily redacted documents, including some of
the same documents that the GSA produced with no or minimal redactions. For this reason, the Committees had
little insight into the internal communications at the FBI about this matter, especially as compared to GSA.
Accordingly, this majority staff report relies almost exclusively on the GSA records related to this matter.
9
See infra Section II.
10
See infra Section III.
11
See infra Section II.
12
See infra Section V.

3
O The Special Counsel requested these records through two letterhead memoranda
from FBI Assistant General Counsel Kevin Clinesmith,13 not with a subpoena or
search warrant; and
O The GSA produced these records to the Special Counsel without affording Trump
for America an opportunity to review the records for relevancy or privilege.
More specifically, as reflected in other work by the Committees and other related
investigations, this is yet another example of the disparate treatment the Trump campaign and
administration received from the federal bureaucracy. For example, the U.S. Department of
Justice Inspector General’s report about the FBI’s investigation of the Trump campaign
described the FBI’s use of a transition team briefing as an opportunity to investigate the
campaign itself.14 Similarly, rather than provide the Trump campaign a defensive briefing about
its counterintelligence concerns, as the FBI did for the Clinton campaign, the FBI quickly
dismissed and never reconsidered that possibility. 15 Instead, the FBI opened a full
counterintelligence investigation into the Trump campaign and deployed, among other
investigative techniques, confidential human sources, and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
warrants targeting Trump campaign officials.16
Perhaps the most fitting contrast to the GSA’s decision to preserve Trump transition team
records concerns the Special Counsel’s Office itself. Recent public disclosures revealed that 15
phones belonging to attorneys in the Special Counsel’s Office were conveniently wiped of all
data for various reasons.17 The destruction of the data on those devices not only risked violating
the rights of future criminal defendants but also impeded oversight efforts by the Inspector
General and Congress.18 In other words, around the same time that the Special Counsel’s Office
encouraged the GSA and others to bend the rules to provide it with records that should not have
13
On August 19, 2020, Clinesmith pleaded guilty to a one-count criminal information alleging that he made and
used a false writing and document during his work on the FBI’s investigation of the Trump campaign. See Matt
Zapotosky & Ann Marimow, Ex-FBI lawyer admits to falsifying document in probe of Trump’s campaign, Wash.
Post (Aug. 19, 2020), https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/kevin-clinesmith-fbi-pleads-
guilty/2020/08/19/6c0dec54-e0a0-11ea-8dd2-d07812bf00f7_story.html; Criminal Information, U.S. v. Clinesmith,
1:20-cr-165 (Aug. 14, 2020), https://int nyt.com/data/documenttools/kevin-clinesmith-court-documents-filed-by-
john-durham/73f2632106afc317/full.pdf; see also U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General
(OIG), Review of Four FISA Applications and Other Aspects of the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane Investigation 254-56
(Dec. 2019), https://www.justice.gov/storage/120919-examination.pdf.
14
See DOJ OIG FISA Report at 340–44.
15
See id. at 55–56, 75–77; Letter from Stephen Boyd, Assistant Attorney Gen., to Chairman Lindsey Graham, et al.
(Aug. 21, 2020), https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2020-08-21%20Submission%20SJC%20SSCI
.pdf.
16
See DOJ OIG FISA Report at 305–344.
17
See generally DOJ documents produced under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (Sept. 4, 2020),
https://www.justice.gov/oip/foia-library/general_topics/communications_strzok_and_page_09_04_20/download.
18
Letter from Chairman Ron Johnson, Chairman, S. Comm. on Homeland Sec. & Governmental Affairs, to Michael
Horowitz, U.S. DOJ Inspector Gen. (Sept. 11, 2020), https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000174-7f74-d809-a9f5-
ff766ff60000.

4
existed—and to do so secretly—the investigating attorneys were also deleting information from
their phones that may have been relevant to any criminal case they later charged.
At bottom, the GSA and the FBI undermined the transition process by preserving Trump
transition team records contrary to the terms of the memorandum of understanding, hiding that
fact from the Trump transition team, and refusing to provide the team with copies of its own
records. These actions have called into question the GSA’s role as a neutral service provider,
and those doubts have consequences. Future presidential transition teams must have confidence
that their use of government resources and facilities for internal communications and
deliberations—including key decisions such as nominations, staffing, and significant policy
changes—will not expose them to exploitation by third parties, including political opponents.
Government officials who break those promises compromise faith in the system and risk the
effectiveness of the transition process.
The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has already taken one
step to address these issues. Chairman Johnson introduced the Presidential Transition
Enhancement Act to codify the memorandum of understanding between the GSA and
presidential transition teams, to require that either party provide advance notice of any intention
to deviate from the memorandum, and to ensure that presidential transition teams designate a
representative for receiving any third party inquiries or legal process concerning transition
records held by the GSA. On March 3, 2020, President Trump signed the Presidential Transition
Enhancement Act into law.19 Although legislative fixes are important, they are not always
sufficient. The purpose of this staff report is transparency, to provide the public an
understanding of how exactly the transition process was corrupted in 2016 so that it does not
happen again.
19
Presidential Transition Enhancement Act of 2019, Pub. L. No. 116-121, 134 Stat. 138 (2020); see also residential
Transition Enhancement Act of 2018, 115th Cong. (2019).

5
I. BACKGROUND: LEGAL OWNERSHIP OF PRESIDENTIAL
TRANSITION TEAM RECORDS
In 2016, then-candidate Donald J. Trump established Trump for America, Inc. as his
transition organization.20 Presidential transition teams are private entities responsible for certain
pre- and post-election activities. Under federal law, transition teams may privately fund their
transition operations, operating as a 501(c)(4) organization, while also receiving authorized
appropriations.21 For these reasons, transition teams are not subject to the Federal Records Act 22
or the Presidential Records Act,23 and therefore the records they generate are the private property
of the organization.24 Consequently, as a matter of practice, transition teams typically destroy
their records after presidential elections or inaugurations.
This practice is typically reflected in a memorandum of understanding between the

transition team and the General Services Administration (GSA), the federal agency charged with
providing office space and communications services to presidential transition teams. 25 For
example, in 2008, the GSA agreed with the transition team for then-Senator Barack Obama to
repurpose GSA-supplied software and equipment for other GSA users or clients. 26 The
memorandum of understanding between the GSA and the transition team for Mitt Romney was
more explicit, stating that “all such property will be repurposed, after removal of any sensitive
data and/or full hard drive cleanup, to GSA users or clients after the election if there is no
transition or the inauguration if there is a transition.”27 In 2016, the memorandum between the
GSA and Trump for America expressly addressed what the GSA would do with the electronic
devices it provided to Trump for America:
GSA will provide an architected infrastructure to meet telecommunications and IT

services and equipment for use by the Office of the President-elect, with
installation included as part of the “turn-key” office space. GSA will supply
software and equipment, and the equipment will be returned by February 19,
20
Letter from Christopher J. Christie, Transition Chairman, Trump for America, Inc., to Timothy Horne, Fed.
Transition Coordinator, Gen. Serv. Admin. (Aug. 1, 2016) [GSA 004583].
21
Pre-Election Presidential Transition Act of 2010, Pub. L. No. 111-283, § 2, 124 Stat. 3045, 3046-47 (2010); see
also 3 U.S.C. § 102 note.
22
44 U.S.C. § 3101.
23
44 U.S.C. § 2201.
24
Mem. from Laurence Brewer, Chief Records Officer, Nat’l Archives & Records Admin., to federal agency
records officers on guidance relating to president-elect transition team materials (Nov. 16, 2016), available at
https://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/memos/ac09-2017 (“The materials that [presidential-elect transition team]
members create or receive are not Federal or Presidential records, but are considered private materials.”).
25
3 U.S.C. § 102 note.
26
Mem. of Understanding between the Obama-Biden Transition Project and Gen. Serv. Admin. (Nov. 5, 2008).
27
Mem. of Understanding between Gen. Serv. Admin. and R2P Inc. (Sept. 17, 2012).

6
2017. This equipment will be inventoried and all data on these devices will be
deleted.28
In addition to this express promise about how transition team records would be handled, GSA
officials affirmed repeatedly—internally, 29 to Trump for America,30 to the FBI,31 and to the
Special Counsel32—that Trump for America records were private property.
II. CONTRARY TO THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING, THE

GSA PRESERVED TRUMP TRANSITION TEAM RECORDS.
Despite a clear understanding that Trump for America owned its records and an express
promise about how those records would be handled at the conclusion of the transition, GSA
officials—at the urging of the FBI and Office of the Special Counsel—nonetheless decided to
preserve and disclose those records to various investigative entities, all while concealing these
facts from Trump for America. This decision not only violated the memorandum of
understanding and past practice, but it also deprived Trump for America of its legal rights and
the opportunity to review its own records for privileged or otherwise confidential information
before it was disclosed to third parties.33
By January 26, 2017, pursuant to the terms of the memorandum, the GSA was well
underway in removing data from information technology equipment and software that Trump for
America officials had returned to the GSA. 34 However, beginning on February 15, 2017, that
28
Mem. of Understanding between the Gen. Serv. Admin. and Donald J. Trump, at 10 (2016). The parties amended
the MOU on January 19, 2017, requiring GSA-supplied IT equipment to be returned by March 31, 2017.
29
Email from Seth Greenfeld to Lenny Loewentritt (June 1, 2017, 10:53 EDT) [GSA 000812] (“[T]he records are
actually [Trump transition] records and not GSA records (although, obviously, we have physical custody).”).
30
Email from Seth Greenfeld to Brandon Van Grack, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Dep’t of Justice (June 9,
2017, 10:12 EDT) [GSA 003788] (“I personally explained to some different members of the Presidential Transition
Team that GSA does not view the records generated in conducting [transition] business as GSA records subject to
the Federal Records Act or FOIA and that GSA deletes the records when the Transition is over.”).
31
Email from Seth Greenfeld to Sally Moyer, Assistant Gen. Counsel, Fed. Bureau of Investigation (June 2, 2017,
08:36 EDT) [GSA 000810] (“GSA does not view these as GSA records for Federal Records Act and FOIA purposes
but rather [Trump transition] records which happen to be in GSA’s custody.”).
32
Email from Seth Greenfeld to Lenny Loewentritt (June 8, 2017, 11:27 EDT) [GSA 000304] (summarizing a
phone conversation with assistant special counsel Brandon Van Grack: “I explained GSA’s support in Transition
(e.g., office space, equipment, and other administrative support), and that GSA does not view the records in question
as GSA records in both a Federal Records Act and FOIA context. Therefore, I see GSA simply as in custody of the
documents, but that they are PTT documents”).
33
Email from Erik Simmons to Claudia Nadig, Brett Armstrong, Deputy Associate Admin. for Resilience and
Interagency Programs, Off. of Mission Assurance, Gen. Serv. Admin., Duane Smith, Lenny Loewentritt, Seth
Greenfeld, and Steve Grewal (Aug. 24, 2017, 11:11 EDT) [GSA 004391]; see also Letter from Kory Langhofer,
Counsel, Trump for America, Inc., to Chairman Ron Johnson, Chairman, S. Comm. on Homeland Sec. &
Governmental Affairs (Dec. 16, 2017).
34
Email from Erik Simmons to Seth Greenfeld (Jan. 26, 2017, 05:47 EST) (“When we start to de-install equipment,
we normally delete all system files. … I wanted to ensure that there is nothing that we need to retain because once
the system is wiped, there is no way to recover any of that data.”) [GSA 004284]; Email from Seth Greenfeld to Erik

7
changed. As GSA Associate General Counsel Seth Greenfeld summarized in a later email,
“given the news cycles, GSA decided it was prudent to inquire about preservation during the
machine wiping process, so we reached out to the [GSA] I[nspector] G[eneral], who contacted
the FBI or DOJ and got the ball rolling for GSA’s preservation of records.” 35 In other words, on
their own initiative, certain GSA officials asked the GSA’s Office of the Inspector General
(OIG) to ask the FBI if Trump transition team records should be preserved because of what they
read in the news. According to GSA OIG counsel Ed Martin, the “news cycle” that sparked this
concern was the resignation of then-national security advisor Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn. 36
On February 15, 2017, Mr. Martin emailed Mr. Greenfeld, “[p]er our conversation, the
OIG recommends you preserve all transition team records.” 37 Later that day, Mr. Greenfeld
wrote to GSA Deputy General Counsel Lenny Loewentritt:
This deviates from what we told the PTT would be GSA’s practice. We told the
[transition team] that we do not store information after the Transition and we
sanitize machines when they are returned to us. I already instructed the GSA’s
Support Team to preserve all the information at the request of DOJ (through our
OIG), but do we need something more formal from DOJ or the OIG, or is Mr.
Martin’s e-mail enough? I want to make sure any evidence is available but I also
want to make sure GSA is not open to some type of complaint. I do not care
about “bad press”, but want to make sure we are not violating anything more
serious.38
On February 15, 2017, because certain GSA officials were concerned by the news about the
resignation of Lt. Gen. Flynn, the GSA began preserving all Trump for America records based
on a phone call between the GSA Inspector General and the FBI. The GSA has not identified,
and the Committees have not been able to determine, the GSA official who first suggested that
Trump transition team records be preserved and how that suggestion made its way to the GSA’s
OIG.
The GSA did not receive “something more formal” from the FBI until March 9, 2017,
when FBI General Counsel Jim Baker sent an email requesting preservation. 39 In that email,
Baker requested only the preservation of “all stored communications, records, and electronic
media associated with General Michael Flynn,” as well as “a cellular telephone, laptop, call logs,
Simmons (Jan. 26, 2017, 08:31 EST) (stating, “You are referring to the actual content on machines and PTT
personnel’s information (e.g., content of the actual e-mail exchanges or the substance of a Word document), right? If
so, there is no requirement for GSA to capture and retain that information.”) [GSA 004284].
35
Email from Seth Greenfeld to Lenny Loewentritt (June 8, 2017, 11:27 EDT) [GSA 000304].
36
Interview with Ed Martin (Sep. 10, 2020) (notes on file with the Comms.).
37
Email from Edward Martin, Counsel, Gen. Serv. Admin. Off. of Inspector Gen., to Seth Greenfeld (Feb. 15, 2017,
10:22 EST) [GSA 003396].
38
Email from Seth Greenfeld to Lenny Loewentritt (Feb. 15, 2017, 16:19 EST) [GSA 003397].
39
Email from James A. Baker, Gen. Counsel, Fed. Bureau of Investigation, to Lenny Loewentritt (Mar. 9, 2017,
14:16 EST) [GSA 000278].

8
and email communications used by or associated with General Flynn.” 40 But Baker also made
another request of the GSA. Specifically, for the remainder of the Trump transition team
records, Baker conveyed that “the FBI requests that the GSA confer with the Senate Select
Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
(HPSCI) before disposing of those materials.” 41 Baker did not elaborate on the intelligence
committees’ interest in those records, nor did he explain why the FBI was making such a request
on behalf of those committees.
By mid- to late-May 2017, the GSA continued to preserve all Trump for America records
despite not having received a formal preservation request from any investigative body. As far as
the Committees can tell, the GSA did not receive a formal preservation request for Trump for
America records until June 12, 2017, when it received a preservation request from SSCI. 42 At
some point before then, at a date that could not be determined based on the records produced to
the Committees, the FBI apparently asked the GSA to expand its preservation beyond Lt. Gen.
Flynn and to include all remaining GSA records. 43 However, the FBI did not send the GSA a
formal preservation request until June 22, 2017, which, at that time, was a request by the Special
Counsel’s Office.
On June 2, 2017, the FBI sent a letter to Mr. Loewentritt stating, “[b]ased on our
conversation [yesterday], the FBI is interested in obtaining further information to determine what
information you possess which may be related to our investigation.” 44 In the cover email
conveying this letter, FBI Supervisory Special Agent Mary Gleason wrote, “Thank you again for
your time yesterday. Based on our discussion, we prepared the attached request for
40
Email from James A. Baker to Lenny Loewentritt (Mar. 9, 2017, 14:16 EST) [GSA 000278].
41
Email from James A. Baker to Lenny Loewentritt (Mar. 9, 2017, 14:16 EST) [GSA 000278]. On February 17,
2017, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence wrote a letter to the GSA requesting that it preserve information
“in furtherance of the Committee’s ongoing investigation into Russian actions targeting the 2016 U.S. elections and
democratic processes globally.” However, due to a processing error, GSA OGC was unaware of this request until
June 12, 2017.
42
Based on emails produced to the Committee from the GSA, it appears the first contact between the GSA and the
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence was on or shortly before May 23, 2017. See Email from Seth Greenfeld to
Lenny Loewentritt and Eugenia Ellison (May 23, 2017, 11:11 EDT) [GSA 003889]
43
For example, on May 22, 2017, an Assistant U.S. Attorney wrote to Mr. Loewentritt, “In terms of our second
letter, we would ask that you simply preserve, as you are already doing and put on hold any production. In terms of
any other issues, the FBI will be the best resource to guide your preservation/production.” Email from Ari Redbord
to Lenny Loewentritt (May 22, 2017, 18:49 EDT) [GSA 001354]. However, the records received by the Committee
do not seem to include a “second letter” or, for that matter, a “first letter,” as referenced by Mr. Redbord.
Additionally, on May 26, 2017, FBI attorney Sally Moyer wrote to the GSA, “I was able to coordinate with both the
DC [sic] US [sic] Attorney’s Office and the Special Counsel. We ask that you continue to preserve the stored
communications, records, and electronic media as previously requested in a manner that maintains the integrity of
both the content and the metadata of the information.” Email from Sally Moyer, Chief, Counterintelligence Law
Unit I, Fed. Bureau of Investigation, to Lenny Loewentritt, Seth Greenfeld, and Janet Harney, Associate Gen.
Counsel, Gen. Serv. Admin. (May 26, 2017, 17:41 EDT) [GSA 000586].
44
Letter from John A. Brown to Brett Armstrong (June 1, 2017) [GSA 004859].

9
information.”45 Neither the email nor the letter addressed the preservation of Trump transition
team records. The records produced to the Committees do not appear to include any record
reflecting the content of the June 1, 2017 discussion between the FBI and the GSA.
Nonetheless, on June 16, 2017, the GSA issued the following internal agency
preservation notice to its information technology support staff:
[D]o not destroy any potentially relevant information pertaining to the electronic
records created, used, or accessed by [presidential transition team] personnel
which GSA may have in its possession or has access through GSA contracts or
other mechanisms. “Potentially relevant information” includes any tangible thing,
whether electronically stored or not, that relates to the matter. 46
The notice also stated:
It is acknowledged that GSA has been preserving this information since a

February 15, 2017, e-mail from [Mr. Greenfeld] to Erik Simmons and Aimee
Whiteman…and that all cleansing of laptop computers and cellular phones
ceased, that equipment is securely stored, GSA copied e-mails and other records
from the Google cloud and is preserving it, and GSA is maintaining contracts and
accounts in an active status with Google to ensure information is available if
needed.47
On June 22, 2017, the FBI finally sent a formal preservation request letter for Trump
transition team records to the GSA.48 The letter to the GSA stated:
Based on our conversation on 06/01/2017, and consistent with our follow up

letterhead memoranda dated 06/01/2017,49 the FBI has determined that items in
the possession of GSA may contain information relevant to our investigative
efforts. The FBI therefore formally requests that GSA immediately preserves all
Documents and Responsive Materials in their current format, so as to preserve
their forensic integrity, which are potentially relevant to our investigative efforts
that are in the possession, custody, or control of GSA. . . . All Documents and
Responsive Materials should be preserved even if destruction of documents or
records might, but for this request, be permissible. Additionally, this request to
45
Email from Mary Gleason, Supervisory Special Agent, Counterintelligence Division, Fed. Bureau of
Investigation, to Lenny Loewentritt, Brett Armstrong, Sally Moyer, and Kevin Clinesmith (June 2, 2017, 13:11
EDT) [GSA 001327].
46
Mem. from Seth Greenfeld to David Shive, Steve Grewal, and Erik Simmons (June 16, 2017) [GSA 5013].
47
Id.
48
Letter from to William Brazis, Gen. Counsel, Def. Info. Sys. Admin. [sic], U.S. Dep’t of Def.
(June 22, 2017) [GSA 4779-80]; Letter from to Lenny Loewentritt, (June 22, 2017) [GSA 004827].
49
Mem. from John Brown, FBI Special Agent in Charge, to Brett Armstrong (June 1, 2017) [FBI000167].

10
preserve Documents and Responsive Materials applies to potentially privileged
material.50
In summary, contrary to the express terms of its memorandum of understanding with

Trump for America, the GSA began preserving transition team records on February 15, 2017,
based on a phone call between the GSA OIG and the FBI. Moreover, even though the basis for
the request was the news of the resignation of Lt. Gen. Flynn, the GSA began preserving all
remaining Trump for America records. On March 9, 2017, FBI General Counsel James Baker
sent the GSA an email requesting the preservation of records related to Lt. Gen. Flynn, but he
also asked the GSA to “confer” with the Senate and House intelligence committees about all
other remaining Trump transition team records. Based on the record produced to the
Committees, there does not appear to have been an informal conferral between the GSA and the
FBI or a Congressional committee until late May 2017. In other words, for several months, the
GSA preserved all remaining Trump for America records without a formal preservation request,
which was eventually received on June 22, 2017. Even though the legal status and disposition of
presidential transition team records was well established, the GSA and the FBI brushed those
rights, rules, and precedent aside, through informal calls and emails, in their quest to investigate
Trump campaign, transition, and administration officials.
III. THE GSA INTENTIONALLY WITHHELD NOTIFICATION FROM

TRUMP FOR AMERICA OF ITS DECISION TO PRESERVE
TRANSITION RECORDS IN VIOLATION OF THE TERMS OF THE
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.
There were several opportunities for the GSA to notify Trump for America about its
decision to preserve all transition team records; however, GSA purposefully withheld this
information from Trump for America for months, at first on its own initiative and then pursuant
to requests by the FBI.
When the GSA’s Senior Assistant General Counsel Seth Greenfeld first directed the GSA
staff to stop deleting Trump transition team records from its equipment, one GSA official asked,
“Any responsibility for us to inform the [White House] that this request has been made? I ask
because their understanding of the situation is that everything gets deleted/destroyed when
equipment is turned in and the transition ends.” 51 Mr. Greenfeld replied, “At this time, I
recommend against briefing anyone at the White House.” 52 The next morning, Mr. Greenfeld
wrote, “I spoke with Lenny Loewentritt yesterday and [Acting Administrator] Tim Horne was in
his office, and they agreed with me. Also, I e-mailed the General Counsel for the IG so they are
aware too of our position.”53
50
Letter from to Lenny Loewentritt (June 22, 2017) [GSA 004827].
51
Email from Aimee Whiteman to Seth Greenfeld and Erik Simmons (Feb. 15, 2017, 16:36 EST) [GSA 002497].
52
Email from Seth Greenfeld to Aimee Whiteman and Erik Simmons (Feb. 15, 2017, 16:57 EST) [GSA 004274].
53
Email from Seth Greenfeld to Aimee Whiteman and Erik Simmons (Feb. 16, 2017, 08:28 EST) [GSA 004263].

11
Over a month later, on March 23, 2017, Mr. Greenfeld noted in an email exchange with
Mr. Simmons that the “White House Counsel’s Office is aware” that the GSA continued to store
GSA equipment containing Trump transition team records. 54 From the records produced, the
Committees have not been able to determine when or how the GSA informed White House
Counsel about the preservation of transition team records, and whether that awareness included
the full range and scope of the several different preservation requests from the FBI. In an
interview with Committee staff, Mr. Greenfeld could not recall a communication with White
House Counsel’s Office that he referenced in his March 23, 2017 email. 55
On April 11, 2017, Kory Langhofer, counsel for Trump for America, contacted the GSA
to discuss the possible preservation of certain Trump for America records. 56 Another GSA
official, Anne Marie Davis, responded to Mr. Langhofer, “we would NOT delete any
information from today [Tuesday] thru Monday.” 57 Ms. Davis did not inform Mr. Langhofer
that the GSA was already preserving all transition team records. Moreover, by telling Mr.
Langhofer that the GSA would not destroy Trump for America records for a week, Ms. Davis did
not provide Mr. Langhofer with any reason to doubt that the GSA was destroying Trump for
America records pursuant to the terms of the memorandum of understanding, even though the
GSA decided two months earlier to preserve all remaining Trump for America records. Further,
on April 17, 2017, Mr. Simmons told Mr. Langhofer that the GSA “had wiped 80% of the
hardware and [he] would need to contact OGC if they needed more information.” 58 Again, by
noting that the Trump for America records were nearly all destroyed, GSA officials not only
failed to notify Trump for America of the ongoing preservation efforts, but also intentionally
misled its counsel by suggesting that the destruction of records pursuant to the memorandum was
ongoing and nearly complete.
On April 26, 2017, Mr. Langhofer sent the GSA a request to preserve all remaining
Trump for America records because it had received document requests from the Senate Select
Committee on Intelligence and these records were also implicated in a civil lawsuit. 59 A month
later, on May 18, 2017, Mr. Langhofer emailed Mr. Greenfeld “to confirm that the GSA has
halted the wiping of [transition team] emails, hard drives, and cell phones as we discussed briefly
54
Email from Seth Greenfeld to Erik Simmons (Mar. 23, 2017, 16:06 EDT) [GSA 002618].
55
Interview with Seth Greenfeld (Apr. 5, 2018) (On file with the Comms.).
56
On February 22, 2020, a GSA official emailed Mr. Langhofer about the “final shutdown” of the transition
networks and explained that “February 28th is a hard shutdown of the network: We have no flexibility on that date
as we are bound by what is outlined in the MOU extension … [and] [t]herefore, requests for file downloads and
transfers should be submitted to [email protected] by [close of business] Friday at the latest.” GSA 004088. That
same day, Mr. Langhofer requested that the GSA preserve a subset of his records (those entitled “President Trump
Transition Guide”), and all emails and documents for Charles Gantt (TFA CFO) and Monica Block (Trump for
America Dir. of Operations). Email from Kory Langhofer to GSA et al. (Feb. 22, 2017, 4:25 PM) [GSA 004087]
see also email from Erik Simmons to Kory Langhofer (Feb. 23, 2017, 7:25 PM EDT) (confirming preservation
request).
57
Email from Anne Marie Davis to Erik Simmons and Seth Greenfeld (Apr. 11, 2017, 18:06 EDT) [GSA 002588].
58
Email from Erik Simmons to Seth Greenfeld (Apr. 17, 2017, 15:14 EDT) [GSA 002567].
59
See Email from Seth Greenfeld to Erik Simmons (Apr. 26, 2017, 15:31 EDT) [GSA 004051].

12
a couple weeks ago.”60 Mr. Greenfeld replied, “GSA is not wiping any additional devices and
has not since we last spoke.”61 By stating that the GSA had not wiped any devices “since we last
spoke,” Mr. Greenfeld ignored the fact that the GSA had been preserving all of those records
since February 15, 2017. Yet again, this statement misleadingly suggested to Trump for
America’s counsel that the GSA had not been preserving transition team records prior to April
17, 2017. In an internal email that same day, Mr. Greenfeld confirmed for his colleagues that the
GSA was not entirely forthcoming with Trump for America’s counsel: “GSA never told [Mr.
Langhofer] of the DOJ/FBI request to us. We simply informed him of the fact that about 80% of
the machines were previously wiped[.]”62
Based on the records produced, the Committees have not identified the GSA’s basis for
withholding from Trump for America the relevant facts relating to the preservation request by
the FBI. But on May 26, 2017, Ms. Moyer wrote to Mr. Loewentritt, “[the FBI has] no objection
to you indicating to others who request the [transition team] materials that you are under
preservation obligations from the Department of Justice/FBI.” 63 Despite this explicit
authorization, the GSA failed to immediately correct the record and only informed Trump for
America on June 5, 2017—10 days later—that the FBI had requested the preservation of all
transition team records on February 15, 2017. 64
IV. FOR WEEKS, THE GSA REFUSED TO PROVIDE TRUMP FOR

AMERICA WITH ACCESS TO ITS OWN RECORDS.
On May 18, 2017, Trump for America sent its first request to the GSA for the production
of transition team records.65 Specifically, Kory Langhofer, counsel for Trump for America,
asked the GSA “to save all the email and Google Drive data to an external hard drive and then
have it FedEx’ed to [him].”66 Mr. Langhofer also asked the GSA for a list of the transition team
members’ equipment that had not erased and whether the wiped equipment could still be
accessed for a forensic review.67
Mr. Greenfeld forwarded Mr. Langhofer’s request for Trump transition team records and
information to other GSA attorneys:
I am not sure we want to turn over hard drives or forensic reviews as that could be
what DOJ, the FBI, or others want to do with our machines, and if Kory
60
Email from Kory Langhofer to Seth Greenfeld (May 18, 2017, 03:04 EDT) [GSA 004050].
61
Email from Seth Greenfeld to Kory Langhofer (May 18, 2017, 08:18 EDT) [GSA 004046].
62
Email from Seth Greenfeld to Lenny Loewentritt and Janet Harney (May 18, 2017, 09:56 EDT) [GSA 000707].
63
Email from Sally Moyer to Lenny Loewentritt and Seth Greenfeld (May 26, 2017, 21:41 EDT) [GSA 001123].
64
Email from Seth Greenfeld to Kory Langhofer (June 5, 2017, 10:05 EDT) [GSA 003797].
65
66
Id.
67
Id.

13
[Langhofer]’s folks go first, evidence could be lost or changed. I am comfortable
making a copy of everything and giving it to him, but I am not sure how to
respond to the other questions.68
In response, however, Mr. Loewentritt counseled Mr. Greenfeld to be even less

forthcoming with Trump for America.69 According to Mr. Greenfeld, “[Mr. Loewentritt] said I
should just tell Kory that the machines are not available to him and not answer any follow-up
questions. I’m sure there will be follow-up questions. If Kory [Langhofer] presses, I may tell
him that he can always have the party asking for the access contact GSA.” 70
On May 19, 2017, Trump for America contacted the GSA again about their request for
transition team records and information. Mr. Greenfeld wrote to Mr. Loewentritt:
I forwarded you a voice-mail message from Kory Langhofer. He is now asking

for a copy of all the GSA records GSA has copied for the [transition team]. I
have not responded, but I feel like I owe him some type of reply by Monday at the
latest, as his message said he is under some time crunch now and I feel badly
simply ignoring him. Please let me know what you want to say or if I should
continue to not respond as we discussed yesterday. 71
Mr. Loewentritt responded to Mr. Greenfeld, “we have a call with the appropriate Government
folks on Monday. Till then we should not respond.”72
The next day, May 20, 2017, Trump for America again contacted the GSA requesting its
own transition team records and information. 73 Mr. Greenfeld forwarded this email to Mr.
Loewentritt, writing:
Below is another e-mail from Kory. I will need to give him some answer today so
please ask the FBI when you speak with them. He knows GSA has everything
backed up, and he is just asking for copies; GSA will not release the actual
machines or grant access to the actual system so there is no way they or anyone
68
Email from Seth Greenfeld to Lenny Loewentritt, Janet Harney, and Eugenia Ellison (May 18, 2017, 16:04 EDT)
[GSA 003982].
69
Email from Seth Greenfeld to Janet Harney, Lenny Loewentritt, and Eugenia Ellison (May 18, 2017, 16:50 EDT)
[GSA 003970].
70
Email from Seth Greenfeld to Janet Harney, Lenny Loewentritt, and Eugenia Ellison (May 18, 2017, 16:50 EDT)
[GSA 003970].
71
Email from Seth Greenfeld to Lenny Loewentritt (May 19, 2017, 15:52 EDT) [GSA 000012].
72
Email from Lenny Loewentritt to Seth Greenfeld and Janet Harney (May 19, 2017, 16:13 EDT) [GSA 003223].
The Committee has been unable to identify to whom Mr. Loewentritt was referring as “the appropriate Government
folks.”
73

14
else can tamper with evidence. In addition, these are actually their records so I
am having a hard time seeing an argument to withhold copies from them. 74
Mr. Loewentritt continued to look to the FBI for guidance. Mr. Loewentritt forwarded
this email to other GSA officials, stating, “this private attorney is continuously demanding to see
the documents that we have on the matter. We need to have the call with our friends in the
[Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF)] to get direction from the DOJ/FBI.” 75
The records produced to the Committees do not indicate why any conversation about these
records, most of which were unclassified, needed to occur in a SCIF, a specialized room for
accessing and discussing classified information.
Mr. Langhofer followed up with Mr. Greenfeld later that day about the Trump transition
team records, asking “[h]ow quickly can the IT folks get us a copy of all the data? We have one
pending documents request and need to know how to negotiate re: our deadline for document
production.”76 The next morning, Mr. Greenfeld sent this request to Mr. Simmons, 77 who
responded “quickly.”78 Mr. Greenfeld emailed to Mr. Langhofer later that day, “I am hopeful I
can have something for you by tomorrow afternoon. I will follow-up with you though.” 79
Minutes later, Mr. Greenfeld wrote an email to himself, which stated:
Note to self-Lenny and Eugenia said they spoke with Sally [Moyer] (FBI) earlier
and she had no concern with releasing a copy of the [transition team] records to
the [transition team], but she does not want anyone to actually touch the
machines. Also, she will follow-up in writing to Lenny. This is what we are
waiting for.80
Later that day, Mr. Greenfeld asked Mr. Loewentritt, “I was curious if you received the
follow-up from Sally [Moyer] yet? I know the [transition team] attorney is anxious to get the
copies.”81 Mr. Loewentritt replied, “not a word yet.”82 Mr. Greenfeld asked Mr. Loewentritt the
next day, May 24, 2017, “Still nothing from Sally [Moyer]?”83
74
75
Email from Lenny Loewentritt to Brett Armstrong, Bobby Carter, and Janet Harney (May 22, 2017, 09:41 EDT)
[GSA 000234].
76
77
Email from Seth Greenfeld to Erik Simmons (May 22, 2017, 08:50 EDT) [GSA 003897] (“How long
would it take to make a copy of the [transition team] documents? We are not currently authorized to
release anything to anyone, but if we get the green light, how quickly can we get a copy to the [transition
team]? Can you make a copy now and just hold it in the event we get permission to release it to them?”).
78
Email from Erik Simmons to Seth Greenfeld (May 23, 2017, 09:08 EDT) [GSA 003895].
79
80
Email from Seth Greenfeld to self (May 23, 2017, 12:25 EDT) [GSA 003864].
81
82
Email from Lenny Loewentritt to Seth Greenfeld (May 23, 2017, 16:56 EDT) [GSA 003849].
83

15
Two days later, on May 26, 2017, Mr. Loewentritt wrote to Ms. Moyer, “Sally, we spoke
this past week about requests for documents from the attorney representing the Trump transition,
Kory Langhofer, from Statecraft PLLC. We are still awaiting guidance. If we need to chat
again, please let me know.”84 Ms. Moyer replied:
I apologize for the delay. As I just explained to Brett [Armstrong], I was able to
coordinate with both the DC US Attorney’s Office and the Special Counsel. We
ask that you continue to preserve the stored communications, records, and
electronic media as previously requested in a manner that maintains the integrity
of both the content and the metadata of the information. We have no objection to
you indicating to others who request the materials that you are under preservation
obligations from the Department of Justice/FBI. 85
Although Ms. Moyer’s May 26, 2017 email did not directly answer the GSA’s question about
whether it could release copies of transition team records to Trump for America, it did make
clear that the FBI had no objection to the GSA informing Trump for America of the record
preservation requests. Based on the records produced to the Committees, neither the GSA nor
the FBI expressly identified a legal basis for withholding that information from Trump for
America for several months.
For the next several weeks, however, the GSA continued to debate whether it should
provide Trump for America with copies of its own records. On May 31, 2017, Mr. Greenfeld
wrote to Mr. Simmons, “I was told the FBI does not object to us releasing copies to the
Transition folks (Kory).”86 Mr. Greenfeld then wrote in an email to himself:
Lenny told me last week that Sally [Moyer] indicated on a phone call that she had
no objection to GSA sharing a copy of the documents downloaded from the cloud
with the [transition team] as long as the integrity of the machines and metadata
was preserved. I instructed GSA IT to provide a copy of the documents to the
[transition team] but ensure no one accesses the machines or accounts
themselves.87
The next day, June 1, 2017, Mr. Simmons emailed Mr. Greenfeld, “I was just in a
meeting with Lenny [Loewentritt] and he told me NOT to send anything out [to Trump for
America] at this time until you guys have further discussions with DOJ. Please let me know
once you have the green light. . . . Will you send an update to Kory [Langhofer]?” 88 Mr.
84
Email from Lenny Loewentritt to Sally Moyer, Seth Greenfeld, and Janet Harney (May 26, 2017, 14:01 EDT)
[GSA 000173].
85
Email from Sally Moyer to Lenny Loewentritt, Seth Greenfeld, and Janet Harney (May 26, 2017, 17:41 EDT)
[GSA 000173].
86
Email from Seth Greenfeld to Erik Simmons (May 31, 2017, 08:37 EDT) [GSA 000572].
87
Email from Seth Greenfeld to self (May 31, 2017, 09:01 EDT) [GSA 003827].
88
Email from Erik Simmons to Seth Greenfeld (June 1, 2017, 10:29 EDT) [GSA 003822].

16
Greenfeld replied: “Sure, but I will also talk to Lenny because he told me Sally [Moyer] from the
FBI told him last week on the phone that we could send the copies.” 89 Mr. Greenfeld then wrote
to Mr. Loewentritt:
Erik Simmons just informed me that you said he cannot send a copy of the
[transition team]’s documents to the [transition team]? You told me last week
that Sally Moyer from the FBI did not object as long as no one accessed the actual
machines. Why are we changing course now? They are getting copies only and
no one is accessing any equipment. There is no chance of anyone tampering with
any evidence or potential evidence. They are simply getting copies of their own
records of which GSA already has a copy. Did Erik misunderstand? 90
Mr. Greenfeld then added:
In addition, if we are not releasing the copies at the request of the FBI or DOJ, I
think they need to give us the legal basis as the records are actually [transition
team] records and not GSA records (although, obviously, we have physical
custody). If GSA is sued for these by the [transition team], I do not think GSA
should simply defend itself with: “The FBI asked us not to do it.”91
The next day, June 2, 2017, Mr. Greenfeld contacted Ms. Moyer directly. After making
clear that “GSA does not view these as GSA records . . . but rather [transition team] records
which happen to be in GSA’s custody,” he asked Ms. Moyer whether FBI “object[s] to GSA
providing a copy to [Trump for America]?”92 Records produced to the Committees do not show
that Ms. Moyer ever responded to this email.
Having been promised the Trump for America records by May 24, 2017, Mr. Langhofer
emailed Mr. Greenfeld on June 5, 2017, writing “[w]e still have not received the package.” 93
Mr. Greenfeld replied:
I am very sorry, but it still has not been mailed, although the copy is ready to go.
GSA is at present subject to a Department of Justice / FBI preservation obligation
and is, at this time, not permitted to send you the copy. I am trying to shake this
loose for you as I see no reason why the copy cannot be provided, but until GSA
receives express permission, it will not be mailed. As soon as GSA receives the
go ahead, it will be expressed to you. 94
89
Email from Seth Greenfeld to Erik Simmons (June 1, 2017, 10:35 EDT) [GSA 003817].
90
91
92
Email from Seth Greenfeld to Sally Moyer (June 2, 2017, 08:36 EDT) [GSA 000810].
93
Email from Kory Langhofer to Seth Greenfeld (June 5, 2017, 09:17 EDT) [GSA 003803].
94

17
This appears to be the first time that the GSA notified Mr. Langhofer or anyone at Trump for
America of the records preservation that the GSA initiated on February 15, 2017. Mr. Greenfeld
then pressed Ms. Moyer about this matter again:
Does the FBI object to GSA providing a copy of the [transition team] records to
one of the [transition team]’s attorney [sic]? I see no legal reason to not provide
them, but I was asked to confirm with you based on some conversations of which
I was not involved. Please let me know if it is OK to provide the copy or not. 95
Based on the records produced to the Committees, Ms. Moyer did not respond to this email.
Hours later, Mr. Greenfeld emailed Ms. Moyer yet again:
Kory Langhofer, the attorney for the [transition team] asking for a copy of the
[transition team] documents, reached out to me again today asking for the copies.
He said they are under a document preservation and production request from the
[Senate Select Committee on Intelligence]. They also expect a request from DOJ.
As you wrote in an e-mail a week or so ago, I informed him that GSA is under a
document preservation request from DOJ/FBI, and we did not mail him the copy
of the records. He will be calling you to see about how this should be addressed
for them with [Senate Select Committee on Intelligence] and possibly getting a
copy of the records as they think there may be some privileges. 96
Ms. Moyer responded, “Is Mr. Langhofer requesting a copy of hard copy documents or
would he like a digital copy of the devices or cloud services? Unfortunately, any copies of the
latter would have an impact on our forensics review.” 97 Mr. Greenfeld responded, “He is
requesting an electronic copy of the documents from the cloud, which I believe were made by
GSA before the formal requests were made by DOJ/FBI so they are available on a thumb-drive.
… [I]t is simply providing a copy of the copy GSA made.” 98 Ms. Moyer then replied that she
would “re-engage with the US Attorney’s Office and Special Counsel.” 99 The records produced
to the Committees do not reflect whether Ms. Moyer and Mr. Greenfeld discussed this matter
further.
On June 8, 2017, however, Mr. Greenfeld spoke with Special Counsel attorney Brandon
Van Grack and memorialized that phone conversation in an email to Mr. Loewentritt:
I spoke with Brandon Van[ ]Grack . . . from Special Counsel Mueller’s staff. We
spoke about the document request from the [transition team] attorney and how
GSA views the records. I explained . . . that GSA does not view the records in
95
96
97
Email from Sally Moyer to Seth Greenfeld (June 5, 2017, 17:51 EDT) [GSA 000783].
98
99
Email from Sally Moyer to Seth Greenfeld (June 5, 2017, 22:23 EDT) [GSA 00783].

18
question as GSA records in both a Federal Records Act and FOIA context.
Therefore, I see GSA simply as in custody of the documents, but that they are
[transition team] documents. . . . Mr. Van[ ]Grack and I spoke about others’
access to the records and I said I saw three buckets, (1) [transition team], (2)
general public, and (3) law enforcement. I stated I saw these as [transition team]
records and they should be given copies as I see no legal reason at this time to
withhold the records from [transition team]. . . . Mr. Van[ ]Grack thanked me,
said our conversation was extremely helpful and informative, and that he will
speak with others there and get back to me regarding the [transition team]’s
request[.]100
On June 20, 2017, Mr. Langhofer yet again inquired about the status of Trump for
America’s request and explained, “We are eager to start reviewing and producing emails.” 101
Mr. Greenfeld replied the next morning, “Unfortunately, I have not heard anything yet, and we
are frustrated too.”102 Mr. Greenfeld then emailed to Mr. Van Grack, “We are just curious if
there is an update for us. The [transition team] is anxious to get the copies so it can begin
reviewing the documents and produce records to Congress. I understand they are getting some
pressure from the Hill.”103
According to a June 21, 2017, email written by Mr. Greenfeld:
Brandon [Van Grack] from DOJ called me back this morning. . . . While
[DOJ] will not specifically instruct GSA to release or not release copies to
the [transition team] (or anyone else), it will be up to GSA to interpret the
request and choose a course of action that is consistent, which means we
should be able to release the copies to the [transition team]. I recommend
waiting for the actual document from the FBI though so we can read
exactly what it says.104
The next day, on June 22, 2017—more than four months after informally asking the GSA
to preserve all transition team records—the FBI sent the GSA “an official preservation letter” for
transition team records.105 Mr. Greenfeld emailed to GSA officials the next morning, “This is
100
101
Email from Kory Langhofer to Seth Greenfeld, Richard Beckler, Mike Morrissey, Mitchell Stein Carey, Thomas
Basile, Statecraft Law PLLC, Chris Murray, and Lenny Loewentritt (June 20, 2017, 18:36 EDT) [GSA 000320].
102
Email from Seth Greenfeld to Kory Langhofer, Richard Beckler, Mike Morrissey, Thomas Basile, Chris Murray,
and Lenny Loewentritt (June 21, 2017, 08:24 EDT) [GSA 003759].
103
Email from Seth Greenfeld to Brandon Van Grack, Investigator, Off. of the Special Counsel, U.S. Dep’t of
Justice (June 21, 2017, 08:27 EDT) [GSA 003758].
104
Email from Seth Greenfeld to Lenny Loewentritt and Richard Beckler (June 21, 2017, 11:27 EDT) [GSA
003757].
105
Email from Mary Gleason to Lenny Loewentritt, Brett Armstrong, Brandon Van Grack, , and
Kevin Clinesmith (June 22, 2017, 19:41 EDT) [GSA 00141]; see also Letter from to Lenny
Loewentritt, (June 22, 2017) [GSA 004827].

19
what Brandon [Van Grack] described to me on the phone, so I do not see a problem with GSA
sending copies to Kory [Langhofer] as it does not conflict with this letter.” 106 A couple of hours
later, Mr. Greenfeld emailed Mr. Langhofer stating, “Your package is on the way,” and provided
the tracking information for the shipment of the copy of transition team records. 107
In total, apparently pursuant to instructions from the FBI, the GSA denied Trump for
America access to copies of its own records for five weeks. Moreover, several months after it
began preserving all transition records, the GSA was still trying to understand the FBI’s legal
basis for refusing to share copies of the preserved records with Trump for America. As Senior
Assistant General Counsel Greenfeld acknowledged on June 1, 2017, “[the FBI] need[s] to give
us the legal basis as the records are actually [transition team] records and not GSA records
(although, obviously, we have physical custody)” because, “[i]f GSA is sued for these by the
[transition team], I do not think GSA should simply defend itself with: ‘The FBI asked us not to
do it.’”108
V. ALTHOUGH THE GSA ASSESSED THAT A SUBPOENA OR WARRANT

WAS REQUIRED FOR THE FBI TO ACCESS TRUMP FOR AMERICA
RECORDS, THE GSA ULTIMATELY CONSENTED TO THE
PRODUCTION OF THOSE RECORDS TO THE FBI WITHOUT ANY
LEGAL PROCESS.
Although the GSA repeatedly discussed with the FBI and Department of Justice the need
for a subpoena or search warrant to access Trump for America’s PTT records, the GSA
ultimately transferred custody and control of those records to the FBI without any legal process.
 On June 8, 2017, in an email Mr. Greenfeld sent to memorialize a conversation with

Brandon Van Grack, he wrote, “as for law enforcement access to the records, I stated that
I thought a subpoena was necessary as they are not GSA’s records (as I detailed before)
and that a subpoena will remove evidence admissibility issues if there is a prosecution of
someone in the future, but I ultimately defer to law enforcement on the issue of a need for
a subpoena.”109
 On June 13, 2017, Mr. Greenfeld wrote to Duane Smith, Assistant General Counsel at the
GSA:
GSA has records related to what our agency did with respect to Lt Gen
[sic] Flynn (e.g. equipment furnished). GSA is also in possession of
106
Email from Seth Greenfeld to Lenny Loewentritt, Duane Smith, Richard Beckler, Claudia Nadig, and Eugenia
Ellison (June 23, 2017, 08:18 EDT) [GSA 000288].
107
108
109

20
[transition team] records. GSA will probably need a subpoena to produce
those [transition team] records as they are not records from a Federal
Records Act or FOIA standpoint, and we will need to coordinate with
DOJ/FBI. … GSA will need to coordinate with White House prior to any
response too, which I am sure Lenny already noted. They definitely have
an interest in this and may want to try to articulate a separation of
powers/executive privilege on something[.]110
 On June 16, 2017, the GSA again spoke with a Special Counsel attorney about access to
the Trump transition team records:
[GSA Acting General Counsel] Richard [Beckler] explained that GSA . . .

does not consider [transition team records] to be GSA records, and GSA
does not claim ownership or know what information is detailed in the
records or subject to a claim of privilege as GSA has never looked at the
content of the material, and GSA thinks the DOJ/FBI, SSCI, White House,
and [transition team] need to discuss how records in GSA’s possession
will be addressed as GSA is just like a warehouse. … Brandon [Van
Grack] explained that the FBI and Special Counsel are working hand in
hand … [and that] DOJ will decide how to proceed and if records are
requested from GSA, a subpoena will be issued or a search warrant will be
executed[.]111
 On June 23, 2017, Mr. Greenfeld wrote to David Shive, the GSA’s Chief Information
Officer, about Trump for America’s transition records, “For [FBI] to get [transition team
records], there may need to be a subpoena and possibly a search warrant.” 112
On August 23, 2017, FBI Assistant General Counsel Kevin Clinesmith sent the GSA a
letterhead memorandum “formally requesting GSA to provide FBI with all Documents and
Responsive Materials attributed to the individual users identified below.” 113 The nine Trump for
America officials identified by the FBI were Daniel Gelbinovich, Sarah Flaherty, Michael G.
Flynn, Michael T. Flynn, Keith Kellogg, Jared Kushner, K.T. McFarland, Jason Miller, and
Michael Pompeo.114
Despite the several prior intra- and interagency conversations about the legal process
thought to be necessary for the FBI to access records that the GSA did not own, the FBI provided
110
Email from Seth Greenfeld to Duane Smith (June 13, 2017, 18:20 EDT) [GSA 003780].
111
Email from Seth Greenfeld to Richard Beckler and Lenny Loewentritt (June 16, 2017, 17:22 EDT) [GSA
000283].
112
Email from Seth Greenfeld to David Shive, Steve Grewal, and Lenny Loewentritt (June 23, 2017, 11:26 EDT)
[GSA 003349].
113
Mem. from Kevin Clinesmith to Brett Armstrong, et al. (Aug. 23, 2017) [GSA004814-15].
114
Id.

21
no such legal process. The request directed “that GSA prioritize providing any e-mail
communications associated with the individual users’ accounts. To all extents feasible, the FBI
requests GSA to provide the e-mail communications in an initial production as soon as possible
and thereafter produce any other remaining Document and Responsive Materials in a second
production.”115 This request also added, “[t]he FBI anticipates that additional Documents and
Responsive Materials associated with other individual users will be requested in the future.
Accordingly, the FBI requests that GSA continue to comply with the June 22, 2017 preservation
letter for all accounts associated with the [transition team].”116
Brett Armstrong, the GSA official who received this letterhead memorandum, forwarded
it to a GSA colleague, writing, “Looks like the attorneys were having further discussion with the
FBI. They sent this letter just now. You were not an addressee. Lenny [Loewentritt] has called
a meeting this afternoon and invited us.”117 Notably, when the FBI requested these productions,
neither GSA Acting General Counsel Richard Beckler (illness) 118 nor the lead assistant general
counsel on this issue, Seth Greenfeld (vacation), 119 were available.
The next morning, August 24, 2017, Mr. Simmons informed GSA officials, “As per the
August 23, 2017[] letter from the FBI, I have transferred the 9 requested [transition team] e-mail
zip files to Mary Gleason (FBI). This information was given to her via flash drive and attached
is the signed property receipt.”120 Later that day, “the FBI contacted [Mr. Simmons] and
requested that [the GSA] transfer several laptops and phones to them that were associated with
their August 23, 2017 letter. This hardware was given to them and attached is the signed
property receipt. … [W]e plan to transfer additional hardware to the FBI next week.” 121
On August 25, 2017, the FBI emailed the GSA to memorialize a conversation between
itself and the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) about the secure equipment provided
to GSA for the transition team to process classified information. According to this email:
DISA concurs with the following same procedures for obtaining that equipment
as we have established for FBI requests to GSA; namely. [sic] it will be provided
to the FBI via consent, the FBI will maintain custodial possession only; and then
115
Letter from to Brett Armstrong (Aug. 23, 2017) [GSA 004814].
116
Id..
117
Email from Brett Armstrong to Bobby Carter (Aug. 23, 2017, 12:21 EDT) [GSA 003542].
118
119
Mr. Greenfeld confirmed that he was on leave the week of Aug. 21, 2017. Interview with Seth Greenfeld (Apr.
5, 2018) (On file with the Comms.).
120
Email from Erik Simmons to Claudia Nadig, Brett Armstrong, Duane Smith, Lenny Loewentritt, Seth Greenfeld,
and Steve Grewal (Aug. 24, 2017, 11:11 EDT) [GSA 002046].
121
Email from Erik Simmons to Brett Armstrong, Claudia Nadig, Bobby Carter, Duane Smith, Lenny Loewentritt,
Seth Greenfeld, and Steve Grewal (Aug. 25, 2017, 13:11 EDT) [GSA 001590].

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the FBI will seek legal process prior to gaining access to any devices held within
custodial possession.122
Although the GSA repeatedly discussed the need for legal process before turning over
Trump transition team records, by late August, GSA officials seem to have changed their minds.
This email reflects an agreement between the FBI and the GSA whereby the GSA “consent[ed]”
to transfer custody of records it did not own to the FBI, and then the FBI would “seek legal
process” to gain access to these devices. 123 The records produced to the Committees do not
appear to reflect the terms of this agreement, nor do they address the legal basis pursuant to
which the GSA produced records and devices it did not own while at the same time recognizing
that the FBI must use legal process to access the Trump transition team records.
On August 30, 2017, FBI Assistant General Counsel Kevin Clinesmith sent the GSA a
second letterhead memorandum “formally requesting GSA to provide FBI with all Documents
and Responsive Materials attributed to the individual users identified below.” 124 The four Trump
for America officials identified by the FBI were Sean Spicer, Reince Priebus, Stephen Bannon,
and Marshall Billingslea.125 In the cover email, the FBI explained:
We have an additional four individuals we are currently interested it [sic]. … If

possible, can you at least have their emails downloaded by tomorrow when I pick
up the other information? . . . [W]e want to have it available when they swear out
a warrant before then.126
The GSA produced these transition team materials to the FBI on the afternoon of August 31,
2017.127 The Committee has not identified records reflecting any additional consultation or
deliberation among GSA officials prior to producing these transition team records to the FBI.
Although the FBI’s August 30, 2017 cover email referenced applying for a search
warrant, the Committees are aware of only one court-ordered disclosure of records, specifically,
information related to the transition records of Lt. Gen. Flynn, K.T. McFarland, Michael Flynn’s
son, and Daniel Gelbinovich.128 The records produced by the GSA and the FBI to the
122
Email from Kevin Clinesmith to Brett Armstrong, Duane Smith, Lenny Loewentritt, Claudia Nadig, Seth
Greenfeld, Mary Gleason, Richard Grove, Off. of Gen. Counsel, Def. Info. Sys. Agency, U.S. Dep’t of Def. (Aug.
25, 2017, 21:12 EDT) [GSA 001928].
123
Email from Kevin Clinesmith to Brett Armstrong, et al. (Aug. 25, 2017) [GSA 001460].
124
Mem. from Kevin Clinesmith to Brett Armstrong, et al. (Aug. 30, 2017) [GSA004816-17].
125
Id.
126
Email from Mary Gleason to Brett Armstrong, Erik Simmons, and Kevin Clinesmith (Aug. 30, 2017, 14:55 EDT)
[GSA 002270].
127
Email from Erik Simmons to Brett Armstrong, Claudia Nadig, Bobby Carter, Duane Smith, Lenny Loewentritt,
Seth Greenfeld and Steve Grewal (Sept. 1, 2017, 09:57 EDT) [GSA 000971].
128
Order, In re Application of the U.S. for an Order Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 2703(d) Directed at Google Related to
[the transition email accounts for those four individuals], 1:17-mc-2005 (D.D.C. Aug. 18, 2017) [GSA004400-
4404] (ordering the disclosure of customer/subscriber information but not content).

23
Committees do not reflect when the GSA notified Trump for America of the production of its
records to the FBI but, during a staff interview, Mr. Greenfeld stated that he notified Trump for
American in late November or December 2017 after Mr. Langhofer requested access to transition
team devices.129 Mr. Langhofer told the Committees that Trump for America learned of these
productions on December 12 and 13, 2017. 130
VI. CONCLUSION
The GSA’s memorandum of understanding with the Trump transition team assured that,
among other promises, it would not retain transition records. Moreover, throughout the
transition and the ensuing investigations, the GSA unequivocally acknowledged the Trump
transition team’s legal ownership over its own transition records. But the GSA did not honor this
promise or protect the legal rights of the Trump transition team.
Instead, on February 15, 2017, after GSA officials saw news reports about the resignation
of then-national security advisor Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, the GSA proactively contacted the FBI
about preserving all remaining Trump transition team records. After conferring with the FBI, the
GSA immediately began to preserve those records. Notably, around that same time, GSA
officials also decided that they would not inform either the White House or the Trump transition
team about the decision to preserve records contrary to the express terms of the memorandum of
understanding. Regardless of the propriety of preserving all remaining transition records
because of concerns regarding one former transition official, the decision not to inform the
Trump transition team—the lawful owner of those records—deprived that team of the
opportunity to make timely and meaningful decisions about how to protect its interests in those
records.
Around the same time, the GSA ignored the Trump transition team’s requests for copies
of its own records. In mid-May 2017, the Trump transition team requested copies of its own
records but, for reasons that were never explained, the GSA did not provide copies for five
weeks. In early June 2017, the Trump transition team finally learned that the GSA had preserved
its records, but it would not receive notice of the production of those records to the FBI until late
2017. Finally, in August 2017, the Special Counsel’s Office requested and received access to the
transition records for 13 transition officials, four of whom were then-current officials in the
Trump administration, including then-CIA Director Mike Pompeo and Jared Kushner. The GSA
did not inform the Trump transition team about the production of its records to the FBI. For
months, neither the GSA nor the FBI were forthcoming with the Trump transition team.
This conduct undermines the GSA’s role as a neutral provider of services to presidential
transition teams. These actions provide a basis for future transition teams to question or even
129
Interview with Seth Greenfeld (Apr. 5, 2018) (On file with the Comms.).
130

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doubt the services offered by the GSA, which risks the effectiveness of the transfer of power
from one administration to the next. Although Congress has enacted one piece of legislation to
address these issues, legislative fixes will never be perfect. The purpose of this report is
transparency. Shining a light on how the process was corrupted against the Trump transition
team is likely to expose other areas of weakness that may need correction. It also should serve as
a stark warning so that it will never happen again.

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GOP Senate Report On FBI, GSA Abuse Against Trump Transition Team

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GOP Senate Report On FBI, GSA Abuse Against Trump Transition Team

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY …………………………………………………………………… 2

I. Background: Legal Ownership of Presidential Transition Team Records……….......... 6

VI. Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………….. 24

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This practice is typically reflected in a memorandum of understanding between the

GSA will provide an architected infrastructure to meet telecommunications and IT

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II. CONTRARY TO THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING, THE

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The notice also stated:

It is acknowledged that GSA has been preserving this information since a

Based on our conversation on 06/01/2017, and consistent with our follow up

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In summary, contrary to the express terms of its memorandum of understanding with

III. THE GSA INTENTIONALLY WITHHELD NOTIFICATION FROM

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IV. FOR WEEKS, THE GSA REFUSED TO PROVIDE TRUMP FOR

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In response, however, Mr. Loewentritt counseled Mr. Greenfeld to be even less

I forwarded you a voice-mail message from Kory Langhofer. He is now asking

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Mr. Greenfeld then added:

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According to a June 21, 2017, email written by Mr. Greenfeld:

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V. ALTHOUGH THE GSA ASSESSED THAT A SUBPOENA OR WARRANT

 On June 8, 2017, in an email Mr. Greenfeld sent to memorialize a conversation with

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[GSA Acting General Counsel] Richard [Beckler] explained that GSA . . .

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We have an additional four individuals we are currently interested it [sic]. … If

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