INTELLIGENCE/LEAKS/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The classified information that President Donald Trump shared last week with Russian officials had been gathered by Israeli intelligence, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter, a disclosure that could have far-reaching consequences for U.S. national security. The intelligence—concerning terrorist threats against airliners—was meant for U.S. eyes only and was provided […]
Category: Russia
5/17/2017
FBI/INTELLIGENCE/JAMES COMEY/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/MICHAEL FLYNN: “After a New York Times report revealed that former FBI Director James Comey kept memos detailing the president’s attempt to derail the FBI’s Russia investigation, a former White House adviser for multiple presidents says Trump is ‘in impeachment territory.’ The Times report highlighted one particular note from a February meeting between […]
5/17/2017
2016 ELECTION/POLITICS/RUSSIA: “Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives said on Wednesday [5-17-17] they would try to force a vote on an independent commission to investigate Russia and the 2016 U.S. election, and whether there was collusion between President Donald Trump’s associates and Moscow. They said two Republicans, Representatives Walter Jones and Justin Amash, […]
5/17/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/LEAKS/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday [5-17-17] he would be willing to provide the U.S. Congress a record of President Trump’s meeting with top Russian envoys, bringing scoffs on Capitol Hill that the Kremlin could help shed light on the disclosures of reportedly highly classified intelligence. The provocative offer for the […]
5/17/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/INTELLIGENCE/ISRAEL/POLITICS/RUSSIA: “As politicians in Israel raced to alleviate concerns over US President Donald Trump’s alleged disclosure of classified Israeli information to the Russians, the country’s former top spy has warned of the damage the episode could do to US-Israeli intelligence sharing and to Israel’s ability to gather information on ISIS. Israeli intelligence was a […]
5/17/2017
LEAKS/POLITICS/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday [5-16-17] that U.S. President Donald Trump had not divulged any secrets during a meeting in Washington with Russian officials and offered to prove it by supplying Congress with a transcript. But a leading U.S. Republican politician said he would have little faith in any notes Putin might […]
5/17/2017
RUSSIA/TRUMP BUSINESS: “VEB, a Russian state-run bank under scrutiny by U.S. investigators, financed a deal involving Donald Trump’s onetime partner in a Toronto hotel tower at a key moment for the project, according to people familiar with the transaction. Alexander Shnaider, a Russian-Canadian developer who built the 65-story Trump International Hotel and Tower, put money […]
5/16/2017
NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/MCMASTER: “As a U.S. Army general, H.R. McMaster has faced down Iraqi tank divisions, Al Qaeda terrorists and Taliban insurgents. But as President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, McMaster is navigating the strange environment of Washington politics and media, putting his truth-telling reputation on the line to defend Trump against claims he disclosed […]
5/16/2017
LEAKS/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump and his aides shifted their damage control strategy on Tuesday [5-16-17], defending Trump’s conversation with Russian officials about allegedly classified information as ‘wholly appropriate’ and instead blaming leakers for wreaking havoc. Tuesday’s tone marked a shift from the tack taken Monday evening by the Trump administration, with multiple aides […]
5/16/2017
INTELLIGENCE/LEAKS/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump took to Twitter on Tuesday [5-16-17] morning to defend himself over reports he shared counterterrorism intelligence obtained from a U.S. ally at an Oval Office meeting with senior Russian officials last week. ‘I have the absolute right’ as president to share ‘facts pertaining to terrorism and airline safety,’ Mr. […]
5/16/2017
LEAKS/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s national security adviser again asserted that Trump didn’t jeopardize U.S. national security by sharing intelligence with Russian diplomats, and said the conversation in the Oval Office last week was ‘wholly appropriate.’ ‘I stand by my statement that I made yesterday,’ National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster told reporters at […]
5/16/2017
LEAKS/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Republicans in Congress barely had time to get their footing Monday [5-15-17], as another wild development, this time reports that President Donald Trump had revealed sensitive intelligence to Russia’s foreign minister and US ambassador, swept the Capitol. Senators mulled over the latest stunning news, first reported by The Washington Post, as they […]
5/16/2017
LEAKS/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “As President I wanted to share with Russia (at an openly scheduled W.H. meeting) which I have the absolute right to do, facts pertaining… to terrorism and airline flight safety. Humanitarian reasons, plus I want Russia to greatly step up their fight against ISIS & terrorism.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, May 16, 2017 […]
5/12/2017
LEGAL/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/PAUL MANAFORT: “The Justice Department last month requested banking records of Paul Manafort as part of a widening of probes related to President Donald Trump’s former campaign associates and whether they colluded with Russia in interfering with the 2016 election, according to people familiar with the matter. In mid-April, federal investigators requested Mr. Manafort’s […]
5/12/2017
LEGAL/RUSSIA/TRUMP TAXES: “President Trump’s lawyers say his income tax returns do not show income from Russian sources or debt owed to Russians, with the exception of $95 million paid by a Russian billionaire for a Trump-owned estate in Florida and $12.2 million in payments in connection with holding the Miss Universe pageant in Moscow in […]
5/12/2017
2016 ELECTION/POLITICS/RUSSIA: “Again, the story that there was collusion between the Russians & Trump campaign was fabricated by Dems as an excuse for losing the election.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, May 12, 2017 04:51am […]
5/12/2107
ETHICS/FBI/JAMES COMEY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s statement that he discussed the FBI’s Russia investigation with former Director James Comey has raised red flags among legal experts who said such conversations would be improper. ‘There generally shouldn’t be communications about pending investigations and if you need an explanation why, see: Watergate, basically,’ said Kathleen Clark, […]
5/12/2017
FBI/JAMES COMEY/RUSSIA: “When James Clapper himself, and virtually everyone else with knowledge of the witch hunt, says there is no collusion, when does it end?” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, May 12, 2017 05:54am […]
5/12/2017
FBI/JAMES COMEY/RUSSIA: “James Comey better hope that there are no ‘tapes’ of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, May 12, 2017 05:26am […]
5/11/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA: “Yesterday, on the same day- I had meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the FM of Ukraine, Pavlo Klimkin. #LetsMakePeace!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, May 11, 2017 04:54pm […]
5/11/2017
FBI/JAMES COMEY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The White House said Thursday [5-11-17] that removing FBI Director James Comey from his post may hasten the agency’s investigation into Russian meddling. ‘We want this to come to its conclusion, we want it to come to its conclusion with integrity,’ said deputy press secretary Sarah Sanders, referring to the FBI’s […]
5/11/2017
2016 ELECTION/FBI/JAMES COMEY/RUSSIA: “Russia must be laughing up their sleeves watching as the U.S. tears itself apart over a Democrat EXCUSE for losing the election.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, May 11, 2017 03:34pm […]
5/11/2017
FBI/JAMES COMEY/MIKE PENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Vice President Mike Pence has once again delivered the White House line, in the face of growing contradictory evidence, on a charged topic related to Russia’s possible connections to the Trump campaign. In meetings on Capitol Hill and in interviews, Pence has said this week that Trump fired FBI director […]
5/11/2017
FBI/INTELLIGENCE/JAMES COMEY/RUSSIA: “Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe Thursday [5-11-17] rejected assertions by the White House that FBI employees had lost faith in James Comey and that the bureau’s probe into Russian election meddling was one of its most minor concerns. ‘I hold Director Comey in the absolute highest regard. I have the highest respect for […]
5/11/2017
2016 ELECTION/DAN COATS/INTELLIGENCE/LEAKS/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The highest-ranking intelligence official in Donald Trump’s administration disagrees with him: There’s no doubt that Russia was behind the series of hacks and leaks against Democrats that helped get Trump elected, he said. In the first annual report to the Senate Intelligence Committee, Trump-appointed Dan Coats, the new Director of […]
5/10/2017
FBI/JAMES COMEY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump weighed in publicly for the first time on his firing of James Comey, saying on Wednesday [5-10-17] that the FBI director ‘wasn’t doing a good job.’ His comments were part of an effort by the White House to explain and elaborate on the reason the president abruptly fired […]
5/11/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The White House did not anticipate that the Russian government would allow its state news agency to post photographs of an Oval Office meeting between President Donald Trump, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russia’s ambassador to the US, a White House official said. Photos of Wednesday’s [5-10-17] meeting, taken by […]
5/10/2017
FBI/INTELLIGENCE/JAMES COMEY/POLITICS/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump’s stunning firing of the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, injected another volatile ingredient into the partisanship already engulfing the capital and threatened to overwhelm Republican efforts to turn their government control into legislative success. The decision to replace Mr. Comey also increased the prospect of another contentious confirmation fight […]
5/10/2017
FBI/INTELLIGENCE/JAMES COMEY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Days before he was fired, James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director, asked the Justice Department for a significant increase in money and personnel for the bureau’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the presidential election, according to three officials with knowledge of his request. Mr. Comey asked for the resources during […]
5/10/2017
FBI/JAMES COMEY/POLITICS/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, on Wednesday [5-10-17] defended President Trump’s firing of the director of the F.B.I., James B. Comey, resisting Democratic calls to challenge the president and support a broader inquiry of Russian interference in the election. ‘Today we’ll no doubt hear calls for […]
5/10/2107
FBI/JAMES COMEY/POLITICS/RUSSIA: “Dems have been complaining for months & months about Dir. Comey. Now that he has been fired they PRETEND to be aggrieved. Phony hypocrites!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, May 10, 2017 02:23pm […]
5/10/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/STATE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “President Donald Trump is set to meet with Russia’s foreign minister Wednesday [5-10-17] morning amid a political furor over Mr. Trump’s decision to fire the director of the FBI in the midst of an investigation into whether associates of Mr. Trump colluded with the Russian government to influence the […]
5/10/2017
FBI/JAMES COMEY/RUSSIA: “Watching Senator Richard Blumenthal speak of Comey is a joke. ‘Richie’ devised one of the greatest military frauds in U.S. history. For…years, as a pol in Connecticut, Blumenthal would talk of his great bravery and conquests in Vietnam – except he was never there. When…caught, he cried like a baby and begged for […]
5/10/2017
FBI/JAMES COMEY/RUSSIA: “Comey lost the confidence of almost everyone in Washington, Republican and Democrat alike. When things calm down, they will be thanking me!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, May 10, 2017 06:27am […]
5/10/2017
FBI/JAMES COMEY/RUSSIA: “James Comey will be replaced by someone who will do a far better job, bringing back the spirit and prestige of the FBI.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, May 10, 2017 06:19am […]
5/10/2017
JAMES COMEY/POLITICS/RUSSIA: “The Democrats have said some of the worst things about James Comey, including the fact that he should be fired, but now they play so sad!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, May 10, 2017 06:10am […]
5/10/2017
FBI/INTELLIGENCE/JAMES COMEY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE/MICHAEL FLYNN: “Federal prosecutors have issued grand jury subpoenas to associates of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn seeking business records, as part of the ongoing probe of Russian meddling in last year’s election, according to people familiar with the matter. CNN learned of the subpoenas hours before President Donald Trump […]
5/10/2017
FBI/INTELLIGENCE/JAMES COMEY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “After President Donald Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, questions immediately arose about the President’s motivations for his dismissal — and for the recent firings of two other then-President Barack Obama-appointees who were in the middle of conducting investigations linked to Trump. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Comey’s firing was […]
5/9/2017
JAMES COMEY/POLITICS/RUSSIA: “Cryin’ Chuck Schumer stated recently, ‘I do not have confidence in him (James Comey) any longer.’ Then acts so indignant. #draintheswamp” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, May 9, 2017 09:42pm […]
5/9/2017
FBI/INTELLIGENCE/JAMES COMEY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump fired Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey on the recommendation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Mr. Rosenstein said in his letter recommending Mr. Comey’s dismissal that the FBI director shouldn’t have spoken publicly last summer after closing an investigation into former […]
5/9/2017
FBI/INTELLIGENCE/JAMES COMEY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump on Tuesday [5-9-17] fired FBI Director James Comey after his attorney general and deputy attorney general recommended his removal. ‘The FBI is one of our nation’s most cherished and respected institutions and today will mark a new beginning for our crown jewel of law enforcement,’ Trump said in […]
5/9/2017
FBI/INTELLIGENCE/JAMES COMEY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s decision to fire the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the midst of the bureau’s probe into his campaign associates’ possible links to Russia added impetus to calls for a special counsel to handle the case. The sudden move by Mr. Trump on Tuesday galvanized Democrats, […]
5/9/2017
2016 ELECTION/FBI/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “The White House responded to hours of Senate testimony Monday [5-8-17] by saying there was still no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee that he was not aware of any evidence demonstrating collusion, but also said he […]
5/8/2017
ATTORNEY GENERAL/RUSSIA/SALLY YATES/TRUMP PEOPLE/MICHAEL FLYNN: “Former acting Attorney General Sally Yates told Congress on Monday [5-8-17] she had warned a top White House official that then-national security adviser Mike Flynn had misled the vice president and others about his conversations with a top Russian diplomat, and that it had put him at risk of blackmail. […]
5/8/2017
INTELLIGENCE/OBAMA/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE/MICHAEL FLYNN: “Then-President Barack Obama warned President-elect Donald Trump in November against hiring retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn as his national security adviser, former Obama administration officials confirmed to CNN. Obama warned Trump about Flynn during their Oval Office meeting on November 10, days after Trump was elected president. Obama’s concerns, which […]
5/8/2017
FBI/RUSSIA: “The Russia-Trump collusion story is a total hoax, when will this taxpayer funded charade end?” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, May 8, 2017 05:46pm […]
5/8/2017
FAKE NEWS/RUSSIA: “Director Clapper reiterated what everybody, including the fake media already knows- there is ‘no evidence’ of collusion w/ Russia and Trump.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, May 8, 2017 05:41pm […]
5/4/2017
2016 ELECTION/INTELLIGENCE/POLITICS/RUSSIA: “The leaders of a House of Representatives probe of possible Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election said they had a ‘successful’ hearing on Thursday [5-4-17], projecting unity after a partisan division had threatened to derail their investigation. Representatives Mike Conaway, the new Republican leader of the House Intelligence Committee probe, and Adam […]
5/3/2017
INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The former British spy behind the dossier alleging ties between President Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia insists his research was urgent enough to share with top American and British officials, but admits some of his work was not fully verified, according to court documents filed last month in London. In the new […]
5/2/2017
ATTORNEY GENERAL/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/SALLY YATES/MICHAEL FLYNN: “Former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates is expected to testify before Congress next week that she warned White House officials that former national security adviser Michael Flynn wasn’t being truthful when he denied having discussed U.S. sanctions with a top Russian diplomat, according to people familiar with her version of […]
5/2/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone on Tuesday [5-2-17] about resolving the conflict in Syria, in their first conversation since American airstrikes targeted the Assad regime in retaliation for an alleged chemical-weapons attack. The Kremlin described the conversation as ‘businesslike and constructive,’ while the White House […]
4/27/2017
LEGAL/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/MICHAEL FLYNN: “Former national security adviser Michael Flynn is in deep trouble. New revelations — first reported by CNN’s Manu Raju, Jim Sciutto and Tom LoBianco — make clear that the retired general was warned by the Defense Intelligence Agency, way back in 2014, not to accept money from foreign governments as he moved […]
4/27/2017
RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/CARTER PAGE: “A former Trump campaign adviser who is one of the central figures in the controversy over alleged ties between Russia and the campaign claims the allegations have led to significant violations of his civil rights. ‘I’ve been the victim of the one of the most horrendous civil rights violations in recent US […]
4/26/2017
ETHICS/INTELLIGENCE/POLITICS/RUSSIA: “The new leader of the House Russia investigation asked House Democrats to cool their barrage of criticism as part of a reset for the House intelligence committee that both sides hope will hold. Rep. Mike Conaway asked Democrats on the committee to curb their critiques for a bit while he got his footing as […]
4/26/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/RUSSIA/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu complained on Wednesday [4-26-17] that a U.S. missile strike on a Syrian air base earlier this month had posed a threat to Russian troops and was forcing Moscow to take extra measures to protect them. Speaking at a security conference in Moscow, Shoigu restated Russia’s view […]
4/21/2017
CABINET/RUSSIA/TREASURY/TRUMP PEOPLE/STEVE MNUCHIN: ” ‘The Treasury Department will not be issuing waivers to U.S. companies, including Exxon, authorizing drilling prohibited by current Russian sanctions,’ Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, said in a statement Friday. Mnuchin said he consulted with President Trump on the decision. Exxon had applied for a waiver from sanctions imposed by the Obama […]
4/21/2017
2016 ELECTION/DOJ/FBI/INTELLIGENCE/POLITICS/MARY MCCORD/RUSSIA: “One of the top officials at the Justice Department overseeing the FBI’s probe of potential coordination between the Trump campaign and Russian meddling in the presidential election will leave the department next month. Mary McCord — a career prosecutor for over 20 years — has been serving as acting assistant attorney general […]
4/21/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA: “Russian military aircraft were spotted flying off the coast of Alaska for the fourth time in as many days, a US defense official told CNN on Friday [4-21-17]. The two most recent sightings occurred late Wednesday and on Thursday, with the first involving two IL-38 maritime patrol aircraft and the second involving […]
4/20/2017
2016 ELECTION/CYBERWAR/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President-elect Donald Trump was very clear: ‘I will appoint a team to give me a plan within 90 days of taking office,’ he said in January, after getting a U.S. intelligence assessment of Russian interference in last year’s elections and promising to address cybersecurity. Thursday [4-20-17], Trump hits his 90-day mark. […]
4/19/2017
FBI/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/CARTER PAGE: “The FBI reportedly used the explosive, unverified dossier detailing President Donald Trump’s alleged ties to Russia to bolster its case for a warrant that would allow it to surveil Carter Page, an early foreign-policy adviser to Trump’s campaign. It’s a key signal that the FBI had enough confidence in the validity of […]
4/19/2017
FBI/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/CARTER PAGE: “Ever since F.B.I. investigators discovered in 2013 that a Russian spy was trying to recruit an American businessman named Carter Page, the bureau maintained an occasional interest in Mr. Page. So when he became a foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign last year and gave a Russia-friendly speech at a prestigious […]
4/19/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/OIL/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM -0.53%) has applied to the Treasury Department for a waiver from U.S. sanctions on Russia in a bid to resume its joint venture with state oil giant PAO Rosneft, according to people familiar with the matter. Exxon has been seeking U.S. permission to drill with Rosneft in […]
04/14/2017
MILITARY/RUSSIA/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump is getting a taste for pulling the trigger. In just the last week, the rookie commander in chief has presided over the use of some of the most powerful weaponry in the US arsenal, sending a signal that he is one President who relishes ordering the use of deadly […]
04/14/2017
CAMPAIGN/INTELLIGENCE/POLITICS/RUSSIA/UK: “British and other European intelligence agencies intercepted communications between associates of Donald Trump and Russian officials and other Russian individuals during the campaign and passed on those communications to their US counterparts, US congressional and law enforcement and US and European intelligence sources tell CNN. The communications were captured during routine surveillance of Russian […]
04/13/2017
CAMPAIGN/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/CARTER PAGE: “Carter Page, an early foreign-policy adviser to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, on Thursday [4-13-17] said he ‘can’t definitively say’ the issue of US sanctions on Russia ‘was never raised by anyone’ while he was in Moscow last July. Page’s conversations with Russian officials last summer have come under scrutiny since an unverified […]
4/13/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA: “Things will work out fine between the U.S.A. and Russia. At the right time everyone will come to their senses & there will be lasting peace!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 13, 2017 08:16am […]
04/13/2017
RUSSIA/SYRIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/UN/NIKKI HALEY: “The UN Security Council failed Wednesday [4-12-17] to so much as condemn last week’s chemical weapons attack that killed dozens of people in Syria. Russia vetoed a UN resolution condemning the killings, believed to have been carried out with sarin gas, and calling on Moscow ally Syria to cooperate with an international […]
04/12/2017
RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/UKRAINE/PAUL MANAFORT: “Aug. 19 was an eventful day for Paul Manafort. That morning, he stepped down from guiding Donald J. Trump’s presidential campaign, after a brief tenure during which Mr. Trump won the Republican nomination, Democrats’ emails were hacked and the campaign’s contacts with Russia came under scrutiny. Dogged by revelations about past financial […]
04/12/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A week ago, President Trump was accused of being a tool for the Russians, an unwitting agent of influence, so full of admiration that he defended President Vladimir V. Putin against critics who called him a killer. Now, Mr. Trump is in a diplomatic clash with Mr. Putin’s Russia, his administration […]
04/12/2017
CABINET/RUSSIA/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson opened his first meetings in Moscow on Wednesday at a moment when relations between the United States and Russia are so tense that it was unclear whether President Vladimir V. Putin would even see the man he once gave a medal of friendship. In the 24 […]
04/12/2017
CAMPAIGN/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/WIRTAPPING/CARTER PAGE: “The Justice Department obtained a secret court-approved wiretap last summer on Carter Page, a foreign policy adviser to Donald J. Trump’s presidential campaign, based on evidence that he was operating as a Russian agent, a government official said Wednesday [4-12-17]. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court issued the warrant, the official said, after […]
04/12/2017
CABINET/RUSSIA/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson met with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia for nearly two hours Wednesday [4-12-17], but the two men appeared unable to agree on the facts involving the deadly chemical weapons assault on Syrian civilians or Russian interference in the American election — much less move toward […]
04/12/2017
2016 ELECTION/CAMPAIGN/RUSSIA: “Two stories dealing with Russia’s meddling in the election broke Tuesday [4-11-17] night. And both were full of bad news for President Donald Trump. The first, an exclusive to CNN, revealed that a number of Democratic and Republican lawmakers on the House and Senate intelligence committees who have seen classified documents see no […]
04/11/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA/STATE/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday [4-11-17] that Russia had information that the United States was planning to launch new missile strikes on Syria, and that there were plans to fake chemicals weapons attacks there. Putin was speaking hours before U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was due to […]
04/11/2017
RUSSIA/SYRIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/SEAN SPICER: “White House press secretary Sean Spicer, in an effort to shame Russia’s alliance with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his use of chemical weapons, said Tuesday [4-11-17] Adolf Hitler ‘didn’t even sink to using chemical weapons’ during World War II. While Hitler did not use chemical weapons on the battlefield, Hitler and […]
04/10/2017
ENERGY/OIL/RUSSIA: “Russia is on the verge of taking control of a US oil company. In a crazy twist of international events, Russia’s state-owned oil company Rosneft might end up owning Citgo, a US energy company based in Houston, Texas. This isn’t a direct takeover. Instead, it hinges on the ability of Venezuela’s state-run oil company […]
04/10/2017
CABINET/RUSSIA/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “The Kremlin said on Monday [4-10-17] that U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will not meet President Vladimir Putin when he visits Moscow on Wednesday, a move that could point to tensions over a U.S. missile attack on a Syrian air base last week. John Kerry, Tillerson’s predecessor, often met Putin as […]
04/10/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA/STATE/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE/UN/REX TILLERSON/NIKKI HALEY: “Foreign ministers of leading US allies were meeting Monday [4-10-17] amid mixed signals from the Trump administration on the future of Syrian President President Bashar al-Assad. At a summit in Italy, foreign ministers of the G7 group of industrialized nations were expected to seek clarity from US Secretary […]
04/06/2017
2016 ELECTION/CIA/FBI/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA: “The C.I.A. told senior lawmakers in classified briefings last summer that it had information indicating that Russia was working to help elect Donald J. Trump president, a finding that did not emerge publicly until after Mr. Trump’s victory months later, former government officials say. The briefings indicate that intelligence officials had evidence of […]
04/06/2017
INTELLIGENCE/POLITICS/RUSSIA/DEVIN NUNES/MIKE CONAWAY: “Rep. Mike Conaway has been given the reins to the House intelligence committee’s fractured Russia investigation following chairman Rep. Devin Nunes’ announcement Thursday that he is temporarily stepping aside — but who is the man now tasked with getting things back on track after weeks of partisan conflict? A seven-term Republican representing […]
04/06/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/MILITARY/RUSSIA/SYRIA: “Russia and Syria have condemned the first US military strike against the Syrian regime, launched after a chemical weapons attack that killed dozens of civilians earlier in the week. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, denounced the strike on a Syrian airfield as “act of aggression” Friday and said it violated international law. Western […]
04/06/2017
INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/DEVIN NUNES: “House intelligence chairman Devin Nunes announced Thursday [4-6-17] he was temporarily stepping aside from leading the investigation into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 elections. Nunes cited a series of ethics complaints filed against him alleging that he violated terms of discussing classified material following his clandestine meeting at the White House just over […]
04/04/2017
INTELLIGENCE/LEGAL/TRUMP PEOPLE/RUSSIA: “Carter Page, who served briefly as a foreign policy adviser to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, made an appearance in a federal espionage case several years ago because he communicated with a Russian intelligence agent under surveillance by the FBI. In a statement released Tuesday [4-4-17], Page confirmed his role in the 2015 Justice […]
04/04/2017
INTELLIGENCE/NATIONAL SECURITY/OBAMA/RUSSIA/SUSAN RICE: “The House Intelligence Committee wants Susan Rice, a top aide in the Obama administration, to testify in a probe of alleged Russian election interference, as the investigation widens to include allegations that Obama officials improperly used intelligence information involving President Donald Trump or his associates. Two officials familiar with the matter said […]
4/3/2017
HILLARY/RUSSIA: “Was the brother of John Podesta paid big money to get the sanctions on Russia lifted? Did Hillary know?” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 3, 2017 06:16am […]
04/02/2017
NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/MICHAEL FLYNN: “Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, failed to disclose payments from a Russian television network and a second firm linked to Russia in a February financial disclosure form, according to documents released by the White House on Saturday [4-2-17]. In a financial disclosure form signed by Flynn on […]
4/1/2017
RUSSIA/WIRETAPPING: “Wow, @FoxNews just reporting big news. Source: ‘Official behind unmasking is high up. Known Intel official is responsible. Some unmasked…not associated with Russia. Trump team spied on before he was nominated.’ If this is true, does not get much bigger. Would be sad for U.S.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 1, 2017 11:50am and 12:02pm […]
4/1/2017
FAKE NEWS/RUSSIA: “It is the same Fake News Media that said there is ‘no path to victory for Trump’ that is now pushing the phony Russia story. A total scam!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 1, 2017 08:02am […]
3/29/2017
FOREIGN AFFAIRS/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UKRAINE: “Expectations that President Donald Trump’s election would lead to a rapid U.S. rapprochement with Russia are fading, as the White House pushes off the Kremlin’s proposals for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin and takes an increasingly skeptical view of reaching a grand bargain with Moscow. At a White House meeting […]
3/31/2017
LEGAL/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE/MICHAEL FLYNN: “U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday supported the decision of his former national security adviser to seek immunity from prosecution in exchange for his testimony in congressional probes of possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. Retired General Michael Flynn wants protection against ‘unfair prosecution’ if he testifies before […]
3/31/2017
INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/MICHAEL FLYNN: “Mike Flynn should ask for immunity in that this is a witch hunt (excuse for big election loss), by media & Dems, of historic proportion!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, March 31, 2017 06:04am […]
03/31/2017
NATO/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “The top U.S. diplomat and the Pentagon’s chief stressed the importance of NATO and criticized Russia for aggression and meddling in other countries’ POLICY, easing European allies’ concerns about President Donald Trump’s commitment to trans-Atlantic security. In his first appearance at a meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Secretary of State […]
03/30/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA: “President Donald Trump’s hopes of striking a grand bargain with Russia are fading, two administration officials confirmed to CNN Thursday [3-30-17]. According to one senior administration official, this isn’t necessarily because Trump’s view of Russian President Vladimir Putin has evolved. But Trump believes in the current atmosphere — with so much media scrutiny […]
03/30/2017
INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/DEVIN NUNES: “A pair of White House officials helped provide Representative Devin Nunes of California, a Republican and the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, with the intelligence reports that showed that President Trump and his associates were incidentally swept up in foreign surveillance by American spy agencies. The revelation on Thursday that White House […]
3/30/2017
2016 ELECTION/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/WIRETAPPING: “The White House said Thursday [3-30-17] that members of its staff had uncovered materials regarding surveillance in the 2016 election, raising questions about whether President Donald Trump’s own aides had shared classified information with the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee in an attempt to bolster Trump’s claims he was wiretapped. In […]
3/29/2017
2016 ELECTION/INTELLIGENCE/POLITICS/RUSSIA: “The Senate intelligence committee has asked 20 people to be questioned in its investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, the panel’s chairman said Wednesday. ‘This one is one of the biggest investigations the Hill has seen in my time here,’ Chairman Richard Burr, a North Carolina Republican, said at a […]
03/30/2017
CONFLICT OF INTEREST/INTELLIGENCE/RUSSIA/DEVIN NUNES: “California Rep. Adam Schiff may not offer much by way of substance, but give him marks for political flimflam. The ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee was so successful at ginning up fake outrage over his Republican counterpart that he successfully buried this week’s only real (and bombshell) news. Mr. […]
3/29/2017
CONFLICT OF INTEREST/INTELLIGENCE/POLITICAL FIGURES/RUSSIA/DEVIN NUNES: “House intelligence chairman Devin Nunes rebuffed calls to step aside from the Russia investigation Tuesday [3-28-17] as demands grew for him to recuse himself as head of that probe. ‘Why would I?’ Nunes said. The calls for him to resign came after revelations about his meeting with a secret source […]
3/28/2017
INTELLIGENCE/POLITICAL FIGURES/RUSSIA/DEVIN NUNES: “The Trump administration is refusing to provide details Tuesday [3-28-17] to who signed House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes into offices on White House grounds, as the House investigation into Russia’s interference in the US elections is stalled, the victim of a partisan showdown. All meetings of the House Russia investigators were canceled […]
3/28/2017
2016 ELECTION/POLITICAL FIGURES/RUSSIA/DICK CHENEY: “Former Vice President Dick Cheney says Russia’s alleged interference in the U.S. presidential election could be interpreted by some as an “act of war.” ‘There was a very serious effort made by Mr. Putin and his government, his organization, to interfere in major ways with our basic, fundamental democratic processes,’ Cheney […]