Kathryn H. Ruemmler

Tel: (202) 637-2200 kathryn.ruemmler@lw.com

February 23, 2018 The Honorable Charles E. Grassley, Chairman U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Dianne Feinstein, Ranking Member U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Lindsey O. Graham, Chairman Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Sheldon Whitehouse, Ranking Member Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary Washington, DC 20510 Dear Chairmen Grassley and Graham, and Ranking Members Feinstein and Whitehouse: I write on behalf of my client, Ambassador Susan E. Rice, in response to a February 8, 2018 letter from Chairmen G rassley and Graham. The letter poses a series of questions regarding a memorandum to file Ambassador Rice drafted on January 20, 2017 concerning a discussion on January 5, 2017. According to public reporting, Chairman G rassley received this document from the National Archives and Record Administration more than eight months ago.

The memorandum to file drafted by Ambassador Rice memorialized an important national security discussion between President Obama and the FBI Director and the Deputy Attorney General. President Obama and his national s ecurity team were justif iably concerned about potential risks to the Nation’s security from sharing highly classified information about Russia with certain members of the Trump transition team, particularly Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn. In light of concerning communications between members of the Trump team and Russian officials, before and after the election, President Obama, o n behalf of his national security team, appropriately sought the FBI and the Department of Justice’s guidance on this subject. In the conversation Ambassador Rice documented, there was no discussion of Christopher Steele or the Steele dossier, contrary to the suggestion in your letter.

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Sonam Sheth,

New Document s show Senate R epublicans had Susan R ice’s email before they raised questions about it

, BUSINESS INSIDER, Feb. 15, 2018, http://www .businessinsider.com /graham-grassley-ha d-susan-rice- email-months-before-letter-2018-2.