EFTA01731206.pdf

-1 of 9- Ontictuu. Rffoono FD-302 (Rev. 5-8-10) on___ As ...snots _a not to. nfie• try Wei CO Ono.. %aro FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Date of entry 05/29/2020 (U//FOLIO) On 04/28/2020 from approximately 2:31 pm to 5:27 pm, CHARLES "CHUCK" JOHNSON, social security account number (SSN) ; telephone number , was interviewed over the phone, by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agents (SA) After being advised of the identity of the interviewing Agents and the nature of the voluntary interview, JOHNSON provided the following information: (U//FOLIO) At the beginning of the interview, JOHNSON expressed concern about what the Agents were interested in. JOHNSON said he wanted to be helpful, but did not want to get tricked into being arrested. He said he may have made mistakes in the past related to Bitcoin, supporting the financing of marijuana businesses, and his taxes, but now did want to jeopardize his own businesses because they work with the U.S. Government (USG). JOHNSON also indicated that he had an attorney and his attorney would be shocked that he was willing to talk to the FBI. Agents said the call was voluntary and he did not need to talk with the Agents. JOHNSON understood and continued to talk to the Agents. (U//FOLIO) JOHNSON lived in Houston, Texas, for the past three years. JOHNSON owned property in Los Angeles, California, . JOHNSON often traveled to Los Angeles and to Washington, DC, for business. Prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic, JOHNSON hosted dinners in DC, referred to as the (U//FOLIO) JOHNSON was involved with the companies which dealt hwes8gationcm 04/28/2020 at Washington, District Of Columbia, United States (Phone) File SI Deedmfted 05/04/2020 by This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of the FBI. It is the property of the FBI and is loaned to your agency; it and its contents arc no; to be distributed outside your agency. EFTA01731206 FD-302a (Rev. 5-8-10) (U FOLIO) Interview of Charles Johnson Continuation ofFD-302 of (aka) Chuck Johnson On 04/28/2020 . page 2 of 9 with genetics, and , which focused on facial recognition. JOHNSON's facial recognition company partnered with the FBI investigating criminal cases. JOHNSON worked with the National Security Council (NSC) to identify Chinese companies practicing unethical tactics (Honey Pots, bribes, and blackmail). JOHNSON provided the name of retired as a reference. JOHNSON also said he has worked with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). (U//FOLIO) STEVE BANNON, MICHAEL CERNOVICH, EZRA COHEN-WATNICK, the National Security Council, and Media Leaks: (U//FOLIO) Agents presented JOHNSON with an article he wrote titled "Why Steve Bannon Had to Go from Breitbart" written on January 9, 2018, on gotnews.com. JOHNSON recalled writing it and receiving phone calls to take it down but refused to do so. JOHNSON was friends with BANNON and they use to work together. JOHNSON maintained a friendship with STEVE BANNON for a long time but has since cut ties. JOHNSON was paid by BANNON to do research prior to the 2016 presidential election. JOHNSON took the Make America Great Again (MAGA) personally and helped establish relationships with Alt-Right groups prior to the election in order to support DONALD TRUMP's campaign. After the election, JOHNSON worked to bring down the groups and returned the money he received from BANNON. JOHNSON held mixed views on the actions he took to get TRUMP elected. JOHNSON was angered by the things he wrote in the past and was remorseful. For example, he recognized that on the Internet he looked like a Neo-Nazi, but said he studied racists but was not a racist. He said his attorney was Jewish. He said his online persona was not who he really was. (U//FOLIO) JOHNSON has not talked to BANNON in over a year but received approximately two to three text messages from BANNON since. JOHNSON did not believe BANNON had as close of a relationship with the President of the United States (POTUS) as he bragged about. (U//FOUO) Agents read the following statement from JOHNSON's article to JOHNSON: "Bannon leaks all the time. I know he leaked from the White House because he leaked to me and you better believe I will testify if asked." JOHNSON recalled ALEXANDRA PREATE, who is an associate of BANNON's, EFTA01731207 EFTA01731208 EFTA01731209 EFTA01731210 EFTA01731211 FD-302a (Rev. 5-8-10) (U//FOLIO) Interview of Charles Johnson Continuation011,O-302a (aka) Chuck Johnson .on 04/28/2020 i ns, 7 of 9 (U//FOUO) BANNON and JEFFREY EPSTEIN: (U//FOUO) JOHNSON expressed concern that JEFFREY EPSTEIN was an Israeli spy. He and BANNON may have had a business relationship and EPSTEIN paid BANNON with money from the Israelis. JOHNSON referenced a news story about Israel and Stingray equipment found around the WH. BANNON may have utilized the technology to get information out of the WH. He said BANNON was close to EPSTEIN and that troubled JOHNSON as a father of young girl. He said BANNON met EPSTEIN at his New York home, and JOHNSON referred Agents to a New York Post article from 2018. EFTA01731212 EFTA01731213 EFTA01731214