β
Unable to recall the Russian Ambassadorβs name, Kushner emailed Dimitri Simes of CNI, whom he had consulted previously about Russia, see Volume I, Section IV.A.4, supra, and asked, βWhat is the name of Russian ambassador?β972 Kushner forwarded Simesβs responseβwhich identified Kislyak by nameβto Hicks.973 After checking with Kushner to see what he had learned, Hicks conveyed Putinβs letter to transition officials.974 Five days later, on November 14, 2016, Trump and Putin spoke by phone in the presence of Transition Team members, including incoming National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.
β
β
Robert S. Mueller III (The Mueller Report)