December 2016 would be just right. The Electoral College vote where Trump was officially elected as the next president took place on December 19th.
I can almost guarantee you that the contact with the Russians took place after that. Even criminals in D.C. aren't stupid, and they'd go to great lengths to abide by the obvious proprieties of these key dates.
119 posted on 12/01/2017 9:01:38 AM PST by Alberta's Child
("Tell them to stand!" -- President Trump, 9/23/2017)