2016 ELECTION/INTELLIGENCE/LEGAL/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team is preparing to interview the woman who’s seen it all: Hope Hicks. She’s been part of Donald Trump’s inner circle for years, first at Trump Tower and then as an omnipresent gatekeeper and fixer who could get emails or other communications directly to the boss during […]
Category: Intelligence
11/15/2017
2016 ELECTION/CAMPAIGN/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee rejected Republican efforts to discredit a raw-intelligence document compiled on Donald Trump during the 2016 campaign, saying that its allegations that Russia sought to help elect Mr. Trump ‘turned out to be true.’ In a Wall Street Journal interview Wednesday [11-15-17], Rep. Adam […]
11/15/2017
CIA/INTELLIGENCE/MIKE POMPEO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump has turned his daily intelligence briefing — a routine that in previous administrations has been a dry, formal affair — into a free-flowing conversation during which he peppers his CIA director, former House member Mike Pompeo, with questions about everything from national security threats to the internal dynamics […]
11/14/2017
2016 ELECTION/INTELLIGENCE/LEGAL/RUSSIA/TRUMP FAMILY/DONALD JR: “Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) said Tuesday [11-14-17] that he is still deciding whether to hold a public hearing with Donald Trump Jr. as part of the panel’s probe into whether any associates of the president colluded with Russians in the 2016 election… Hearing from President Donald Trump’s eldest […]
11/12/2017
2016 ELECTION/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A day after he called three former heads of U.S. intelligence agencies ‘political hacks,’ President Donald Trump said he had full confidence in the agencies and indicated he believed their report that concluded Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election. But the president’s shift in tone failed to mollify the targets […]
11/10/2017
INTELLIGENCE/MICHAEL FLYNN/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA: “Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating an alleged plan involving former White House national security adviser Mike Flynn to forcibly remove a Muslim cleric living in the U.S. and deliver him to Turkey in return for millions of dollars, according to people familiar with the investigation. Under the alleged proposal, Mr. Flynn […]
11/1/2017
2016 ELECTION/INTELLIGENCE/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s options are limited for ending the Russia probe he so wants to see over… Despite Trump’s desire to cut the Russia investigations short — and pressure from some allies to do so — the president and his advisers are quickly coming to the realization there isn’t much […]
10/31/2017
CAMPAIGN/INTELLIGENCE/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump on Tuesday [10-31-17] described a former campaign adviser who pleaded guilty in connection with an investigation into Russian activity in the 2016 election as a young, little-known, low-level volunteer and proven liar. The adviser, George Papadopoulos, pleaded guilty earlier this month to lying to the Federal Bureau of […]
10/30/2017
INTELLIGENCE/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA: “With Monday’s [10-30-17] unsealing of a 12-count indictment and a guilty plea, Special Counsel Robert Mueller signaled that his probe into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election has taken him far beyond the campaign, former prosecutors and legal experts said. The sweep of the tax and money-laundering charges against former Trump […]
10/29/2017
GOP/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Never seen such Republican ANGER & UNITY as I have concerning the lack of investigation on Clinton made Fake Dossier (now $12,000,000?),… the Uranium to Russia deal, the 33,000 plus deleted Emails, the Comey fix and so much more. Instead they look at phony Trump/Russia,… ‘collusion,’ which doesn’t exist. The Dems are […]
10/27/2017
2016 ELECTION/GOP/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Republican lawmakers say they’re approaching the end of their investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election even though the most politically explosive issue — whether associates of President Donald Trump colluded with the Kremlin — remains unresolved. That will present Democrats who have spent a year amplifying suspicions about […]
10/26/2017
2016 ELECTION/FBI/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Federal Bureau of Investigation is expected to hand over to Congress documents related to a controversial and unverified dossier on President Donald Trump by next week, ending a long-running impasse between lawmakers and federal law enforcement. Speaking to reporters, House Speaker Paul Ryan said that the FBI had agreed to […]
10/25/2017
2016 ELECTION/INTELLIGENCE/POLITICS/RUSSIA: “The Senate Judiciary Committee’s GOP chairman and top Democrat are splitting off in different directions when it comes to investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election, risking a collapse of their once bipartisan probe… Feinstein is working with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on the foreign-influence bill, a spokesman said. The legislation gives Feinstein, […]
10/25/2017
2016 ELECTION/CAMPAIGN/HILLARY CLINTON/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee were among those who paid a firm for research that led to a dossier of unverified allegations about President Donald Trump’s activities and connections in Russia, according to a person familiar with the matter. Marc Elias, a partner at law firm Perkins Coie […]
10/24/2017
INTELLIGENCE/MILITARY: “A U.S. Army Green Berets patrol, outnumbered by suspected Islamic State militants, fought for two hours in Niger before air support provided by French military jets arrived, a top U.S. official said Monday [10-23-17], much longer than previously reported by Pentagon officials. The Special Forces unit didn’t call for help for an hour after […]
10/23/2017
INTELLIGENCE/LEGAL/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The United States effectively rejected a Russian criminal complaint against a prominent critic of the Kremlin on Monday [10-23-17] and decided to allow him into the country, reversing an initial decision to bar his entry in response to the complaint after congressional leaders protested. The critic, William F. Browder, a prominent investor […]
10/22/2017
2016 ELECTION/CAMPAIGN/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s campaign digital director, Brad Parscale, will be interviewed Tuesday [10-24-17] by the House Intelligence Committee, his first appearance before any of the panels examining the issue of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Mr. Parscale confirmed his scheduled appearance. The Senate committees also probing interference haven’t scheduled time […]
10/22/2017
2016 ELECTION/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP FAMILY/JARED KUSHNER: “In a secured room in the basement of the Capitol in July, Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, fielded question after question from members of the House Intelligence Committee. Though the allotted time for the grilling had expired, he offered to stick around as long as they wanted. But […]
10/21/2017
FBI/INTELLIGENCE/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT: “Officials behind the now discredited ‘Dossier’ plead the Fifth. Justice Department and/or FBI should immediately release who paid for it.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 21, 2017 02:59pm […]
10/20/2017
CAMPAIGN/INTELLIGENCE/LEGAL/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Senate Intelligence Committee has indefinitely postponed a public hearing planned for next week with Michael Cohen, the longtime Trump attorney and 2016 campaign surrogate… Cohen had been slated to appear in a private session last month but the committee called it off abruptly after Cohen arrived, citing his decision to release […]
10/19/2017
CIA/INTELLIGENCE/MIKE POMPEO/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA: “CIA Director Mike Pompeo drew sharp criticism Thursday [10-19-17] after wrongly stating that the U.S. intelligence community had found that Russian meddling did not tilt the 2016 presidential election. Pompeo made the inaccurate claim at an event hosted by the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a conservative think tank close to […]
10/19/2017
INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Workers of firm involved with the discredited and Fake Dossier take the 5th. Who paid for it, Russia, the FBI or the Dems (or all)?” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 19, 2017 06:56am […]
10/16/2017
HOUSE OF REPS/INTELLIGENCE: “The U.S. political research firm that commissioned a dossier on Donald Trump while he was running for president said on Monday [10-16-17] it would not comply with subpoenas issued by the U.S. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee. Lawyers for Fusion GPS, which hired former British spy Christopher Steele to produce the Trump […]
10/10/2017
INTELLIGENCE/LEGAL/POLITICS/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A congressional committee has issued subpoenas targeting a research firm that compiled a dossier of unverified and unflattering information about President Donald Trump. The subpoenas were recently issued by the House Intelligence Committee to employees at Fusion GPS, which performs research for political and corporate clients. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Fusion […]
10/10/2017
INTELLIGENCE/LEGAL/PROTESTS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A D.C judge has ordered web hosting company DreamHost to turn over information about an anti-Trump website, but moved to conceal the identities of users who feared government retaliation for engaging in innocent political speech… The order Chief Judge Robert Morin issued Tuesday [10-10-17] still compels DreamHost to give government lawyers files, […]
10/10/2017
INTELLIGENCE/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT: “The Justice Department put technology companies on notice Tuesday [10-10-17] that it intends to be more aggressive in seeking access to encrypted information on consumer devices, setting the stage for potential legal and legislative clashes in the tug of war between data privacy and public safety. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein issued the […]
10/9/2017
CYBERWAR/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “Google has found evidence that Russian agents bought ads on its wide-ranging networks in an effort to interfere with the 2016 presidential campaign. Using accounts believed to be connected to the Russian government, the agents purchased $4,700 worth of search ads and more traditional display ads, according to a person familiar with the company’s […]
10/5/2017
CYBERWAR/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “In the latest case of an insider removing sensitive data from the nation’s largest intelligence agency, Russian hackers obtained classified documents that a National Security Agency employee had taken and stored on his home computer. Investigators believe the hackers may have penetrated the computer by exploiting Kaspersky Lab antivirus software, a Russian brand widely […]
10/5/2017
FAKE NEWS/INTELLIGENCE: “Why Isn’t the Senate Intel Committee looking into the Fake News Networks in OUR country to see why so much of our news is just made up-FAKE!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 5, 2017 05:59am […]
10/5/2017
FAKE NEWS/INTELLIGENCE/MEDIA: “Why Isn’t the Senate Intel Committee looking into the Fake News Networks in OUR country to see why so much of our news is just made up-FAKE!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 5, 2017 05:59am […]
10/4/2017
2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “The leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday [10-4-17] warned political candidates to expect Russian operatives to try to sow chaos and manipulate upcoming elections in November and in 2018. At a news conference, Senators Richard Burr, the committee’s chairman, and Mark Warner, its vice chairman, broadly endorsed the conclusions of American […]
10/4/2017
2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr said Wednesday [10-4-17] the committee is continuing to investigate potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian agents meddling in the U.S. election. Despite the president’s dismissal of possible collusion between his campaign and Russian officials as ‘a hoax,’ Burr, R-N.C., and Vice Chairman Mark Warner, […]
10/4/2017
CYBERWAR/INTELLIGENCE/NATIONAL SECURITY: “A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers unveiled legislation on Wednesday [10-4-17] that would overhaul aspects of the National Security Agency’s warrantless internet surveillance program in an effort to install additional privacy protections… The legislation, written by the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, is seen by civil liberties groups as the best chance in […]
10/2/2017
CYBERWAR/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “Facebook Inc. on Monday [10-2-17] said it estimates 10 million people saw ads it has discovered on its platform paid for by Russian entities, but warned that it may not have uncovered all malicious activity that attempted to interfere in the American political process. The revelation from Facebook quantifies for the first time the […]
10/2/2017
INTELLIGENCE/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA: “Robert Mueller is rarely seen and almost never heard. He doesn’t frequent popular restaurants, appear on television or even issue statements. When he meets in person with President Donald Trump’s lawyers, he does not visit the White House where reporters might notice. He instead summons them to the conference rooms of his southwest […]
9/28/2017
INTELLIGENCE/LEGAL/RUSSIA/TRUMP FAMILY/JARED KUSHNER: “In his closed interview with the staff of the Senate intelligence committee, White House senior adviser and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner did not share the existence of his personal email account, which he has used for official business, CNN has learned. CNN has also learned that the chair and vice chair of […]
9/21/2017
INTELLIGENCE/LEGAL/PAUL MANAFORT/RUSSIA: “U.S. authorities placed Paul Manafort under surveillance after he was ousted as Donald Trump’s campaign manager in the summer of 2016, according to U.S. officials with knowledge of the matter. The surveillance, which was part of a counterintelligence investigation into Russian interference with the presidential election, didn’t involve listening to Mr. Manafort’s phone […]
9/20/2017
CYBERWAR/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr says he’s planning to hold a public hearing next month on Russian election interference through Facebook and other social media platforms. Earlier this month, Facebook disclosed it had sold about $100,000 in ads to Russian troll farms connected to about 470 inauthentic accounts. Facebook briefed the Senate and House […]
9/17/2017
INTELLIGENCE/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “When North Korea launched long-range missiles this summer, and again on Friday [9-15-17], demonstrating its ability to strike Guam and perhaps the United States mainland, it powered the weapons with a rare, potent rocket fuel that American intelligence agencies believe initially came from China and Russia. The United States government […]
9/17/2017
BUSINESS/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “Michael Cohen, one of President Donald Trump’s closest business advisers, said on Sunday [9-17-17] he would testify on Tuesday to the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee, as the panel investigates alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. The timing of Cohen’s testimony was first reported by NBC. Cohen confirmed that he would testify to […]
9/12/2017
CYBERWAR/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “The bipartisan leadership of the Senate Intelligence Committee said Tuesday [9-12-17] they are likely to call representatives from Facebook Inc. to Capitol Hill to publicly detail Russian activity on the company’s platform during the 2016 election. In separate interviews with reporters, Sens. Richard Burr (R., N.C.) and Mark Warner (D., Va.) said they are […]
8/24/2017
INTELLIGENCE/JAMES CLAPPER/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “When former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper questioned President Donald Trump’s ‘fitness to be in this office’ after the President’s wild speech in Phoenix Tuesday [8-22-17] night, it was likely only a matter of time before the President aimed his Twitter ire at the retired general. Indeed, Thursday morning came […]
8/15/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/INTELLIGENCE/NORTH KOREA: “The U.S. believes that North Korea produces its own rocket engines rather than relying on foreign imports, a U.S. intelligence official said Tuesday [8-15-17]. The comments from the intelligence community come as experts have questioned if Kim Jong Un’s regime obtained Soviet-designed rocket engines through illicit channels in Ukraine or Russia. A […]
8/10/2017
FBI/INTELLIGENCE/TERRORISM: “U.S. investigators uncovered a global financial network run by a senior Islamic State official that funneled money to an alleged ISIS operative in the U.S. through fake eBay transactions, according to a recently unsealed FBI affidavit. The alleged recipient of the funds was an American citizen in his early 30s who had been arrested […]
8/9/2017
INTELLIGENCE/PAUL MANAFORT/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA: “Investigators for the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, recently searched a home of President Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, for tax documents and foreign banking records, according to a person briefed on the matter. Officials did not disclose where the search warrant was carried out. Mr. Manafort has homes in […]
8/9/2017
FBI/INTELLIGENCE/PAUL MANAFORT: “Federal investigators sought cooperation from Paul Manafort’s son-in-law in an effort to increase pressure on President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, according to three people familiar with the probe. Investigators approached Jeffrey Yohai, who has partnered in business deals with Manafort, earlier this summer, setting off ‘real waves’ in Manafort’s orbit, one of […]
8/4/2017
INTELLIGENCE/NATIONAL SECURITY/ROBERT MUELLER: “Investigators working for the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, recently asked the White House for documents related to the former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn, and have questioned witnesses about whether he was secretly paid by the Turkish government during the final months of the presidential campaign, according to people […]
7/27/2017
GOP/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A senior Republican senator said Thursday [7-27-17] he is crafting legislation to protect the independence of the special counsel investigation into Russian activity during the 2016 election, a response to President Donald Trump’s criticism of the probe, which he has called a ‘witch hunt.’ Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) told reporters Thursday […]
7/27/2017
DEMS/ETHICS/INTELLIGENCE/INTERIOR/RYAN ZINKE: “The top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee said Thursday [7-27-17] he will request a formal investigation into whether Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke threatened projects important to Alaska in retribution for Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s vote against health care legislation. Zinke called Murkowski and fellow Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan Wednesday afternoon — a […]
7/26/2017
INTELLIGENCE/LEGAL/PAUL MANAFORT/RUSSIA: “The Senate judiciary committee will drop its subpoena of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, a source familiar with the matter told CNN on Tuesday, hours after the committee announced its subpoenas. The two sides have agreed to continue talking, and he will no longer be compelled to appear at a hearing the […]
7/25/2017
INTELLIGENCE/LEGAL/PAUL MANAFORT/RUSSIA: “President Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, met with Senate Intelligence Committee investigators on Tuesday [7-25-17] to discuss the June 2016 meeting between a Russian lawyer and Mr. Trump’s inner circle that was set up to receive damaging information about Hillary Clinton, according to a spokesman for Mr. Manafort. ‘Paul Manafort met this […]
7/25/2017
GOP/INTELLIGENCE/LEGAL/PAUL MANAFORT/RUSSIA: “The Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee has issued a subpoena for Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, ordering him to appear before the panel on Wednesday [7-26-17]. In a joint statement, Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R, Iowa) and top Democrat Dianne Feinstein (D, Calif.) announced that negotiations over Paul Manafort’s voluntary cooperation with the […]
7/24/2017
INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “Sleazy Adam Schiff, the totally biased Congressman looking into ‘Russia,’ spends all of his time on television pushing the Dem loss excuse!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 24, 2017 08:12am […]
7/22/2017
ATTORNEY GENERAL/HILLARY CLINTON/INTELLIGENCE/JEFF SESSIONS/RUSSIA: “So many people are asking why isn’t the A.G. or Special Council looking at the many Hillary Clinton or Comey crimes. 33,000 e-mails deleted?…What about all of the Clinton ties to Russia, including Podesta Company, Uranium deal, Russian Reset, big dollar speeches etc.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 22, 2017 06:47am […]
7/22/2017
INTELLIGENCE/LEAKS: “A new INTELLIGENCE LEAK from the Amazon Washington Post,this time against A.G. Jeff Sessions.These illegal leaks, like Comey’s, must stop!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 22, 2017 05:33am […]
7/21/2017
INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP FAMILY/DONALD JR: “The Russian lawyer who met Donald Trump Jr. after his father won the Republican nomination for the 2016 U.S. presidential election counted Russia’s FSB security service among her clients for years, Russian court documents seen by Reuters show. The documents show that the lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, successfully represented the FSB’s interests in […]
7/20/2017
GOP/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “The top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee said he would issue subpoenas if witnesses refuse to appear at a Senate hearing next week that will largely focus on a June 2016 meeting between the president’s son, top Trump campaign advisers and a group of Russian advocates. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) said that […]
7/19/2017
INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/PAUL MANAFORT/UKRAINE: “Financial records filed last year in the secretive tax haven of Cyprus, where Paul J. Manafort kept bank accounts during his years working in Ukraine and investing with a Russian oligarch, indicate that he had been in debt to pro-Russia interests by as much as $17 million before he joined Donald J. […]
7/18/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/INTELLIGENCE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Russia and the Trump administration are still at odds after a high-level meeting over the United States’ returning two diplomatic compounds to Russian control, a Kremlin official said today, while the United States was mum on the issue. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov met Monday [7-17-17] evening with U.S. Under […]
7/18/2017
INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP FAMILY/DONALD JR: “Special counsel investigators are seeking information from the still-publicly unidentified eighth person who attended the June 2016 meeting with Donald Trump Jr. at Trump Tower, this person’s attorney Scott Balber said Tuesday [7-18-17]. ‘The eighth person has been identified by prosecutors and we are cooperating fully with prosecutors as a result of […]
7/17/2017
INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/PAUL MANAFORT: “New York prosecutors have demanded records relating to up to $16 million in loans that a bank run by a former campaign adviser for President Donald Trump made to former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, according to a person familiar with the matter. The subpoena by the Manhattan district attorney’s office to the […]
7/14/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “Russia said on Friday [7-14-17] that too many American spies operated in Moscow under diplomatic cover and said it might expel some of them to retaliate against the United States over Washington’s expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats last year. The warning, delivered by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, reflects rising frustration in […]
7/13/2017
INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP FAMILY/DONALD JR: “President Donald Trump’s eldest son has been invited to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee — and the panel’s chairman says he’s willing to subpoena him if necessary. Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) told reporters Thursday [7-13-17] he was sending Donald Trump Jr. a letter asking him to testify and hoped […]
7/7/2017
CIA/FBI/INTELLIGENCE: “Everyone here is talking about why John Podesta refused to give the DNC server to the FBI and the CIA. Disgraceful!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 7, 2017 02:40am […]
7/6/2017
2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump took his criticism of the U.S. intelligence community abroad on Thursday [7-6-17], calling its acumen into question before an international audience in Poland. While the president conceded that Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. election, he said other countries could have interfered as well, an assessment that contradicts […]
7/6/2017
DEMS/INTELLIGENCE/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Five senior Democratic senators involved in national security, foreign policy and intelligence wrote President Donald Trump in a letter published Thursday [7-6-17], urging him to use his upcoming bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to ‘make absolutely clear’ that Russian interference in US elections ‘will in no way be tolerated.’ […]
6/29/2017
HOUSE OF REPS/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “The House intelligence committee plans to interview Susan Rice next month as part of its investigation into Russia meddling in the US election last year, a high-profile target for Republicans who accuse President Barack Obama’s former national security adviser of improperly handling classified intelligence reports, according to sources familiar with the private […]
6/28/2017
HOUSE OF REPS/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “House investigators are planning on a round of closed-door interviews with associates of President Donald Trump this summer, promising to bring in a former national security adviser to the campaign, while defending their decision to hear Roger Stone’s testimony in private. Former Trump national security adviser JD Gordon told CNN […]
6/23/2017
FBI/INTELLIGENCE/PAUL MANAFORT/RUSSIA: “Federal investigators are examining financial transactions involving Paul Manafort and his son-in-law, who embarked on a series of real estate deals in recent years fueled by millions of dollars from Mr. Manafort, according to two people familiar with the matter. The transactions involve the financing of apartments and luxury homes in New York […]
6/22/2017
INTELLIGENCE/JAMES COMEY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump has let linger — for six weeks — his suggestion that conversations inside the Oval Office may be recorded. But all indications, including inquiries to top government officials and government agencies tasked with tracking White House information and infrastructure, point to no such official recording system existing. White […]
6/22/2017
DHS/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “Former Homeland Security Advisor Jeh Johnson is latest top intelligence official to state there was no grand scheme between Trump & Russia.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, June 22, 2017 08:18am […]
6/22/2017
FBI/INTELLIGENCE/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA: “Two of the nation’s top intelligence officials told Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team and Senate investigators, in separate meetings last week, that President Donald Trump suggested they say publicly there was no collusion between his campaign and the Russians, according to multiple sources. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and National Security Agency […]
6/21/2017
2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/DHS/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “House investigators are examining Wednesday [6-21-17] Russia’s attempts to hack into state elections systems with former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson before the House intelligence committee. ‘In 2016 the Russian government, at the direction of (Russian President) Vladimir Putin himself, orchestrated cyberattacks on our nation for the purpose of influencing our […]
6/20/2017
CRIME/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TREASURY: “Members of the Senate intelligence committee said Tuesday [6-20-17] they were promised access to data from the Treasury Department’s financial crimes unit, as they dig into potential ties between the campaign of President Donald Trump and Russian financiers. ‘The stack of press reports gets higher every day regarding financial connections between Trump associates and […]
6/20/2017
FBI/INTELLIGENCE/JAMES COMEY/POLITICS: “The leaders of the Senate judiciary committee have reached an agreement about the scope of an investigation into political interference at the FBI, with the possibility that the inquiry could explore whether President Donald Trump acted improperly during his interactions with fired FBI Director James Comey. Chairman Chuck Grassley and the panel’s top […]
6/16/2017
INTELLIGENCE/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA: “Special counsel Robert Mueller has brought 13 lawyers on board to handle the Russia investigation, with plans to hire more, according to his spokesman Peter Carr. Mueller has assembled a high-powered team of top investigators and leading experts, including seasoned attorneys who’ve represented major American companies in court and who have worked on […]
6/16/2017
2016 ELECTION/DONALD ON DONALD/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump confirmed Friday [6-16-17] he was under investigation and appeared to take aim at a senior Justice Department official, in a tweet that seemed to encapsulate his frustration with the ongoing focus on Russia’s involvement in the 2016 election. ‘I am being investigated for firing the FBI […]
6/16/2017
INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “After 7 months of investigations & committee hearings about my ‘collusion with the Russians,’ nobody has been able to show any proof. Sad!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, June 16, 2017 06:53am […]
6/8/2017
FBI/INTELLIGENCE/JAMES COMEY/LEGAL: “Former FBI chief James Comey said Thursday [6-8-17]the Trump administration ‘chose to defame me,’ told ‘lies, plain and simple’ and that he was ‘confused’ by President Donald Trump saying he was fired due to the Russia probe. ‘The administration chose to defame me and, more importantly, the FBI by saying the organization was […]
6/8/2017
FBI/INTELLIGENCE/JAMES COMEY: “FBI Director James Comey has sparked a new round of questions surrounding whether or not President Trump has decided to record conversations that occur in the White House. During his remarks to the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday [6-8-17], Comey said he never expected that the president might be recording his conversations until […]
6/7/2017
INTELLIGENCE: “The White House and U.S. intelligence chiefs Wednesday [6-7-17] backed making permanent a law that allows for the collection of digital communications of foreigners overseas, escalating a fight in Congress over privacy and security. The law, enshrined in Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, is due to expire on December 31 unless […]
6/7/2017
FBI/INTELLIGENCE/JAMES COMEY: “The Russia investigation and President Donald Trump’s decision to fire FBI Director James Comey are sure to dominate the headlines out of Wednesday’s [6-7-17] Senate intelligence committee hearing, but that’s not the reason that four top administration national security officials are appearing before the panel. The officials are testifying because the committee leaders […]
6/7/2017
INTELLIGENCE/LEGAL/RUSSIA: “The top US intelligence official told associates in March that President Donald Trump asked him if he could assist in getting former FBI Director James Comey to stop investigating former national security adviser Michael Flynn as part of its Russia probe, The Washington Post reported. Following a briefing at the White House attended by […]
6/7/2017
DAN COATS/INTELLIGENCE/MIKE ROGERS/RUSSIA: “Two of the nation’s top intelligence officials said Wednesday [6-7-17] they did not feel pressure to interfere with the FBI’s ongoing Russia investigation amid reports that President Donald Trump had asked them to push back against the probe. ‘In the three-plus years that I have been director of the National Security Agency, […]
6/6/2017
CABINET/DHS/INTELLIGENCE/LEGAL/TRUMP PEOPLE/JOHN KELLY: “At least one top Trump Cabinet official is bucking administration policy when it comes to oversight requests from Congress. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly told senators on Tuesday during congressional testimony that his department will respond to any inquiry from members of Congress, no matter who sends the request. A May 1 […]
6/5/2017
2016 ELECTION/INTELLIGENCE/LEAKS/RUSSIA: “An intelligence contractor was charged with sending a classified report about Russia’s interference in the 2016 election to the news media, the Justice Department announced Monday, the first criminal leak case under President Trump. The case showed the department’s willingness to crack down on leaks, as Mr. Trump has called for in complaining […]
6/5/2017
INTELLIGENCE/POLITICS/RUSSIA: “House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Monday [6-5-17] it would be ‘very incriminating’ if the White House tried to block former FBI Director James Comey’s from testifying before Congress later this week. ‘There’s a possibility of obstruction of justice, flirting with it, in any event, coming out of the White House,’ Pelosi, appearing on […]
6/4/2017
INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “It has offices in a sleek Manhattan skyscraper. Its bonds are accessible to millions of American investors. And it holds ties to some of New York’s biggest banks. Despite this presence on Wall Street, detailed in previously unreported financial records, Vnesheconombank, or VEB, is no normal bank. It is wholly owned by the Russian […]
6/3/2017
IMMIGRATION/TRAVEL BAN: “We need to be smart, vigilant and tough. We need the courts to give us back our rights. We need the Travel Ban as an extra level of safety!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, June 3, 2017 06:17pm […]
6/2/2107
CIA/INTELLIGENCE: “The Trump administration has begun returning copies of a voluminous 2014 Senate report about the Central Intelligence Agency’s detention and interrogation program to Congress, complying with the demand of a top Republican senator who has criticized the report for being shoddy and excessively critical of the C.I.A. The Trump administration’s move, described by multiple […]
6/1/2017
DEVIN NUNES/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “The Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee was strongly criticized on Thursday [6-1-17] by the panel’s ranking Democrat for refusing to give up his subpoena power over the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election less than two months after announcing he would step away from the inquiry. The chairman, Representative […]
6/1/2017
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS/INTELLIGENCE: “House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes continues to be a powerful force in the House’s Russia investigation, despite his promise that he was stepping aside as the head of the probe as he came under scrutiny himself from the House ethics committee. The latest example came Wednesday [5-31-7] afternoon, when Nunes issued three […]
5/31/2107
INTELLIGENCE/LEGAL/RUSSIA: “The House Intelligence Committee issued seven subpoenas Wednesday [5-31-17] as part of its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, including subpoenas to former national security adviser Michael Flynn and President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen. ‘As part of our ongoing investigation into Russian active measures during the 2016 campaign, today we […]
5/30/2017
INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/MICHAEL FLYNN: “Former national security adviser Michael Flynn will provide documents requested by the Senate intelligence committee — including an initial batch by June 6 — a person close to Flynn said Tuesday [5-30-17]. The source said that Flynn’s lawyers alerted the intelligence committee Tuesday that he would respond to the two subpoenas sent […]
5/29/2017
2016 ELECTION/FBI/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “Robert Mueller quickly got to work as special counsel overseeing the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election: building a team, designing a budget and forcing the Federal Bureau of Investigation to withhold from Congress documents he may be interested in—all in his first full week on the job… Deputy Attorney General […]
5/28/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/INTELLIGENCE/LEAKS/UK: “British Prime Minister May was very angry that the info the U.K. gave to U.S. about Manchester was leaked. Gave me full details!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, May 28, 2017 09:43am […]
5/26/2017
INTELLIGENCE/LEGAL/POLITICS/RUSSIA: “Rep. Devin Nunes, who stepped aside from leading the House intelligence committee’s Russia probe under a cloud of controversy, still is in charge of a key decision: Whether to issue subpoenas to obtain records and testimony central to the investigation. In a private meeting this week, House intelligence committee members discussed their plans to […]
5/26/2017
FBI/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP FAMILY/JARED KUSHNER: “The FBI’s criminal probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election is increasingly touching on the multiple roles of senior White House adviser Jared Kushner on both the Trump campaign and the Trump transition team. Points of focus that pertain to Kushner include: the Trump campaign’s 2016 data analytics operation; his […]
5/25/2017
INTELLIGENCE/LEAKS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump on Thursday [5-24-17] condemned ‘leaks of sensitive information,’ responding to a complaint by Britain’s prime minister, Theresa May, over disclosures of details from the investigation into Britain’s deadliest terrorist attack since 2005. ‘The alleged leaks coming out of government agencies are deeply troubling,’ Mr. Trump said in a statement. ‘These […]
5/25/2017
FBI/INTELLIGENCE/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Federal Bureau of Investigation has declined for now to give the House Oversight Committee documents it had requested regarding communications between former FBI chief James Comey and President Donald Trump, the head of the panel said on Thursday [5-25-17]. The FBI said it was still evaluating the request, which had a […]