Power Briefing: Bolton said U.S. response to Russia should be ‘disproportionate’ Presented by Amazon

John Bolton said in a speech last month that the United States' response to Russia should be "disproportionate." | Alex Brandon/AP Photo

THE NEXT NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER -- JOHN BOLTON on the U.S. responding to Russian interference last month, per WaPo’s Josh Rogin: “I don’t think the response should be proportionate, I think it should be very disproportionate.” https://wapo.st/2urkDxL

SPOTTED: Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Josh Bolten, Ed Gillespie, Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), and Scott Jennings having dinner on Tuesday night at the Benedetto restaurant at the Charles Hotel in Cambridge. McConnell, Bolten and Guthrie were in town to speak to students at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics, where Gillespie and Jennings are fellows … Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, Mike Bloomberg and Josh Steiner at a Starbucks in NYC -- pic http://bit.ly/2GjmZA1 (h/t Sheekey Daily Read)

LA CHEESERIE … @howardfineman: “The Franklin Professor of Presidential Practice at @Penn, #JoeBiden, spoke to my seminar at @AnnenbergPenn today. Students got a priceless education. Leaving ideology and politics aside, it’s hard not to agree that he’s a decent, caring guy with a sure street sense of the world.” With pic http://bit.ly/2Ietfd8

Good Wednesday afternoon. THE LATEST ON THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION -- “Mueller: Rick Gates spoke to person with Russian spy ties in late 2016,” by Kyle Cheney: “Rick Gates, a senior official on President Donald Trump’s campaign, was in contact in September and October 2016 with an associate that the FBI assessed had ongoing ties to Russia's intelligence services, special counsel Robert Mueller said in a new court filing.

“In a federal court filing Tuesday, Mueller described the associate of Gates and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort as ‘Person A’ and said Gates was aware of the person's links to the GRU intelligence service. The person has been identified in news reports as Konstantin Kilimnik, a longtime business associate from Manafort’s days working on behalf of a Kremlin-aligned Ukrainian political party.

“Kilimnik’s suspected ties to Russian intelligence have been established, but it was not previously known whether those links continued into 2016. Manafort reportedly met with him at least twice that year, including in August, during a crucial stretch of the campaign.

“The filing shed little light on whether Americans aided Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, but it shows that prosecutors believe a top Trump official remained in contact with a Russian intelligence-linked operative well into the campaign.” https://politi.co/2GAKw2E … Ken Vogel’s August 2016 profile of Kilimnik https://politi.co/2GE6TVc

-- DARREN SAMUELSOHN: “Trump attack unleashes oppo against Mueller”: “When President Donald Trump lashed out against Robert Mueller by name earlier this month, the president’s supporters sprang into action -- treating the chief Russia investigator to political campaign-style opposition research.

“Within hours, the Drudge Report featured a story blaming Mueller, the special counsel leading the Justice Department’s Russia probe, for the FBI’s clumsy investigation into the 2001 anthrax attacks when Mueller ran the bureau. The independent pro-Trump journalist Sara Carter posted a story charging that Mueller, as a federal prosecutor in Boston in the mid-1980s, had covered up the FBI’s dealings with the Mafia informant Whitey Bulger. Carter was soon discussing her findings in prime time with Fox News host Sean Hannity. Meanwhile, Trump supporters on Twitter circulated video of testimony Mueller gave to Congress ahead of the 2003 Iraq War in which he endorsed the view, later proved false, that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction.

“To some, the barrage looked coordinated among pro-Trump allies and media outlets, a concerted effort to tarnish Mueller’s reputation as part of a political strategy to undermine, or even eventually fire, the Russia investigator.” https://politi.co/2GEoVGS

Playbook PM Sign up for our must-read newsletter on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

TRUMP’S DEFENSE TEAM: “Spurned by top lawyers, Trump’s defense elevates Washington outsider,” by Reuters’ Karen Freifeld: “A little-known former prosecutor with a doctorate in medieval history will play a central role on U.S. President Donald Trump’s legal team, as many top-tier lawyers shy away from representing him in a probe into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election.

“Andrew Ekonomou, 69, is one of a handful of lawyers assisting Jay Sekulow, the main attorney representing Trump in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. Sekulow told Reuters on Tuesday that after the departure of Washington attorney John Dowd from Trump’s personal legal team last week, Ekonomou will assume a more prominent role.” https://reut.rs/2GAXddR

HARASSMENT FILES -- “Senate’s female members push for harassment vote,” by Elana Schor: “The Senate’s 22 female members joined together Wednesday in a bipartisan push for their leaders to overhaul its workplace misconduct rules, airing ‘deep disappointment’ that the chamber hasn’t already moved. …

“‘Survivors who have bravely come forward to share their stories have brought to light just how widespread harassment and discrimination continue to be throughout Capitol Hill,’ the women senators wrote in a letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). ‘No longer can we allow the perpetrators of these crimes to hide behind a 23-year-old law,’ the 22 senators continued, referring to the 1995 statute that established the Hill’s current framework for handling workplace misconduct complaints.” https://politi.co/2GxPqOd

A message from Amazon: Amazon helps independent sellers grow and thrive in our store. Read the story behind the success of small- and medium-sized businesses in the Amazon store.

TRUMP INC -- “ Trump loses arbitration to win back control of Panama hotel,” by Univison’s David Adams: “An international arbitration court ruled late Tuesday against the Trump Organization's effort to win back control of a landmark luxury hotel in Panama after it was evicted by the owners earlier this month over allegations of ‘horrific’ mismanagement.” http://bit.ly/2us60dg

STORMY VS TRUMP, CONTINUED -- “Stormy Daniels’ lawyer seeks to depose Trump over $130,000 payment,” by Lorraine Woellert: “In a filing late Tuesday night in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, the adult film star, whose given name is Stephanie Clifford, asked permission to question Trump for two hours. Her lawyer also is seeking to depose the president’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, who arranged the hush-money deal with Daniels.

“‘It is firmly established that a sitting president is not afforded special protection from a civil suit regarding conduct before he or she entered office,’ wrote Daniels’ lawyer, Michael Avenatti. …

“In another late filing, Avenatti also requests a jury trial for the case. In the court filing, Daniels’ lawyer also said that the non-disclosure agreement, along with its mandatory arbitration clause, ‘violate public policy by suppressing speech on a matter of enormous public concern about a candidate for President of the United States, mere weeks before the election.’” https://politi.co/2uqnrev … Avenatti on “CBS This Morning” this a.m. talking about the filings https://cbsn.ws/2us9WL7

INTERNATIONAL MAN -- SPEAKER PAUL RYAN on the front page of Czech newspaper Lidové noviny after his speech to the Czech Republic’s Chamber of Deputies, with the headline “The Russians want to divide us” ( http://bit.ly/2usfrtp ) and with a story in Pravo headlined “Ryan praised Czech for solidarity” ( http://bit.ly/2utDvfh ).

BIRTHERISM STILL KICKING -- “Joe Arpaio suggests he’d revive ‘birther’ theory if elected to Senate,” by CNN’s Veronica Stracqualursi: “At a conservative convention last week, [former sheriff and Arizona GOP Senate candidate Joe] Arpaio recalled introducing President Donald Trump at a campaign rally where the former sheriff mentioned illegal immigration and the ‘birther’ theory -- that Obama was not born in the US and therefore was ineligible to be president.

“‘I don’t talk about it anymore, until I become the U.S. senator ... It has something to do with a document,’ Arpaio said at the Western Conservative Conference in Phoenix, according to a video posted to YouTube Saturday by Tru Conservative TV. ‘If I asked you guys -- I'm a nothing now, but if I were still the sheriff, I could ask for your birth certificate, he said. ‘So, I'm kind of dropping that right now.’” https://cnn.it/2utNZeD

ON THE ROAD -- REP. DOUG COLLINS (R-GA.) is making moves. The House Republican Conference vice chair is hitting the Midwest this week holding fundraising and campaign events for Rep. Billy Long (Mo.) and Kansas Reps. Kevin Yoder and Ron Estes.

ON THE PRESIDENT’S MIND -- @realDonaldTrump at 12:18 p.m.: “My Administration stands in solidarity with the brave citizens in Orange County defending their rights against California's illegal and unconstitutional Sanctuary policies. California's Sanctuary laws....” … at 12:19 p.m.: “....release known dangerous criminals into communities across the State. All citizens have the right to be protected by Federal law and strong borders.”

IMMIGRATION UPDATE -- “Trump proposal would penalize immigrants who use tax credits and other benefits,” by WaPo’s Nick Miroff: “According to a draft of the proposal obtained by The Washington Post, immigration caseworkers would be required to consider a much broader range of factors when determining whether immigrants or their U.S.-citizen children are using public benefits or may be likely to do so.

“Current rules penalize immigrants who receive cash welfare payments, considering them a ‘public charge.’ But the proposed changes from the Department of Homeland Security would widen the government’s definition of benefits to include the widely used Earned Income Tax Credit as well as health insurance subsidies and other ‘non-cash public benefits.’

“The changes would apply to those seeking immigration visas, or legal permanent residency, such as a foreigner with an expiring work visa. While it would make little difference to those living illegally in the shadows, it could affect immigrants protected by the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program -- whose termination has been blocked by federal courts -- if they attempt to file for full legal residency.” https://wapo.st/2GBg5JH

HOLLYWOODLAND -- “Netflix Names Ambassador Susan Rice to Board of Directors,” by THR’s Paul Bond http://bit.ly/2uuRGAM

SPOTTED at an MPAA screening of Disney’s “A Wrinkle in Time” at the National Archives last night (trailer: http://bit.ly/2pOgyOl ): Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), Charles Rivkin, Sheila Johnson, Alfred Newman, Alexandra de Borchgrave, Izette Folger, Lloyd Hand, Ann Hand, Catherine Hand, Bart Gordon, Carol Schwartz, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Carl Colby, Timothy Lowery, Jamie Meyer, Jessica Moore, Annie Totah, Michael Caruso, Susan Tolson, Jan Cousteau, Jarl Mohn, Alexis Kaufmann, Gloria Dittus, Jodie Mclean, Evan Ryan, Roland and Diane Flamini, and Gail MacKinnon.

TRANSITIONS -- Jamie Smith is joining the Linux Foundation as chief marketing officer. She was a special assistant and spokeswoman for then-President Barack Obama and a Clinton 2008 alum. … Alexa Papadopoulos recently started as press secretary for Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.). She previously worked for Edelman on the media strategies and services team. …

… Matt James is now heading up a new San Francisco office for GMMB as senior counselor. He most recently was scholar in residence at the David & Lucile Packard Foundation and helped launch Kaiser Health News. … Scott Comer has been hired as major gifts officer at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. He previously was the president of Fortune Hill Group and the DNC’s finance chief of staff.

ENGAGED -- Will Troost, financial services counsel for Bloomberg LP, proposed to Noelle Clemente, VP for S-3 Public Affairs and an E&C alum, Saturday evening before dinner at VOLT in Frederick, Md. “The engagement brought their relationship full circle, as the couple first met at Troost’s sister’s wedding in 2012, where Clemente was a bridesmaid. The couple is planning a winter wedding in Washington, D.C.”

SUBSCRIBE to the Playbook family: POLITICO Playbook http://politi.co/2lQswbh ... Playbook Power Briefing http://politi.co/2xuOiqh ... New York Playbook http://politi.co/1ON8bqW … Florida Playbook http://politi.co/1OypFe9 ... New Jersey Playbook http://politi.co/1HLKltF ... Massachusetts Playbook http://politi.co/1Nhtq5v … Illinois Playbook http://politi.co/1N7u5sb ... California Playbook http://politi.co/2bLvcPl ... London Playbook http://politi.co/2xfDPuK … Brussels Playbook http://politi.co/1FZeLcw ... All our political and policy tipsheets http://politi.co/1M75UbX

Follow us on Twitter Anna Palmer @apalmerdc



Jake Sherman @JakeSherman



Eli Okun @eliokun



Garrett Ross @garrett_ross