Ivan Timofeev

Ivan Timofeev IVAN Timofeev

As Smoke Clears from Mueller Indictments, Two New Characters Rise In Russia Spy Scandal

By Monday’s close, Trump-Russia watchers had two names to add to their ‘persons of interest’ list.

Two new names have emerged in the web of connections between Trump campaign officials and Russia, thanks to a plea deal forged between federal prosecutors and former campaign adviser George Papadopoulos. An affidavit connected with the deal was unsealed on Monday morning, a surprise that followed Trump’s former campaign director Paul Manafort turning himself into the FBI.

The 12-page Justice Department affidavit said that Papadopoulos had met someone described as a professor, working in London and of Mediterranean citizenship, who promised on behalf of the Russian government to deliver thousands of stolen emails related to Hillary Clinton. It also said a second individual connected to the Russian government had repeatedly talked with Papadopoulos about setting up meetings with the Trump campaign. The affadavit does not name either individual but, within hours, news organizations claimed to have outed both figures. Who are they?

According to the Washington Post, the professor in question is Joseph Mifsud from Malta, the director of the London Academy of Diplomacy. The affidavit said this person met with Papadopoulos shortly after he joined the campaign in March 2016. A month later, the professor made his offer about the stolen emails. The timing coincides roughly with the successful hack of the DNC by FANCY BEAR, a hacker group with connections to the FSB, the Russian state police. (A second group of hackers connected to the GRU, the Russian military intelligence agency, had penetrated the DNC networks the previous autumn.)

The affidavit says that the professor helped set up a meeting between Papadopoulos and a Russian official. According to the Post, the Russian official was Ivan Timofeev, the program director at the Russian International Affairs Council, or RIAC, a think tank that is related to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to the affidavit, Papadopoulous and the official had multiple conversations over Skype and email in late April 2016 about the possibility of setting up meetings between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.

Timofeev and Mifsud do indeed know each other, at least in passing. In April 2016, they appeared together in Russia at a discussion hosted by Russia’s Valdai Club.

One longtime associate of Timofeev described him to Defense One as “well connected in government circles” and the type who “could make some meetings happen.” But the associate expressed strong skepticism that Timofeev would be personally involved in any sort of intelligence or source-development operation. “People like him don't engage in antics,” he said.

The associate drew a sharp distinction between Timofeev and what the associate described as “let’s-make-a-deal amateurs” without grounding in the “actual international relations or the consequences of the things they're engaged in.”

Mifsud has yet responded to requests for comment.

Through an intermediary, Timofeev referred us to this Aug. 8 article at Gazeta.ru, a popular Russian news site. In it, Timofeev acknowledges communicating with Papadopoulous in order to organize a meeting, says the communication was perfectly aboveboard, and that it was the American who wanted it.

“We took his ideas adequately," Timofeev is quoted as saying. "We never closed the doors before him. But at the same time, I suggested that he translate our conversation into a more formal channel — to prepare an official letter or letters outlining their ideas and proposals. In general, a reasonable formalization always allows you to cut off serious proposals from frivolous ones." Papadopoulous, he says, never came through.

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.