Michael Caputo

Caputo is Roger Stone protege since 1985 (was his driver at Black Manafort Stone), Manafort hired him for Trump 2016 NY primary

Met Roger Stone ~1985 as his driver at Black, Manafort, and Stone lobbying firm. Stone is Caputo's self-described best friend. When Manafort became Trump campaign chair 2016, first person he hired for NY state primary was Caputo - their old friend from Black Manafort Stone days. Caputo was senior adviser Nov 2015-June 2016, fired after tweeting celebration of Lewandowski's removal.

Michael Caputo (political operative, Draper/Ukraine context) has a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filed Nov 26, 2008 in E.D. New York (Bankr.E.D.N.Y. 8-08-76797), discharged March 11, 2009. Also a prior Chapter 7 in E.D. New York filed Dec 24, 1997 (1-97-24363), discharged April 20, 1998. Note: 'Michael Caputo' is a common name — these may not be the political operative; identity unconfirmed. Other Caputo bankruptcies in N.J. (1983, 2003), N.D.Ill. (2004), N.D.Ga. (2021) likely different individuals.

FBI ARMS memo (EFTA00129096) names Caputo meeting with Draper and Yushchenko to discuss opposing US sanctions against Russia

FBI ARMS Reach memo on Tim Draper (April 2025, OPERATION TRIP KNOT, OCDETF Eurasian Organizations) states Draper previously traveled to Ukraine and met with former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and Michael Caputo to discuss ways to oppose certain US sanctions against Russia. Both Draper and Caputo deny the meeting: Draper says he met Yushchenko once in 2005 about VC and Caputo was not involved. Caputo says he does not believe he ever met Draper.

Caputo brokered May 2016 meeting between Roger Stone and Russian Henry Greenberg who offered Clinton dirt for 2M USD

In May 2016, Caputo learned through Florida-based Russian business partner Sergey Petrushin about Henry Greenberg (aka Oknyansky/Vostretsov), a Russian who claimed to have damaging info on Clinton. Caputo brokered meeting between Stone and Greenberg. Stone rejected 2M ask. Both Caputo and Stone initially failed to disclose this contact to Congressional investigators, later amending their testimony. Greenberg claimed to have been FBI informant for 17 years; Caputo/Stone alleged entrapment.

Caputo co-produced OAN Ukraine Hoax documentary (Jan 2020) with Russian Petrushin; US intelligence assessed Russian proxies helped produce it

The Ukraine Hoax: Impeachment, Biden Cash, and Mass Murder aired on OAN January 21, 2020 during Trump impeachment trial. Caputo was producer, co-produced with Russian business partner Sergey Petrushin. Declassified US intelligence report stated Russian proxies helped produce a documentary that aired on US network in late January 2020 - widely interpreted as this film. Russian intelligence agents Konstantin Kilimnik and Andrii Derkach sought to use US persons as conduits. Caputo denies contact with Derkach or Kilimnik for the documentary.

FBI investigated Caputo's unexplained 'Project Rasputin' from 2016 campaign - details remain redacted

Caputo ran a Project Rasputin for Trump in 2016 whose nature remains unknown due to redactions in FBI 302 interview report. As of Feb 2020, Barr DOJ claimed in FOIA exemptions that an ongoing investigation existed into something Caputo did during 2016 election, possibly with Roger Stone, called Project Rasputin. When asked about it, Caputo tweeted a picture of the historical Rasputin (charlatan advisor to the czar) and deleted it. No public resolution of what Project Rasputin was.

Caputo co-founded Zeppelin Communications with Russian partner Petrushin; firm caught scrubbing Putin ties from Wikipedia

In 2015, Caputo co-founded Zeppelin Communications with 25-year Russian business partner Sergey George Petrushin (Moscow nightclub owner, relocated to Miami). Offices in NY, Miami, Moscow. Sean Dwyer, Zeppelin employee, was blocked from Wikipedia in August for using pseudonymous accounts to purge Caputos page of alleged Putin ties. This active information management around Russia connections is consistent with consciousness of the significance of those ties.

Michael Caputo (East Aurora, NY political consultant) appears in Epstein files in two distinct contexts: (1) EFTA00756390: An email from Caputo to Jonathan Farkas forwarding a press release about Carl Paladino claiming Andrew Cuomo 'Took a Payoff' — a political opposition research document from September 27, 2010. (2) EFTA00129096 (FBI memo, Operation Trip Knot): Caputo is identified as meeting with Tim Draper and former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko in Ukraine to 'discuss ways to oppose certain United States sanctions against Russia.' Caputo later served as Assistant Secretary of Health at HHS under Trump (2020). The Paladino/Cuomo document in Epstein files suggests Caputo's opposition research was circulating in Epstein's network as early as 2010.

FBI ARMS Reach memo EFTA00129096 (Operation Trip Knot, April 2025) states Tim Draper 'previously traveled to Ukraine and met with former Ukrainian President VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO, DOB [redacted] and MICHAEL CAPUTO, to discuss ways to oppose certain United States (US) sanctions against Russia (no further information).' This places Caputo in direct context with Draper's anti-sanctions Russia activities. Context: Caputo is a political consultant who worked for Putin-linked campaigns in the 1990s (Russia), worked for Trump 2016, and briefly served as HHS spokesman. His presence at a Ukraine/Draper meeting focused on opposing Russia sanctions adds a dimension connecting the political influence operations context to the Draper-Creer-QWave network.

Caputo lived in Russia 1994-2000, advised Yeltsin reelection, did PR for Putin via Gazprom-Media

Moved to Russia 1994, founded The Florence Group (1994-1999), advised Yeltsin 1996 reelection via USAID. Lost USAID job for siding with Russian officials against State Dept. In 2000, contracted by Gazprom-Media to do PR for Putin in US, representing CEO Alfred Koch during NTV independent media takeover. Business partner of Sergey George Petrushin since ~1997.

Caputo worked on 2007 Ukrainian parliamentary campaign in Kyiv, met Ukrainian wife Maryna Ponomarenko there

In 2007, Caputo moved to Europe to advise a politicians parliamentary campaign in Ukraine. The specific party/candidate he worked for has not been publicly identified. While in Kyiv he met translator Maryna Ponomarenko (b. 1984, Ukrainian), whom he married in 2009. This Ukraine work positions Caputo in the same theater as Manaforts concurrent work for Yanukovych Party of Regions, though no direct overlap is documented. Caputo describes hiding American involvement behind local campaign managers in former Soviet elections.

Caputo hired April 2025 as DOJ adviser to Ed Martin (Trump DC US Attorney nominee), currently holds federal position

In April 2025, Caputo was hired to advise Ed Martin, Trump nominee for US Attorney for DC. Martin describes Caputo as uniquely positioned due to 40+ year relationship with Trump. Caputo expected to handle media relations and conservative group outreach. This represents continued federal government access for someone with extensive undisclosed Russia ties and whose OAN documentary was assessed as Russian intelligence-aided propaganda.