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How CrowdStrike Became Part of Trump’s Ukraine Call How CrowdStrike Became Part of Trump’s Ukraine Call
(32 minutes later)
WASHINGTON — President Trump in July asked the president of Ukraine to “do us a favor” by looking into an American cybersecurity firm, CrowdStrike, and the location of a Democratic National Committee server that Mr. Trump said was believed to be in Ukraine’s possession.WASHINGTON — President Trump in July asked the president of Ukraine to “do us a favor” by looking into an American cybersecurity firm, CrowdStrike, and the location of a Democratic National Committee server that Mr. Trump said was believed to be in Ukraine’s possession.
“I would like you to find out what happened with this whole situation with Ukraine, they say CrowdStrike … I guess you have one of your wealthy people … The server, they say Ukraine has it,” Mr. Trump said during a phone call with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, on July 25, according to a reconstruction of the call based on notes and voice recognition transcription software. Administration officials said the ellipses in the transcript represent words that trailed off or were inaudible.“I would like you to find out what happened with this whole situation with Ukraine, they say CrowdStrike … I guess you have one of your wealthy people … The server, they say Ukraine has it,” Mr. Trump said during a phone call with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, on July 25, according to a reconstruction of the call based on notes and voice recognition transcription software. Administration officials said the ellipses in the transcript represent words that trailed off or were inaudible.
The White House released the reconstructed transcript on Wednesday, a day after House Democrats announced plans to start an impeachment inquiry against the president over his efforts to pressure Ukraine to pursue an investigation of one of his political rivals, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.The White House released the reconstructed transcript on Wednesday, a day after House Democrats announced plans to start an impeachment inquiry against the president over his efforts to pressure Ukraine to pursue an investigation of one of his political rivals, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.
Mr. Trump has long been focused on the whereabouts of the elusive server that CrowdStrike analysts examined in June 2016 and determined was breached by two Russian hacker groups.Mr. Trump has long been focused on the whereabouts of the elusive server that CrowdStrike analysts examined in June 2016 and determined was breached by two Russian hacker groups.
“Why did the DNC REFUSE to turn over its Server to the FBI, and still hasn’t? It’s all a big Dem scam and excuse for losing the election!” Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter in June 2017.“Why did the DNC REFUSE to turn over its Server to the FBI, and still hasn’t? It’s all a big Dem scam and excuse for losing the election!” Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter in June 2017.
Here is what we know about CrowdStrike.Here is what we know about CrowdStrike.
CrowdStrike is a cybersecurity firm that helps organizations bolster their systems against hacking and responds quickly with a forensic analysis when it does happen. It recently went public and did work for the Democratic National Committee in 2016 when Russian operatives hacked into the committee’s server and stole thousands of the Democratic Party’s internal emails. A month after CrowdStrike announced that Russians were behind the intrusions, nearly 20,000 of the party’s emails were posted online. CrowdStrike has also done work for the National Republican Congressional Committee related to a suspected breach.CrowdStrike is a cybersecurity firm that helps organizations bolster their systems against hacking and responds quickly with a forensic analysis when it does happen. It recently went public and did work for the Democratic National Committee in 2016 when Russian operatives hacked into the committee’s server and stole thousands of the Democratic Party’s internal emails. A month after CrowdStrike announced that Russians were behind the intrusions, nearly 20,000 of the party’s emails were posted online. CrowdStrike has also done work for the National Republican Congressional Committee related to a suspected breach.
CrowdStrike’s conclusion that Russia was behind the data breach has been backed up by American intelligence officers and, most significantly, Mr. Trump’s own Justice Department, which indicted 12 Russian intelligence officers in 2018 for their roles in the intrusions.CrowdStrike’s conclusion that Russia was behind the data breach has been backed up by American intelligence officers and, most significantly, Mr. Trump’s own Justice Department, which indicted 12 Russian intelligence officers in 2018 for their roles in the intrusions.
In asking Mr. Zelensky for a “favor” in the July 25 call, Mr. Trump appeared to be referencing an unfounded conspiracy theory that Ukrainians, not Russians, were behind the D.N.C. hacking, and the Ukrainians framed the Russian government to make it look like that country was working with Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign. Rudolph W. Giuliani, Mr. Trump’s personal attorney, has been among those pushing this theory.In asking Mr. Zelensky for a “favor” in the July 25 call, Mr. Trump appeared to be referencing an unfounded conspiracy theory that Ukrainians, not Russians, were behind the D.N.C. hacking, and the Ukrainians framed the Russian government to make it look like that country was working with Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign. Rudolph W. Giuliani, Mr. Trump’s personal attorney, has been among those pushing this theory.
In mentioning CrowdStrike, Mr. Trump appeared to be suggesting that the company helped cover up Ukraine’s role in the intrusion and that an examination of a D.N.C. server, which he asserted in the call was in Ukraine, would show that. One of the primary servers was on display in the basement of the D.N.C. in December 2016, months after it was taken offline.In mentioning CrowdStrike, Mr. Trump appeared to be suggesting that the company helped cover up Ukraine’s role in the intrusion and that an examination of a D.N.C. server, which he asserted in the call was in Ukraine, would show that. One of the primary servers was on display in the basement of the D.N.C. in December 2016, months after it was taken offline.
It is true that the servers themselvers were not physically examined by the F.B.I., but CrowdStrike, which has a former senior F.B.I. official on its executive team, gave forensic evidence to federal investigators, including exact replicas of the data contained on the servers. It is true that the servers themselves were not physically examined by the F.B.I., but CrowdStrike, which has a former senior F.B.I. official on its executive team, gave forensic evidence to federal investigators, including exact replicas of the data contained on the servers.
“We provided all forensic evidence and analysis to the F.B.I.,” a CrowdStrike spokeswoman, Ilina Cashiola, said Wednesday in an emailed statement. “As we’ve stated before, we stand by our findings and conclusions that have been fully supported by the U.S. intelligence community.”“We provided all forensic evidence and analysis to the F.B.I.,” a CrowdStrike spokeswoman, Ilina Cashiola, said Wednesday in an emailed statement. “As we’ve stated before, we stand by our findings and conclusions that have been fully supported by the U.S. intelligence community.”
The reconstructed conversation released by the White House had no specifics about how CrowdStrike fits into Ukrainian investigations. But for months, Mr. Giuliani has encouraged Ukraine to investigate threads tied to the origins of the American inquiry into Russia’s 2016 election interference as well as the involvement of Mr. Biden and his younger son, Hunter Biden, in a gas company owned by a Ukrainian oligarch.The reconstructed conversation released by the White House had no specifics about how CrowdStrike fits into Ukrainian investigations. But for months, Mr. Giuliani has encouraged Ukraine to investigate threads tied to the origins of the American inquiry into Russia’s 2016 election interference as well as the involvement of Mr. Biden and his younger son, Hunter Biden, in a gas company owned by a Ukrainian oligarch.
Mr. Zelensky was the only one to use the word “investigation” during the call, but in each of the six times he used the word, it was not clear what inquiries he is referencing. At one point, Mr. Zelensky referred to an unnamed company during the call, but it was not clear whether he was speaking of CrowdStrike or the gas company Hunter Biden sat on the board of, Burisma Holdings.Mr. Zelensky was the only one to use the word “investigation” during the call, but in each of the six times he used the word, it was not clear what inquiries he is referencing. At one point, Mr. Zelensky referred to an unnamed company during the call, but it was not clear whether he was speaking of CrowdStrike or the gas company Hunter Biden sat on the board of, Burisma Holdings.
[Trump, Biden and Ukraine: Sorting Out the Accusations][Trump, Biden and Ukraine: Sorting Out the Accusations]
Mr. Giuliani has acknowledged discussing some of the theories related to Ukraine and the D.N.C. hacking with Mr. Trump, and he has said that the president seemed interested in getting to the bottom of it.Mr. Giuliani has acknowledged discussing some of the theories related to Ukraine and the D.N.C. hacking with Mr. Trump, and he has said that the president seemed interested in getting to the bottom of it.
Kenneth P. Vogel and David E. Sanger contributed reporting from Washington, and Nicole Perlroth in San Francisco.Kenneth P. Vogel and David E. Sanger contributed reporting from Washington, and Nicole Perlroth in San Francisco.