Clarification on Moscow Travel and Baer’s Reporting on FBI’s 2006 Investigation and Interviews
Mr. Baer’s book reports that in 2005-2006 the FBI was investigating Mr. Redmond’s previous travel to Moscow and in so doing he provides inaccurate information on that issue.
Here are the facts with regard to Mr. Redmond’s two trips to Moscow—both reported in CIA channels.
Official Travel 1984-85: Mr. Redmond recalls making one official trip to Moscow in 1984-85 as part of his job when he was Chief of the USSR Branch at CIA. This trip was authorized official travel and is fully documented in CIA official traffic.
Business Travel After Retirement: After retirement Mr. Redmond occasionally worked with a world-renowned private investigator who was favorably known to CIA since he had in the past been given CI information on foreign threats to US companies.
He had successfully neutralized these spies while protecting CIA’s equities. The investigator worked with a London law firm representing a client who believed he had been defrauded by individuals in Russia and asked Mr. Redmond for help finding investigative assistance in Russia.
Through a Russian relative of a long-retired CIA officer—Serge Karpovich who lived part time in Moscow under the more relaxed conditions of post-Soviet Russia—the investigator engaged retired KGB officer Victor Budanov to conduct investigative work. At the investigator’s request, Mr. Redmond accompanied him to Moscow where they met Budanov twice: once during a long business meeting at Karpovich’s apartment and once at dinner where all involved were present.
Mr. Redmond had never met Budanov before, nor afterwards and contrary to what Mr. Baer suggests, certainly was not “in business” with him. Mr. Redmond discussed the trip with Mr. Baer; most of the details Mr. Baer relates in the book are completely inaccurate.
Mr. Redmond cleared that travel in advance with the Chief of Central Eurasia Division at the time, Michael Sulick, and upon return provided CIA with a 4-page single space memo on the Russian Intelligence officers with whom he met while there.
FBI had a copy of that memo when they interviewed Mr. Redmond in 2006. Someone—inappropriately—had told Mr. Baer about that trip and the FBI investigation as he asked Mr. Redmond about it and reports that discussion in his book. (page 223)
Incorrect Allegation on an Unreported Trip to Moscow
Mr. Redmond never made an unreported trip to Moscow either while serving in CIA or after. Mr. Baer raises this inaccurate issue several times in his book.
For example, he says the FBI interviewed Ms. Bannerman about this issue in 2006. Mr. Baer also raised it with former senior CIA officers Jim Olsen and John MacGaffin who both indicated that made no sense. Mr. MacGaffin said he was certain the FBI had to be misinformed and the story about the Moscow trip couldn’t be right (pg 229): “anyone with street smarts wouldn’t risk traveling to Moscow and could spy for the Russians and never visit Moscow.”
Whatever was in the memo contained in FBI files regarding an unreported trip by Mr. Redmond is not accurate. We do not have a copy of that memo, but it seems that the origin of that inaccurate memo should be scrutinized as it apparently gave life to an incorrect allegation against Mr. Redmond that amazingly found its way into Mr. Baer’s book and apparently prompted the 2006 FBI interviews of Ms. Bannerman, Ms. Worthen and Mr. Lofgren with Mr. Milburn in attendance. Those interviews in turn offered them the opportunity to provide the FBI with false information regarding Mr. Redmond as outlined in Mr. Baer’s book and discounted above.
Mr. Baer then discusses a defector lead which on the one hand he discredits but leaves it out there as a potential connection with an unidentified CIA officer making an unauthorized trip to Moscow. Mr. Redmond has stated that neither of those relate to him and in 2006 he clarified that in an interview with the FBI.
Mr. Baer’s reporting on this is highly irresponsible and question how he learned such information. (Pg 180)