washington former cia director jam woolsey pitch 10 million contract two turkish businessmen help discredit controversial u.s.-based cleric woolsey adviser donald trump election campaign three people familiar proposal say eight days formally join trump campaign adviser national security issue woolsey meet sept. 20 2016 businessmen ekim alptekin sezgin baran korkmaz lunch peninsula hotel new york say woolsey wife nancye miller propose lobby public relations campaign target fethullah gulen turkish cleric live pennsylvania turkish president recep tayyip erdogan accuse gulen instigate fail coup july 2016 want extradite turkey face trial gulen deny role coup email memo see reuters woolsey miller sketch plan draw attention cleric possible role coup attempt encourage official investigation activities alptekin ally erdogan already agree one company 600,000 contract consult firm michael flynn research gulen flynn also trump campaign adviser late become national security adviser fire february woolsey member flynn firm flynn intel group accord justice department file firm archive company website although spokesman woolsey dispute characterization say unpaid adviser affiliation loosely define sept. 20 meet miller say woolsey good position flynn influence decision-makers gulen allege role coup accord alptekin two people familiar discussion bid lobby consult contract foreign company government illegal woolsey miller win contract event previously undisclosed meet show first time two trump aid compete win lucrative business deal alptekin deal flynn investigate special counsel robert mueller part wide probe whether trump campaign collude russians try interfere 2016 u.s. presidential election peter carr spokesman mueller decline comment jonathan frank spokesman woolsey miller say clients investigation flynn central figure mueller investigation conversations then-russian ambassador sergei kislyak last year wait march retroactively register justice department foreign agent work alptekin file flynn lawyer robert kelner say work do alptekin company could construe principally benefit republic turkey flynn fire national security adviser february mislead vice president mike pence extent conversations kislyak frank describe sept. 20 meet unremarkable say miller could locate email memo remember write also say woolsey pursue turkish interest economic development proposal wake coup center around reassure folks turkey safe place business project focus gulen alptekin say woolsey miller pursue business sept. 20 meet pitch project target gulen decide stick contract flynn firm kelner decline comment story white house respond request comment disclosure march flynn contract discredit gulen spark intense media scrutiny people work flynn include woolsey shortly woolsey allege media interview flynn others sept. 19 2016 meet new york discuss turkey foreign energy minister idea covertly spirit gulen unite state turkey flynn deny spokesman ever discuss plan alptekin also deny ever discuss say woolsey claim astound seek alptekin business meet follow day story fiction alptekin tell reuters frank say woolsey stand account meet woolsey first propose 10 million project korkmaz second turkish businessman meet california august 2016. proposal outline email send miller woolsey aug. 18 print show woolsey korkmaz forward alptekin korkmaz know woolsey years invite woolsey meet accord two people familiar meet korkmaz tell woolsey look someone could handle lobby public relations project relate gulen korkmaz alptekin business tie know u.s-turkey trade group accord two people knowledge relationship anil leylek spokeswoman korkmaz company decline comment frank confirm august meet describe brief pitch woolsey miller proposal include get washington insiders like then-senator jeff sessions trump attorney general co-author article situation turkey engage influential lawmakers republican senator bob corker get woolsey fox news cnn memo say cost engagement 10,000,000 say woolsey lead cia two years former president bill clinton join trump campaign september transition team trump election victory november step january frank say woolsey unpaid adviser campaign obligation report efforts pursue work turkish interest smear grow speculation indictments could hand soon surprise others attempt accomplish press grand jury room frank add exclusive advise trump 2016 ex-cia chief propose plan discredit turkish cleric