Proof of Conspiracy: How Trump's International Collusion Is Threatening American Democracy

by Seth Abramson

Upon his return from the Seychelles, Prince gives Bannon a full briefing on his meetings with Dmitriev—though here again, Bannon will subsequently contradict both Nader and Prince, telling the special counsel that he “never discussed with Prince anything regarding Dmitriev, RDIF, or any meetings with Russian individuals or people associated with Putin.”170 The special counsel is unable to confirm Bannon’s account, or Prince’s, because they have apparently erased all their text messages from prior to March 2017. Both men will claim to the special counsel that their phones automatically deleted the messages—in both their cases, from the exact same time frame—against their wishes.171 The Mueller Report will note, however, that “provider records indicate that [Prince] and Bannon exchanged dozens of messages” prior to March 2017.172