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 were already the subject of charges before this Court) and to provide counsel an opportunity to present any arguments as to why these charges should not be brought. The Special Counsel's Office also alerted defense counsel for each defendant that the government was prepared to bring all of the charges before a Grand Jury in the District of Columbia, if the defendants were willing to waive venue (since otherwise we could not do so legally). If venue had been waived, the defendants would have faced a single indictment in one district, and not two indictments in adjacent districts. One defendant elected, as is his right, not to waive venue. The Special Counsel's Office accordingly has proceeded in the Eastern District of Virginia.

Dated: February 22, 2018