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 […]
Category: Russia
6/28/2017
CYBERWAR/FBI/RUSSIA: “The FBI interviewed several U.S. employees of Moscow-based cyber security firm Kaspersky Lab this week as part of an ongoing agency probe of the company’s operations, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Federal Bureau of Investigation agents visited the homes of Kaspersky employees late on Tuesday [6-27-17] in multiple U.S. cities, though […]
6/28/2017
2016 ELECTION/OBAMA/RUSSIA/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Former US Ambassador to NATO and Bush administration State Department official Nicholas Burns accused President Donald Trump of a ‘dereliction of the basic duty to defend the country’ for his apparent disinterest in Russia’s meddling in the 2016 US election. Testifying before the Senate intelligence committee Wednesday, Burns criticized both the […]
6/27/2017
AMBASSADOR/POLITICS/RUSSIA: “The Russian Ambassador to the US at the center of a political firestorm over his encounters with associates of President Donald Trump is leaving his post, but Russia says the move is not unexpected. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova is clarifying reports that Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak is leaving his post in Washington […]
6/26/2017
DONALD ON DONALD/OBAMA/RUSSIA: “The real story is that President Obama did NOTHING after being informed in August about Russian meddling. With 4 months looking at Russia… under a magnifying glass, they have zero ‘tapes’ of T people colluding. There is no collusion & no obstruction. I should be given apology!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, June 26, […]
6/26/2017
2016 ELECTION/OBAMA/RUSSIA: “The reason that President Obama did NOTHING about Russia after being notified by the CIA of meddling is that he expected Clinton would win …and did not want to ‘rock the boat.’ He didn’t ‘choke,’ he colluded or obstructed, and it did the Dems and Crooked Hillary no good.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, June […]
6/25/2017
LEGAL/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA/TRUMP FAMILY/JARED KUSHNER: “One month before Election Day, Jared Kushner’s real estate company finalized a $285 million loan as part of a refinancing package for its property near Times Square in Manhattan. The loan came at a critical moment. Kushner was playing a key role in the presidential campaign of his father-in-law, Donald Trump. […]
6/24/2017
2016 ELECTION/OBAMA/RUSSIA: “Obama Administration official said they ‘choked’ when it came to acting on Russian meddling of election. They didn’t want to hurt Hillary?” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, June 24, 2017 03:44pm […]
6/24/2017
2016 ELECTION/OBAMA/RUSSIA: “Since the Obama Administration was told way before the 2016 Election that the Russians were meddling, why no action? Focus on them, not T!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, June 24, 2017 03:28pm […]
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 […]
6/23/2017
2016 ELECTION/OBAMA/RUSSIA: “Just out: The Obama Administration knew far in advance of November 8th about election meddling by Russia. Did nothing about it. WHY?” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, June 23, 2017 07:43pm […]
6/23/2017
2016 ELECTION/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/KELLYANNE CONWAY: “White House counselor Kellyanne Conway dismissed the idea that Russia influenced the 2016 presidential election after The Washington Post reported Friday [6-23-17] that Russian President Vladimir Putin was directly involved in a cyber campaign to affect the outcome. ‘I think it’s very important to show no nexus has been proven between […]
6/23/2017
JAMES COMEY/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA: “President Donald Trump said ‘we’re going to have to see’ when asked about the future of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is reportedly investigating whether Trump attempted to obstruct justice. ‘Well, he is very very good friends with (former FBI Director James) Comey, which is very bothersome,’ the President said in a […]
6/22/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/HOUSE OF REPS/IRAN/PAUL RYAN/RUSSIA: “U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said on Thursday [6-22-17] he supported efforts to quickly move legislation to impose new sanctions on Russia and Iran that passed the Senate nearly unanimously but has stalled in the House. Representative Ed Royce, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, […]
6/22/2017
POLITICS/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The White House is asking House Republicans to weaken the Russia sanctions bill passed by the Senate last week so President Donald Trump isn’t inclined to veto it when it reaches his desk, The New York Times reported Thursday [6-22-17]. House Republicans have long been hawkish on Russia and most, if not […]
6/22/2017
2016 ELECTION/DEMS/DHS/OBAMA/RUSSIA: “By the way, if Russia was working so hard on the 2016 Election, it all took place during the Obama Admin. Why didn’t they stop them?…Why did Democratic National Committee turn down the DHS offer to protect against hacks (long prior to election). It’s all a big Dem HOAX!…Why did the DNC REFUSE […]
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
LEGAL/MIKE PENCE/RUSSIA: “Vice President Mike Pence has chosen not to use an allied political committee to pay for the private attorney he retained last week to represent him in the special counsel probe of Trump associates’ ties to Russia, two people close to Mr. Pence said Wednesday [6-21-17]. Last week, a person familiar with the […]
6/21/2017
RUSSIA/STATE/TREASURY/UKRAINE: “Russia called off a meeting later this week with U.S. officials in protest of new U.S. sanctions, and the State Department said Wednesday it regretted Russia’s decision. The U.S. on Tuesday [6-20-17] blacklisted Ukrainian and Russian officials and entities accused of helping Russia exert its influence in the Crimean peninsula and eastern Ukraine, a […]
6/21/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Russia has canceled a meeting between senior US and Russian officials that was aimed at resolving problems in the relationship between the two countries. The announcement comes after the US announced an expansion of sanctions against Russian individuals and legal entities in response to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. The previously […]
6/21/2017
DEMS/DHS/HSS/RUSSIA: “Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told a congressional panel on Wednesday [6-21-17] that there was a delay between the time the FBI first made contact with the Democratic National Committee about Russia hacking its servers and the time he was notified at the Department of Homeland Security. Johnson, who served under President Barack […]
6/21/2017
2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/DHS/FBI/RUSSIA: “Russian government-linked hackers potentially targeted as many as 21 states’ election systems last year, a Homeland Security official warned Congress on Wednesday [6-21-7]. None of those systems were involved in vote counting, however. DHS’ acting Director of Cyber Division of the department’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis, Samuel Liles, said that by late […]
6/21/2017
RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s top advisers are taking steps to stabilize day-to-day operations at the White House, but the administration is struggling to recruit new talent amid expanding investigations, according to senior administration officials. The White House also continues to be riven by division between senior aides, the officials say, all looking to […]
6/21/2017
2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/DHS/RUSSIA: “A senior Department of Homeland Security official told Congress on Wednesday [6-21-17] that federal investigators had evidence that the Russian government targeted election systems in nearly two dozen states during the 2016 elections. ‘As of right now, we have evidence of election-related systems in 21 states that were targeted,’ said Jeanette Manfra, the […]
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 […]
6/21/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA/TREASURY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UKRAINE: “The Kremlin said Wednesday [6-21-7] that it was formulating ‘various options’ to respond to fresh U.S. sanctions over its military interventions in Ukraine. ‘As sanctions in the previous years have shown, the main principle of reaction to sanctions actions is the principle of reciprocity. It’s completely explicable and understandable,’ Kremlin spokesman […]
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/LOBBYING/MICHAEL FLYNN/RUSSIA: “Federal investigators probing the lobbying work of ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn are focused in part on the role of Bijan Kian, Flynn’s former business partner, according to a person interviewed by the FBI. Investigators are also looking at whether payments from foreign clients to Flynn and his company, the now-inactive Flynn […]
6/19/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA: “President Trump threatens to upend the post-World War II foreign policy order, but Congress is working to ensure that American foreign policy remains rooted in the trans-Atlantic alliance against traditional rivals like Russia. Republicans have been careful not to frame their foreign policy moves as a counterweight to the president, who has doled […]
6/19/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA/SYRIA: “Russia on Monday [6-19-17] condemned the American military’s downing of a Syrian warplane, suspending the use of a military hotline that Washington and Moscow have used to avoid collisions in Syrian airspace and threatening to target aircraft flown by the United States and its allies over Syria. The moves were the most recent […]
6/19/2017
FBI/JAMES COMEY/LEGAL/RUSSIA: “A lawyer for President Donald Trump clashed with CNN anchor Chris Cuomo Monday [6-19-17] morning over whether his client is the target of an FBI investigation into possible collusion with the Russians. ‘As I said all weekend, there has been no notification to any of us that the President is under any investigation […]
6/16/2017
LEGAL/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Members of President Trump’s transition team were ordered on Thursday [6-15-17] to preserve documents and other materials related to the investigation of Russian interference in the presidential election, according to a memo obtained by The New York Times. The memo, from the transition team’s general counsel’s office, is the latest indication that […]
6/16/2017
HOUSE OF REPS/RUSSIA/TRUMP FAMILY/JARED KUSHNER: “House Russia investigators are planning to call on Brad Parscale, the digital director of President Donald Trump’s campaign, as the congressional and federal probes dig into any possible connections between the Trump digital operation and Russian operatives, congressional sources said this week. The House Russia investigation is planning to send […]
6/16/2017
2016 ELECTION/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Donald Trump’s longtime attorney and adviser Michael Cohen has hired a lawyer to represent him in the investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, Cohen told CNN on Friday [6-16-17]. Cohen, who serves as Trump’s personal attorney, hired Stephen Ryan, a partner at the DC-based law firm McDermott, Will and […]
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
FBI/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “I am being investigated for firing the FBI Director by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director! Witch Hunt” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, June 16, 2017 08:07am […]
6/16/2017
ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA/TRUMP FAMILY/JARED KUSHNER: “The business dealings of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and trusted aide Jared Kushner are being investigated by Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller, The Washington Post reported Thursday, citing officials familiar with the matter. The news comes as the Justice Department continues its investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election […]
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 […]
6/15/2017
HILLARY CLINTON/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Crooked H destroyed phones w/ hammer, *bleached* emails, & had husband meet w/AG days before she was cleared- & they talk about obstruction?” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, June 15, 2017 02:56pm […]
6/15/2017
HILLARY CLINTON/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Why is that Hillary Clintons family and Dems dealings with Russia are not looked at, but my non-dealings are?” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, June 15, 2017 02:43pm […]
6/15/2017
FAKE NEWS/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. President Donald Trump attacked what he called a ‘phony story’ on Thursday [6-15-17] after a report that he is under investigation for possible obstruction of justice by the special counsel probing alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign. ‘They made […]
6/15/2017
FBI/JAMES COMEY/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA: “President Donald Trump’s firing of former FBI Director James Comey is now a subject of the federal probe being headed by special counsel Robert Mueller, which has expanded to include whether the president obstructed justice, a person familiar with the matter said. Mr. Mueller is examining whether the president fired Mr. Comey […]
6/15/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA: “Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized new sanctions approved by the U.S. Senate on Thursday [6-15-17], blaming them on domestic political battles in the U.S. and calling for improved ties between the countries. The U.S. Senate said the new measures were meant to punish Moscow for Russia’s violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, cyberattacks and […]
6/15/2017
POLITICS/RUSSIA: “They made up a phony collusion with the Russians story, found zero proof, so now they go for obstruction of justice on the phony story. Nice” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, June 15, 2017 05:55am […]
6/14/2017
2016 ELECTION/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA: “Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel examining Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election, has requested interviews with three high-ranking current or former intelligence officials, the latest indication that he will investigate whether President Trump obstructed justice, a person briefed on the investigation said on Wednesday[6-14-17]. Mr. Mueller wants to question Dan […]
6/14/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/POLITICS/RUSSIA: “The Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday [6-14-17] to allow Congress to block any efforts from the president to scale back sanctions against Russia, and to step up sanctions against Moscow for interfering in the 2016 elections. The vote of 97 to 2 is a sharp rebuke to President Trump’s posture vis-à-vis Russia and his […]
6/14/2017
RUSSIA/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Wednesday [6-14-17] that the U.S. would support efforts by Russia and Ukraine to resolve a yearslong conflict outside of an internationally backed agreement signed by both countries, the implementation of which has long been a U.S. condition for lifting sanctions against Moscow. The comments by Mr. […]
6/13/2017
CAMPAIGN/FBI/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Last month’s appointment of Robert S. Mueller III as a special counsel to investigate possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia enraged President Trump. Yet, at least initially, he holstered his Twitter finger and publicly said nothing. But behind the scenes, the president soon began entertaining the idea of firing […]
6/13/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA: “The Senate late Monday [6-12-17] evening unveiled a package of additional economic sanctions on Russia, aiming to punish Moscow for its military activities in Europe and the Middle East as well as its alleged attempts to interfere in democratic elections across the West. A bipartisan group of senators said the new legislation would […]
6/13/2017
ATTORNEY GENERAL/DEMS/JAMES COMEY/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/JEFF SESSIONS: “Attorney General Jeff Sessions infuriated Democratic senators Tuesday [6-13-17] by repeatedly thwarting their efforts to shed light on the firing of James Comey, as he blasted secret innuendo and leaks over his own conduct. In a fiery Senate intelligence committee hearing, Sessions raised his voice in indignation as he rejected […]
6/13/2017
2016 ELECTION/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “One of President Donald Trump’s friends said he believes the President is considering dismissing special counsel Robert Mueller, who was appointed to lead the FBI investigation into Russia’s potential ties to the 2016 election. ‘I think it is a consideration the President has had because Mueller is illegitimate as special counsel,’ […]
6/13/2017
ATTORNEY GENERAL/DOJ/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA: “Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said Tuesday [6-13-17] that even if President Trump told him to fire Robert Mueller as special counsel overseeing the Department of Justice investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, he would not follow the order unless he thought there was good cause. The statement came after […]
6/12/2017
ATTORNEY GENERAL/LEGAL/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/JEFF SESSIONS: “Attorney General Jeff Sessions will testify at a public hearing of the Senate intelligence committee Tuesday [6-13-17] afternoon, the committee said in a statement. This will be the first time Sessions has testified in Congress since he recused himself from the Justice Department’s probe into Russian meddling in last year’s election […]
6/9/2017
ATTORNEY GENERAL/JAMES COMEY/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/JEFF SESSIONS: “Former FBI Director James Comey told senators in a closed hearing Thursday afternoon that Attorney General Jeff Sessions may have had a third interaction with Russia’s ambassador to the US, according to people familiar with the briefing. Comey explained that the possibility there could have been another encounter was not […]
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, […]
6/7/2017
POLITICS/RUSSIA/TRUMP FAMILY/ERIC TRUMP: “Eric Trump said Democrats who support the probe into his father’s campaign and Russia are ‘not even people’ and he has ‘never seen hatred like this.’ He also shared harsh criticism of the Democratic Party as a whole. ‘They’re imploding,’ Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity Tuesday [6-6-17] night, adding: ‘They have […]
6/6/2017
2016 ELECTION/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “President Donald Trump asked Secretary of State Rex Tillerson not to let the ongoing political saga back home stand in the way of improving ties with Moscow, the top US diplomat said Tuesday [6-6-17]. Tillerson wouldn’t comment on the ongoing US probes of Russian meddling in the 2016 election ‘because I […]
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 […]
6/1/2017
2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/RUSSIA: “Shifting from his previous blanket denials, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said on Thursday [6-1-17] that ‘patriotically minded’ private Russian hackers could have been involved in cyberattacks last year to help the presidential campaign of Donald J. Trump. While Mr. Putin continued to deny any state role, his comments to reporters in […]
6/1/2017
2016 ELECTION/RUSSIA/UK: “Nigel Farage, the former leader of the U.K. Independence Party, ridiculed on Thursday [6-1-17] a published report that suggests United States investigators think he may be able to shed light on any possible collusion between Russia and Donald J. Trump’s presidential campaign. Mr. Farage was responding to an article in The Guardian newspaper […]
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 […]
5/31/2017
LEGAL/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The White House on Wednesday [5-31-17] took its first public steps to cordon off response efforts to the Russia probe from the day-to-day work of the administration, acknowledging openly that President Donald Trump had hired an outside attorney to handle the swirling controversy. Asked at an off-camera briefing for reaction to upcoming […]
5/31/2017
FBI/JAMES COMEY/LEGAL/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Fired FBI director James Comey plans to testify publicly in the Senate as early as next week to confirm bombshell accusations that President Donald Trump pressured him to end his investigation into a top Trump aide’s ties to Russia, a source close to the issue said Wednesday. Final details are still […]
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 […]
5/31/2017
LEGAL/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/CARTER PAGE: “So now it is reported that the Democrats, who have excoriated Carter Page about Russia, don’t want him to testify. He blows away their… case against him & now wants to clear his name by showing ‘the false or misleading testimony by James Comey, John Brennan…’ Witch Hunt!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, May […]
5/31/2017
LEGAL/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/CARTER PAGE: “U.S. President Donald Trump sought to insert himself into congressional investigations on Russia on Wednesday [5-31-17], urging lawmakers to hear from one of his former advisers, Carter Page, to counter testimony by directors of the FBI and CIA. Trump has been dismissive of probes by the FBI and several congressional panels into […]
5/30/2017
LEGAL/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/MICHAEL FLYNN: “Last fall, as retired Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn traveled the country stumping for Donald Trump, his business partner holed up in a small Washington hotel room with the former head of Turkish military intelligence to work on a special project. ‘General, hi. I’m Bijan Kian, welcome to Washington, D.C.,’ Mr. Kian, the […]
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 […]
5/30/2017
2016 ELECTION/RUSSIA: “Russian government officials discussed having potentially ‘derogatory’ information about then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and some of his top aides in conversations intercepted by US intelligence during the 2016 election, according to two former intelligence officials and a congressional source. One source described the information as financial in nature and said the discussion centered […]
5/30/2017
FAKE NEWS/MEDIA/RUSSIA: “Russian officials must be laughing at the U.S. & how a lame excuse for why the Dems lost the election has taken over the Fake News.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, May 30, 2017 06:04am […]
5/29/2017
LEGAL/RUSSIA/TRUMP FAMILY/JARED KUSHNER: “Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, was looking for a direct line to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia — a search that in mid-December found him in a room with a Russian banker whose financial institution was deeply intertwined with Russian intelligence, and remains under sanction by the United […]
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 […]
5/27/2017
LEGAL/RUSSIA/TRUMP FAMILY/JARED KUSHNER: “Once the untouchable son-in-law in a White House where top aides jockey for the president’s ear, Jared Kushner has now been cast in a new role: reassuring people that he’s not going to resign, while colleagues question whether he can survive politically. Any victory lap Kushner hoped to enjoy after pulling off […]
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
ATTORNEY GENERAL/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/JEFF SESSIONS: “Attorney General Jeff Sessions failed to properly disclose his contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in a security clearance application, CNN reported on Wednesday [5-24-17] night. Sessions attributed the oversight to advice he received from an FBI employee who helped him fill out the form. The FBI employee told Sessions he […]
5/24/2017
ATTORNEY GENERAL/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/JEFF SESSIONS: “Attorney General Jeff Sessions failed to disclose meetings with Russian officials when he applied for security clearance because he was told not to do so by advisers and the F.B.I., a Justice Department spokesman said Wednesday. Mr. Sessions met with Sergey I. Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States, at […]
5/24/2017
2016 ELECTION/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE: “American spies collected information last summer revealing that senior Russian intelligence and political officials were discussing how to exert influence over Donald J. Trump through his advisers, according to three current and former American officials familiar with the intelligence. The conversations focused on Paul Manafort, the Trump campaign chairman at the time, […]
5/24/2017
RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/PAUL MANAFORT: “Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign manager, turned over more than 300 pages of documents to the Senate intelligence committee related to its investigation of Russian election meddling, according to a source familiar with the Senate probe. The documents included drafts of speeches, calendars and notes from his time on the campaign, […]
5/24/2017
2016 ELECTION/CLIMATE CHANGE/ETHICS/INTELLIGENCE/POLITICS/RUSSIA: “Senate Democrats are accusing the White House of purposely ignoring requests for information on issues ranging from the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in U.S. elections, to ethics waivers given to top officials and changes in environmental rules. At issue are the routine requests that members of Congress make to federal agencies […]
5/23/2017
INTELLIGENCE/LEGAL/RUSSIA: “The leaders of the Senate Russia investigation said Tuesday [5-23-17] they will continue to pursue critical documents from former national security adviser Michael Flynn, issuing two additional subpoenas to a pair of businesses Flynn ran. Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr and Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the panel, told reporters they did […]
5/23/2017
LEGAL/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump has retained the services of a trusted lawyer, Marc E. Kasowitz, to help him navigate the investigations into his campaign and suspected Russian interference in last year’s election, according to people familiar with the decision. Kasowitz, who has known Trump for decades, has represented Trump in numerous cases, including on […]
5/23/2017
INTELLIGENCE/LEGAL/RUSSIA/TREASURY: “Sen. Mark Warner, the vice chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, said Tuesday [5-23-17] that the Treasury Department has not fully complied with his committee’s requests for documents relevant to its probe into Russian meddling in the US election. He and committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-North Carolina, sent a request for documents last month […]
5/23/2017
2016 ELECTION/CIA/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “Former CIA director John Brennan testified Tuesday [5-23-17] that U.S. intelligence agencies grew concerned after they received information that Trump campaign associates were in contact with Russian officials, shedding new light on the basis for the FBI investigation that has overshadowed the opening months of President Donald Trump’s administration. In testimony before the […]
5/23/2017
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump asked two of the government’s top intelligence chiefs to publicly deny evidence of cooperation between his campaign and Russia during the 2016 election, multiple current and former US officials confirmed to CNN Monday [5-22-17]. The revelations, first reported by The Washington Post, deepen the intrigue over alleged […]
5/22/2017
LEGAL/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/MICHAEL FLYNN: “Michael T. Flynn, President Trump’s former national security adviser, has rejected a subpoena from senators investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election and instead invoked his right against self-incrimination, a person familiar with his decision said Monday [5-22-17]. Mr. Flynn had been ordered by the Senate Intelligence Committee to hand over emails […]
5/19/2017
INTELLIGENCE/JAMES COMEY/RUSSIA: “Former FBI Director James Comey will testify publicly before the Senate intelligence committee, committee leaders announced Friday [5-19-17]. Panel Chairman Richard Burr and Vice Chairman Mark Warner said they will schedule the hearing for after Memorial Day. A date has not been set. ‘The committee looks forward to receiving testimony from the former […]
5/19/2017
2016 ELECTION/CAMPAIGN/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The investigation into potential ties between Russia and President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign is now looking into a possible cover-up, according to McClatchy. Citing unnamed members of Congress who attended a briefing with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, McClatchy reported that a probe into a potential cover-up began after assertions by former […]
5/19/2017
LEGAL/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The law enforcement investigation into possible coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign has identified a current White House official as a significant person of interest, showing that the probe is reaching into the highest levels of government, according to people familiar with the matter. The senior White House adviser under […]
5/19/2017
MILITARY/RUSSIA/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Russia has condemned a series of US coalition airstrikes on a military convoy allied with President Bashar al-Assad in Syria as ‘totally unacceptable.’ Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov hit out at the attack Friday [5-19-17], according to state news agency RIA-Novosti. ‘Any military actions leading to the aggravation of the situation […]
5/18/2017
CAMPAIGN/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump said Thursday [5-18-17] that an investigation of his campaign’s possible ties to Russia is a ‘witch hunt’ and should be quickly brought to a close, but the appointment of a special counsel and recent grand jury subpoenas suggest a federal criminal probe is expanding to include other suspicious activity […]
5/18/2017
2016 ELECTION/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The Justice Department appointed a special counsel Wednesday [5-17-17] to investigate possible coordination between President Trump’s associates and Russian officials — a clear signal to the White House that federal investigators will aggressively pursue the matter despite the president’s insistence that there was no ‘collusion’ with the Kremlin. Robert S. Mueller III, […]
5/18/2017
2016 ELECTION/CAMPAIGN/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/MICHAEL FLYNN: “Michael Flynn and other advisers to Donald Trump’s campaign were in contact with Russian officials and others with Kremlin ties in at least 18 calls and emails during the last seven months of the 2016 presidential race, current and former U.S. officials familiar with the exchanges told Reuters. The previously undisclosed […]
5/18/2017
INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump, in a remarkable move for a sitting president, lashed out Thursday [5-18-17] at the appointment of a special counsel — made by his own Justice Department — to oversee the federal investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion with his campaign. Trump, casting himself as […]
5/17/2017
POLITICS/RUSSIA: “A month before Donald Trump clinched the Republican nomination, one of his closest allies in Congress — House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy — made a politically explosive assertion in a private conversation on Capitol Hill with his fellow GOP leaders: that Trump could be the beneficiary of payments from Russian President Vladimir Putin. ‘There’s […]