WHEREAS, United States law enforcement and intelligence agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the National Security Agency, have concluded with high confidence that Russia interfered in the American presidential election that was held in November 2016; and

WHEREAS, Evidence collected by United States intelligence agencies suggests that this interference was ordered by the highest levels of the Russian government, with the direct knowledge and approval of Russian President Vladimir Putin; and

WHEREAS, United States law enforcement and intelligence agencies have determined that this interference was intended to aid Donald Trump and harm his opponent, Hillary Clinton; and

WHEREAS, According to United States intelligence agencies and Russian diplomats, multiple high-ranking members of the Donald Trump presidential campaign had regular contact with senior Russian intelligence officials throughout the presidential campaign; and

WHEREAS, Multiple Trump campaign and administration officials, including National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, Campaign Manager Paul Manafort, and foreign policy adviser Carter Page, resigned their posts after scandals related to their connections with Russia; and

WHEREAS, In light of evidence discovered during the transition period, President Obamas administration felt it necessary to take unprecedented measures to disseminate and protect sensitive information pertaining to Russian interference in the American elections to ensure it was not destroyed or concealed by the incoming administration of the incoming Trump administration; and

WHEREAS, Then Senator and Attorney General nominee, Jeff Sessions, stated under oath in his confirmation hearings before the United States Senate Judiciary Committee that he had no contact with Russian officials during the campaign, when in fact he had multiple meetings with Russian officials during the campaign; and

WHEREAS, Throughout the presidential campaign and since taking office, President Trump has repeatedly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin despite the well documented atrocities and violations of international law that President Putin has committed; and

WHEREAS, Evidence strongly suggests that Russian President Vladimir Putin has personally ordered numerous assassinations of political opponents, journalists, and dissidents; and

WHEREAS, In violation of international law, Russian President Vladimir Putin directed the annexation of Crimea, and has waged a covert war in eastern Ukraine that has already cost tens of thousands of lives, including those of 298 international passengers on Malaysia Airlines Flight 17; and

WHEREAS, Russian President Vladimir Putin directed the Russian intervention in Syria to support the regime of Bashar al-Assad, during which Russian forces indiscriminately bombed thousands of Syrian civilians in hospitals, schools, orphanages, and other noncombatant targets; and

WHEREAS, Reports have surfaced that Russian forces in Syria have bombed United States-backed rebels; and

WHEREAS, Despite substantial evidence of human rights abuses, targeted assassinations, and interference with our election, President Trump has steadfastly refused to criticize Mr. Putin, going so far as to equate the actions of American officials with those of Mr. Putin; and

WHEREAS, President Trump has refused to release his tax returns to demonstrate he is free from dangerous conflicts of interest that could undermine Americas national security and the Presidents executive judgment; and

WHEREAS, President George W. Bush, former Speaker Newt Gingrich, Representative Darrell Issa, Senator Lindsey Graham, and Speaker Paul Ryan, as well as several prominent former and current elected officials, have all called for an independent investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 elections; and

WHEREAS, This attack on American democracy is unprecedented in its scale and effect, and has undermined the confidence of Americans in the integrity of our electoral process; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate calls upon the Congress of the United States to conduct a full, independent, and public investigation of any and all connections between the Trump administration, the Trump campaign organization, and the Trump business empire and the Russian government, as well as Russian government-owned enterprises and related business interests; and be it further

Resolved, That given the extremely sensitive nature of this investigation and its implication for the integrity of American democracy, a bipartisan, independent commission and special prosecutor appointed by the bipartisan commission is needed to investigate the full extent of Russias influence on the Trump White House and the United States elections; and be it further

Resolved, That President Trump must release his tax returns in order to demonstrate he is free from potentially harmful conflicts of interests related to the Russian government and American foreign policy interests or economic policy prerogatives; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.

WHEREAS, United States law enforcement and intelligence agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the National Security Agency, have concluded with high confidence that Russia interfered in the American presidential election that was held in November 2016; and

WHEREAS, Evidence collected by United States intelligence agencies suggests that this interference was ordered by the highest levels of the Russian government, with the direct knowledge and approval of Russian President Vladimir Putin; and

WHEREAS, United States law enforcement and intelligence agencies have determined that this interference was intended to aid Donald Trump and harm his opponent, Hillary Clinton; and

WHEREAS, According to United States intelligence agencies and Russian diplomats, multiple high-ranking members of the Donald Trump presidential campaign had regular contact with senior Russian intelligence officials throughout the presidential campaign; and

WHEREAS, Multiple Trump campaign and administration officials, including National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, Campaign Manager Paul Manafort, and foreign policy adviser Carter Page, resigned their posts after scandals related to their connections with Russia; and

WHEREAS, In light of evidence discovered during the transition period, President Obamas administration felt it necessary to take unprecedented measures to disseminate and protect sensitive information pertaining to Russian interference in the American elections to ensure it was not destroyed or concealed by the incoming administration of the incoming Trump administration; and

WHEREAS, Then Senator and Attorney General nominee, Jeff Sessions, stated under oath in his confirmation hearings before the United States Senate Judiciary Committee that he had no contact with Russian officials during the campaign, when in fact he had multiple meetings with Russian officials during the campaign; and

WHEREAS, Throughout the presidential campaign and since taking office, President Trump has repeatedly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin despite the well documented atrocities and violations of international law that President Putin has committed; and

WHEREAS, Evidence strongly suggests that Russian President Vladimir Putin has personally ordered numerous assassinations of political opponents, journalists, and dissidents; and

WHEREAS, In violation of international law, Russian President Vladimir Putin directed the annexation of Crimea, and has waged a covert war in Eastern Ukraine that has already cost tens of thousands of lives, including those of 298 international passengers on Malaysia Airlines Flight 17; and

WHEREAS, Russian President Vladimir Putin directed the Russian intervention in Syria to support the regime of Bashar al-Assad, during which Russian forces indiscriminately bombed thousands of Syrian civilians in hospitals, schools, orphanages, and other noncombatant targets; and

WHEREAS, Reports have surfaced that Russian forces in Syria have bombed United States backed-rebels; and

WHEREAS, Despite substantial evidence of human rights abuses, targeted assassinations, and interference with our election, President Trump has steadfastly refused to criticize Mr. Putin, going so far as to equate the actions of American officials with those of Mr. Putin; and

WHEREAS, President Trump has refused to release his tax returns to demonstrate he is free from dangerous conflicts of interest that could undermine Americas national security and the Presidents executive judgment; and

WHEREAS, President George W. Bush, former Speaker Newt Gingrich, Representative Darrell Issa, Senator Lindsey Graham, and Speaker Paul Ryan, as well as several prominent former and current elected officials, have all called for an independent investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 elections; and

WHEREAS, This attack on American democracy is unprecedented in its scale and effect, and has undermined the confidence of Americans in the integrity of our electoral process; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate calls upon the Congress of the United States to conduct a full, independent, and public investigation of any and all connections between the Trump administration, the Trump campaign organization, and the Trump business empire and the Russian government, as well as Russian government-owned enterprises and related business interests; and be it further

Resolved, That given the extremely sensitive nature of this investigation and its implication for the integrity of American democracy, a bipartisan, independent commission and special prosecutor appointed by the bipartisan commission is needed to investigate the full extent of Russias influence on the Trump White House and the United States elections; and be it further

Resolved, That President Trump must release his tax returns in order to demonstrate he is free from potentially harmful conflicts of interests related to the Russian government and American foreign policy interests or economic policy prerogatives; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.

 THIRD READING  

Bill No: SR 23

Author:

:

Vote: Majority

SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: 4-1, 3/14/17

AYES: Jackson, Monning, Stern, Wieckowski

NOES: Moorlach

NO VOTE RECORDED: Anderson, Hertzberg

SUBJECT:

SOURCE: Author

DIGEST: This resolution makes findings regarding: (1) evidence of Russian interference in the U.S. Presidential election of 2016 intended to aid Donald Trump; (2) evidence of connections between Russia and the 2016 presidential campaign of Donald Trump; (3) misrepresentations by Trump campaign and administration officials regarding their meetings with Russian officials; (4) steps taken by President Obama’s administration to preserve evidence of Russian interference in the election; (5) human rights and international law violations committed by Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin; (6) President Trump’s refusal to criticize Mr. Putin; (7) President Trump’s refusal to make his tax returns public; and (8) calls from elected officials, including several prominent Republicans, for an independent investigation to look into Russian interference in the election.

This resolution also: (1) calls upon the U.S. Congress to conduct a full, independent, and public investigation of any and all connections between the Trump campaign, administration, and Trump businesses and the Russian government, government-owned enterprises and related business interests; (2) states that a bipartisan, independent commission as well as a special prosecutor appointed by that commission, are needed to investigate the matter; (3) states that President Trump must release his tax returns; and (4) directs the Secretary of the Senate to transmit copies of this resolution to the author.

ANALYSIS: This resolution makes findings that:

1. U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies have concluded with high confidence that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election;
2. Evidence collected by U.S. intelligence agencies suggests that this interference was ordered by the highest levels of the Russian government, with knowledge and approval from Russian President Putin;
3. U.S. intelligence agencies have determined that this interference was intended to aid Trump and harm Clinton;
4. High-ranking members of the Trump presidential campaign had regular contact with senior Russian intelligence officials throughout the campaign;
5. Several members of the Trump campaign and administration have resigned after scandals involving their connections with Russia;
6. The Obama administration took unprecedented measures to preserve evidence and information pertaining to the Russian interference with the election;
7. Attorney General Jeff Sessions stated under oath at his confirmation hearings that he had no contact with Russian officials during the Trump campaign, when he in fact had multiple such meetings;
8. President Trump has repeatedly praised President Putin despite well-documented atrocities and violations of law committed by the latter;
9. Evidence strongly suggests that President Putin has ordered assassinations of political opponents, journalists, and dissidents;
10. President Putin directed the annexation of Crimea in violation of international law and has waged a covert war in Eastern Ukraine;
11. President Putin directed the Russian intervention in Syria to support the regime of Bashar al-Assad, during which Russian forces indiscriminately bombed thousands of Syrian civilians in hospitals, schools, orphanages, and other noncombatant targets;
12. There are reports that Russian forces in Syria have bombed rebels backed by the U.S.;
13. Despite substantial evidence of human rights abuses, targeted assassinations, and interference with our election, President Trump has refused to criticize Mr. Putin and equated the actions of American officials with those of Mr. Putin;
14. President Trump has refused to release his tax returns to demonstrate he is free from dangerous conflicts of interest that could undermine America’s national security and the President’s executive judgment;
15. President George W. Bush, former Speaker Newt Gingrich, Representative Darrell Issa, Senator Lindsey Graham, and Speaker Paul Ryan, as well as several prominent former and current elected officials, have all called for an independent investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 elections; and
16. This attack on American democracy is unprecedented in its scale and effect, and has undermined the confidence of Americans in the integrity of our electoral process.

This resolution declares that:

1. The California Senate calls upon the Congress of the United States to conduct a full, independent, and public investigation of any and all connections between the Trump administration, the Trump campaign organization, and the Trump business empire and the Russian government, as well as Russian government-owned enterprises and related business interests;
2. A bipartisan, independent commission and special prosecutor appointed by the bipartisan commission is needed to investigate the full extent of Russia’s influence on the Trump White House and the United States elections;
3. President Trump must release his tax returns in order to demonstrate he is free from potentially harmful conflicts of interests related to the Russian government and American foreign policy interests or economic policy prerogatives; and
4. The secretary of the Senate shall transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.

Comments

According to the author:

The communications between the Russian government and the Trump campaign, administration, and business organizations raise serious questions about the influence and coordination that may be happening between Russia and the Trump administration. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, Campaign Manager Paul Manafort, and foreign policy adviser Carter Page all have been implicated in communications with Russian officials, including attempting to cover up these allegations. Revelations of these communications have led to resignations and recusals from duty of these officials.

The American public deserves a thorough and transparent investigation into these communications and other allegations of coordination between Russian officials and the Trump Administration, as well as Russia’s influence in our elections. Polls have shown that a majority of Americans want there to be a special investigation into these issues, and that 2/3 of Americans want a special prosecutor to be appointed to conduct the investigations. This is not a partisan issue, as Republican members of Congress like Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham have both called for independent investigations into these connections.

To maintain the credibility of our democracy, Congress needs to form a bipartisan, independent commission which can appoint a special prosecutor to examine the extent of Russia’s influence on the Trump White House and our elections system. To determine that President Trump is free from any conflicts of interest that could impact American foreign or economic policy, he should also release his tax returns, as he vowed to do during the campaign and as presidential candidates have done for the last 40 years. Without this basic financial information or an independent investigation, the American people will lose faith in the freedom and independence of our democratic institutions.

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No Local: No

SUPPORT: (Verified 3/14/17)

None received

OPPOSITION: (Verified 3/14/17)

None received

Prepared by: Timothy Griffiths / JUD. /

3/15/17 14:29:46

**** END ****

SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, Chair

2017-2018 Regular Session

Bill No: SR 23 (Author:Wiener)

Version: March 6, 2017

Hearing Date: March 14, 2017

Fiscal: No

Urgency: No

Consultant: TSG

SUBJECT

President Trump’s connections with Russia

DESCRIPTION

This resolution would make findings regarding: (1) evidence of Russian interference in the U.S. Presidential election of 2016 intended to aid Donald Trump; (2) evidence of connections between Russia and the 2016 presidential campaign of Donald Trump; (3) misrepresentations by Trump campaign and administration officials regarding their meetings with Russian officials; (4) steps taken by President Obama’s administration to preserve evidence of Russian interference in the election; (5) human rights and international law violations committed by Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin; (6) President Trump’s refusal to criticize Mr. Putin; (7) President Trump’s refusal to make his tax returns public; and (8) calls from elected officials, including several prominent Republicans, for an independent investigation to look into Russian interference in the election.

This resolution also: (1) calls upon the U.S. Congress to conduct a full, independent, and public investigation of any and all connections between the Trump campaign, administration, and Trump businesses and the Russian government, government-owned enterprises and related business interests; (2) states that a bipartisan, independent commission as well as a special prosecutor appointed by that commission, are needed to investigate the matter; (3) states that President Trump must release his tax returns; and (4) directs the Secretary of the Senate to transmit copies of this resolution to the author.

BACKGROUND

A former KGB officer, Vladimir Putin became President of Russia when Boris Yeltsin stepped down in 2000.^[1] He has remained the President ever since, with the exception of a brief period from 2008 to 2012, in which he served as Prime Minister,^[2] though he was widely seen as the de facto leader of Russia during that time.^[3]

During this time, Putin is alleged to have ordered assassinations of political opponents, journalists, and dissidents.^[4] Moreover, under Putin’s rule and at his direction, Russia has regularly violated international law. Russian forces played a key role in the military actions that led to the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014.^[5] Since then, Russia has been closely tied to rebels fighting the Ukrainian government. These rebels are accused of shooting down Malaysia Flight 17, an incident in which 298 passengers were killed.^[6] As of a year ago, 9,160 people had died in that conflict, according to the United Nations.^[7] Finally, Russia has played a key role in the Syrian civil war, intervening militarily on the side of President Bashar al-Assad. Russian forces have been accused of bombing civilians and hitting non-combat targets such as hospitals, schools, and orphanages. There have also been reports that Russian forces bombed Syrian rebels backed by the U.S.^[8]

The major party candidates in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election presented starkly contrasting viewpoints about Russia’s role in the world and about Mr. Putin in particular. Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate, was harshly critical of Russia and went so far as to compare Mr. Putin to Hitler. Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, appeared to condone or not to understand that Russia had annexed Crimea, encouraged Russian involvement in Syria, and offered a very different characterization of Mr. Putin himself, calling Mr. Putin, among other things, a “stablemate.”^[9]

Mr. Putin reciprocated on both accounts. His dislike of Secretary Clinton was widely known.^[10] Of Mr. Trump, meanwhile, Mr. Putin was complimentary, calling Mr. Trump a very bright and talented person.^[11]

In August 2016, shortly after the Republic National Convention, the New York Times reported that the name of Mr. Trump’s then campaign manager, Paul Manafort, appeared on a ledger as receiving up to $12.7 million in illegal, off-the-books cash payments from a pro-Russian political party.^[12] Manafort denied receiving the payments, but subsequently resigned from the Trump campaign.^[13] A few days later, Carter Page, a foreign policy advisor to the Trump campaign, also stepped down after revelations that he was under investigation for business dealings in Russia.^[14]

During the campaign, Mr. Trump broke with longstanding tradition and refused to release his tax returns. Initially, Mr. Trump asserted that he could not do so because he was being audited by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). When the IRS indicated that tax returns may be disclosed, even during an audit, Mr. Trump asserted that he would release his returns when the audit was over. After he was inaugurated, Mr. Trump’s former campaign manager stated that Mr. Trump was not going to release his tax returns.^[15]

On November 8, 2016, Mr. Trump lost the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes but prevailed in the Electoral College, thus winning the presidency.^[16]

On January 6, 2017, while President Obama was still in office, the U.S. intelligence community, issued “an analytic assessment drafted and coordinated among the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the National Security Agency (NSA), which draws on intelligence information collected and disseminated by those three agencies.” The report concluded that:

We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election. Russia’s goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency. We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump. We have high confidence in these judgments.^[17]

Reacting to these conclusions, on December 29, 2016, then President Obama expelled over 35 Russian diplomats from the U.S. and ordered additional economic sanctions against Russia.^[18] Around this time, Michael Flynn, who would later become President Trump’s National Security Advisor, spoke with Russian contacts about the sanctions.^[19] Ultimately, Russia declined to retaliate with sanctions of its own, prompting then President-Elect Trump to tweet: “Great move on delay (by V. Putin) – I always knew he was very smart.”^[20] Flynn later falsely claimed that he had not spoken about the sanctions with the Russians. As a result, Flynn resigned.^[21]

Before President Trump took office, the Obama administration took a series of steps to preserve evidence about Russian interference in the U.S. election. According to reports, intelligence officials were concerned that the evidence might otherwise be covered up or destroyed after the inauguration.^[22]

Most recently, during his confirmation hearings, Attorney General Jeff Sessions stated that he had never met with Russian officials during the Trump campaign. When media reports subsequently revealed that Sessions had in fact met at least twice with Russian officials during the campaign, Sessions elected to recuse himself from any further investigation of Russian interference in the elections.^[23]

All of this has led many former and current elected officials to call for an independent investigation or the appointment of a special prosecutor. Among them are several prominent Republicans, including former Speaker Newt Gingrich,^[24] Representative Darrell Issa,^[25] and Senator Lindsey Graham.^[26] Former President George W. Bush has supported an investigation, but has stopped short of saying he thinks an independent commission or special prosecutor is necessary.^[27] Similarly, Speaker Paul Ryan has said that “[w]e need answers” about the nature of ties between the Trump administration and Russia, but he has thus far declined to support the creation of an independent commission.^[28]

CHANGES TO EXISTING LAW

This resolution would make findings that:

• U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies have concluded with high confidence that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election;
• evidence collected by U.S. intelligence agencies suggests that this interference was ordered by the highest levels of the Russian government, with knowledge and approval from Russian President Putin;
• U.S. intelligence agencies have determined that this interference was intended to aid Trump and harm Clinton;
• high-ranking members of the Trump presidential campaign had regular contact with senior Russian intelligence officials throughout the campaign;
• several members of the Trump campaign and administration have resigned after scandals involving their connections with Russia;
• the Obama administration took unprecedented measures to preserve evidence and information pertaining to the Russian interference with the election;
• Attorney General Jeff Sessions stated under oath at his confirmation hearings that he had no contact with Russian officials during the Trump campaign, when he in fact had multiple such meetings;
• President Trump has repeatedly praised President Putin despite well-documented atrocities and violations of law committed by the latter;
• evidence strongly suggests that President Putin has ordered assassinations of political opponents, journalists, and dissidents;
• President Putin directed the annexation of Crimea in violation of international law and has waged a covert war in Eastern Ukraine;
• President Putin directed the Russian intervention in Syria to support the regime of Bashar al-Assad, during which Russian forces indiscriminately bombed thousands of Syrian civilians in hospitals, schools, orphanages, and other noncombatant targets;
• there are reports that Russian forces in Syria have bombed rebels backed by the U.S.;
• despite substantial evidence of human rights abuses, targeted assassinations, and interference with our election, President Trump has refused to criticize Mr. Putin and equated the actions of American officials with those of Mr. Putin;
• President Trump has refused to release his tax returns to demonstrate he is free from dangerous conflicts of interest that could undermine America’s national security and the President’s executive judgment;
• President George W. Bush, former Speaker Newt Gingrich, Representative Darrell Issa, Senator Lindsey Graham, and Speaker Paul Ryan, as well as several prominent former and current elected officials, have all called for an independent investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 elections; and
• this attack on American democracy is unprecedented in its scale and effect, and has undermined the confidence of Americans in the integrity of our electoral process.

This resolution would declare that:

• The California Senate calls upon the Congress of the United States to conduct a full, independent, and public investigation of any and all connections between the Trump administration, the Trump campaign organization, and the Trump business empire and the Russian government, as well as Russian government-owned enterprises and related business interests;
• a bipartisan, independent commission and special prosecutor appointed by the bipartisan commission is needed to investigate the full extent of Russia’s influence on the Trump White House and the United States elections;
• President Trump must release his tax returns in order to demonstrate he is free from potentially harmful conflicts of interests related to the Russian government and American foreign policy interests or economic policy prerogatives; and
• that the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.

COMMENT

1. Stated need for the bill

According to the author:

The communications between the Russian government and the Trump campaign, administration, and business organizations raise serious questions about the influence and coordination that may be happening between Russia and the Trump administration. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, Campaign Manager Paul Manafort, and foreign policy adviser Carter Page all have been implicated in communications with Russian officials, including attempting to cover up these allegations. Revelations of these communications have led to resignations and recusals from duty of these officials.

The American public deserves a thorough and transparent investigation into these communications and other allegations of coordination between Russian officials and the Trump Administration, as well as Russia’s influence in our elections. Polls have shown that a majority of Americans want there to be a special investigation into these issues, and that 2/3 of Americans want a special prosecutor to be appointed to conduct the investigations. This is not a partisan issue, as Republican members of Congress like Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham have both called for independent investigations into these connections.

To maintain the credibility of our democracy, Congress needs to form a bipartisan, independent commission which can appoint a special prosecutor to examine the extent of Russia’s influence on the Trump White House and our elections system. To determine that President Trump is free from any conflicts of interest that could impact American foreign or economic policy, he should also release his tax returns, as he vowed to do during the campaign and as presidential candidates have done for the last 40 years. Without this basic financial information or an independent investigation, the American people will lose faith in the freedom and independence of our democratic institutions.

Support: None Known

Opposition: None Known

HISTORY

Source: Author

Related Pending Legislation:

SR 8 (Moorlach, 2017) would make a series of findings about U.S. presidential elections generally and the election of President Donald Trump specifically, and would also congratulate President Trump on his victory, hope for his success, and pledge that the California Senate will work with him.

SB 149 (McGuire and Weiner, 2017) would require that candidates for U.S. President would have to disclose their tax returns in order to appear on the California ballot.

Prior Legislation: None Known

**************

1. <http://en.putin.kremlin.ru/bio> (as of Mar. 8, 2017). ↑

2. Ibid. ↑

3. Englund and Lally, Medvedev Confirms He Will Step Aside for Putin to Return to Russia’s Presidency (Sep. 24, 2011) The Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/dmitry-medvedev-asks-putin-to-run-for-president-of-russia/2011/09/24/gIQAXGwpsK_story.html?utm_term=.69a722ec828d> (as of Mar. 8, 2017). ↑

4. See Qui, Does Vladmir Putin Kill Journalists? (Jan. 4, 2016) Politifact <http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/article/2016/jan/04/does-vladimir-putin-kill-journalists/> (as of Mar. 8, 2017); Putin Ordered Alexander Litvinenko Murder, Inquiry Into Death Told (Jan. 8, 2014) <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/27/putin-ordered-alexander-litvinenko-murder-inquiry-told> (as of Mar. 8, 2017). ↑

5. Crimea Profile (Apr. 21, 2016) BBC News <http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-18287223> (as of Mar. 3, 2017). ↑

6. Hume and Rebaza, MH17 Shot Down by Buk Missile Brought from Russia, Say Investigators (Sep. 28, 2016) CNN <http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/28/europe/mh17-buk-russia/> (as of Mar. 8, 2017). ↑

7. Cumming-Bruce, Death Toll in Ukraine Conflict Hits 9,160, U.N. Says (Mar. 3, 2016) New York Times <https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/04/world/europe/ukraine-death-toll-civilians.html> (as of Mar. 8, 2017). ↑

8. O’Conner, Why Is Russia Bombing Aleppo? Everything You Need To Know About Moscow's War In Syria (Oct. 12, 2016) International Business Times <http://www.ibtimes.com/why-russia-bombing-aleppo-everything-you-need-know-about-moscows-war-syria-2429898> (as of Mar. 8, 2017). ↑

9. Sharkov, Where Do Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Stand on Russia? (Aug. 15, 2016) Newsweek <http://www.newsweek.com/where-do-clinton-and-trump-stand-russia-487777> (as of Mar. 8, 2017). ↑

10. See Ferris-Rotman, For Hillary Clinton and Vladimir Putin, the Mistrust Is Mutual (Sep. 28, 2016) Wall Street Journal <https://www.wsj.com/articles/for-hillary-clinton-and-vladimir-putin-the-mistrust-is-mutual-1475055001> (as of Mar. 8, 2017); Crowley and Ioffe, Why Putin Hates Hillary (Jul. 25, 2017) Politico <http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/clinton-putin-226153> (as of Mar. 8, 2017). ↑

11. Markortoff, Did Putin Just Endorse Trump? (Dec. 17, 2015) CNBC <http://www.cnbc.com/2015/12/17/putin-accuses-turkey-of-cozying-up-to-the-us.html> (as of Mar. 8, 2017). ↑

12. Kramer, McIntire, and Meier, Secret Ledger in Ukraine Lists Cash for Donald Trump’s Campaign Chief (Aug. 14, 2016) New York Times <https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/15/us/politics/paul-manafort-ukraine-donald-trump.html> (as of Mar. 8, 2017). ↑

13. Paul Manafort Resigns from Trump Campaign (Aug. 19, 2016) Fox News <http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/08/19/developing-paul-manafort-resigns-from-trump-campaign.html> (as of Mar. 8, 2017). ↑

14. Cohen and Watkins, Who is Carter Page? (Mar. 4, 2017) CNN <http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/04/politics/carter-page-russia-donald-trump/> (as of Mar. 8, 2017). ↑

15. Bradner, Conway: Trump Will Not Release Tax Returns (Jan. 22, 2017) CNN <http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/22/politics/kellyanne-conway-trump-tax-returns/> (as of Mar. 8, 2017). ↑

16. Krieg, It's Official: Clinton Swamps Trump in Popular Vote (Dec. 22, 2016) CNN <http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/21/politics/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-popular-vote-final-count/> (as of Mar. 8, 2017). ↑

17. Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections (January 6, 2017) Office of the Director of National Intelligence, p. ii <https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3254239-Russia-Hacking-report.html> (as of Mar. 8, 2017). This citation is to the declassified version of the report whose “conclusions are identical to those in the highly classified assessment but this version does not include the full supporting information on key elements of the influence campaign” (cover and throughout). ↑

18. Ryan, Nakashima, and DeYoung, Obama Administration Announces Measures to Punish Russia for 2016 Election Interference (Dec. 29, 2016) Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-administration-announces-measures-to-punish-russia-for-2016-election-interference/2016/12/29/311db9d6-cdde-11e6-a87f-b917067331bb_story.html?utm_term=.e22b13a884eb> (as of Mar. 8, 2017). ↑

19. Chokshi, Michael T. Flynn: A Timeline of His Brief Tenure (Feb. 14, 2017) New York Times <https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/14/us/politics/michael-flynn-resigns-trump-timeline.html> (as of Mar. 8, 2017). ↑

20. Trump Praises Putin Over Response to US Sanctions, Calls Him 'Very Smart' (Dec. 30, 2016) Fox News < http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/12/30/trump-praises-putin-over-response-to-us-sanctions-calls-him-very-smart.html> (as of Mar. 8, 2017). ↑

21. Chokshi, Michael T. Flynn: A Timeline of His Brief Tenure, supra. ↑

22. Rosenberg, Goldman, and Schmidt, Obama Administration Rushed to Preserve Intelligence of Russian Election Hacking (Mar. 1, 2017) New York Times <https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/01/us/politics/obama-trump-russia-election-hacking.html> (as of Mar. 8, 2017). ↑

23. Demerjian, O’Keefe, Horwitz, and Zapotsky, Attorney General Jeff Sessions Will Recuse Himself From Any Probe Related to 2016 Presidential Campaign (Mar. 2 2017) Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/top-gop-lawmaker-calls-on-sessions-to-recuse-himself-from-russia-investigation/2017/03/02/148c07ac-ff46-11e6-8ebe-6e0dbe4f2bca_story.html?utm_term=.c3fb60ab1d25> (as of Mar. 8, 2017). ↑

24. Ortiz, Newt Gingrich: ‘Independent’ Investigator Needed for Trump-Russia Probe (Feb. 28, 2017) NBC News <http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/newt-gingrich-independent-investigator-needed-trump-russia-probe-n726686> (as of Mar. 8, 2017). ↑

25. Wang, Top Republican Says Special Prosecutor Should Investigate Russian Meddling in Trump’s Election (Feb. 25, 2017) Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/02/25/top-republican-says-special-prosecutor-should-investigate-russian-meddling-in-trumps-election/?utm_term=.4929c031106c> (as of Mar. 8, 2017). ↑

26. Demirjian, Democrats Call for Sessions’ Resignation and Special Prosecutor on Alleged Ties Between Trump, Russia (Mar. 1, 2017) Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/03/02/democrats-call-for-sessionss-resignation-and-a-special-prosecutor-on-alleged-trump-russia-ties/?utm_term=.aeb7be0b88ae> (as of Mar. 8, 2017). ↑

27. Phillip, George W. Bush Critiques Trump on Travel Ban, Free Press (Feb. 27, 2017) Washington Post <https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/02/27/george-w-bush-critiques-trump-on-travel-ban-free-press/?utm_term=.f82382b9ba41> (as of Mar. 8, 2017). ↑

28. Ryan: 'We Need Answers' on Alleged Ties Between Trump Associates and Russia (Feb. 28, 2017) Politico <http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/paul-ryan-trump-russia-ties-special-prosecutor-235485> (as of Mar. 8, 2017). ↑