The FBI has information that indicates associates of President Donald Trump communicated with suspected Russian operatives to possibly coordinate the release of information damaging to Hillary Clinton’s campaign, US officials told CNN.
This is partly what FBI Director James Comey was referring to when he made a bombshell announcement Monday before Congress that the FBI is investigating the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia, according to one source.
The FBI is now reviewing that information, which includes human intelligence, travel, business and phone records and accounts of in-person meetings, according to those U.S. officials. The information is raising the suspicions of FBI counterintelligence investigators that the coordination may have taken place, though officials cautioned that the information was not conclusive and that the investigation is ongoing.
In his statement on Monday Comey said the FBI began looking into possible coordination between Trump campaign associates and suspected Russian operatives because the bureau had gathered “a credible allegation of wrongdoing or reasonable basis to believe an American may be acting as an agent of a foreign power.”
The White House did not comment and the FBI declined to comment.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer maintained Monday after Comey’s testimony that there was no evidence to suggest any collusion took place.
“Investigating it and having proof of it are two different things,” Spicer said.
One law enforcement official said the information in hand suggests “people connected to the campaign were in contact and it appeared they were giving the thumbs up to release information when it was ready.” But other U.S. officials who spoke to CNN say it’s premature to draw that inference from the information gathered so far since it’s largely circumstantial.
The FBI cannot yet prove that collusion took place, but the information suggesting collusion is now a large focus of the investigation, the officials said.
The FBI has already been investigating four former Trump campaign associates — Michael Flynn, Paul Manafort, Roger Stone and Carter Page — for contacts with Russians known to US intelligence. All four have denied improper contacts and CNN has not confirmed any of them are the subjects of the information the FBI is reviewing.
One of the obstacles the sources say the FBI now faces in finding conclusive intelligence is that communications between Trump’s associates and Russians have ceased in recent months given the public focus on Russia’s alleged ties to the Trump campaign. Some Russian officials have also changed their methods of communications, making monitoring more difficult, the officials said.
Last July, Russian intelligence agencies began orchestrating the release of hacked emails stolen in a breach of the Democratic National Committee and associated organizations, as well as email accounts belonging to Clinton campaign officials, according to U.S. intelligence agencies.
The Russian operation was also in part focused on the publication of so-called “fake news” stories aimed at undermining Hillary Clinton’s campaign. But FBI investigators say they are less focused on the coordination and publication of those “fake news” stories, in part because those publications are generally protected free speech.
The release of the stolen emails, meanwhile, transformed an ordinary cyber-intrusion investigation into a much bigger case handled by the FBI’s counterintelligence division.
FBI counterintelligence investigations are notoriously lengthy and often involve some of the U.S. government’s most highly classified programs, such as those focused on intelligence-gathering, which can make it difficult for investigators to bring criminal charges without exposing those programs.
Investigators continue to analyze the material and information from multiple sources for any possible indications of coordination, according to US officials. Director Comey in Monday’s hearing refused to reveal what specifically the FBI was looking for or who they’re focusing on.
US officials said the information was not drawn from the leaked dossier of unverified information compiled by a former British intelligence official compiled for Trump’s political opponents, though the dossier also suggested coordination between Trump campaign associates and Russian operatives.
What did I say Dem ole house a come tumbling ooo mi Kno Chump play a big part in deh him tiny hands Dem dutty badddd dis is just the beginning
In other words…the U.S. is functionig with a puppet president and a basket of deplorable traitors!
The contact persons form a chain to amke it look like cheetho not involve, but when you revive the li ks he will the main connector link.
Trump is corrupt and i suspect one of the eastern European wives maybe relative.
PP scroll down and answer my question please. Is it futile to expect Trump to ever face charges in the face of wrong doing?
Yes man! Maxine is right! Impeachment coming
That’s why Maxine said wat she said let’s just kick back n watch the shit hit the fan smh
FBI counterintelligence investigations are notoriously lengthy and often involve some of the U.S. government’s most highly classified programs, such as those focused on intelligence-gathering, which can make it difficult for investigators to bring criminal charges without exposing those programs.
Does this mean that the FBI generally will not charge a president all when dem guilty????? Hmmmm it almost sounds like protecting their operation is more important than bringing Trump to justice. Mi a do some research on Richard Nixon because someone said what happened to him will happen to Trump. To how mi inquisitive mi a go fass.
More smokescreens coming very very soon from teamTrump…this is becoming a predictable pattern for them. Mi wonda if dem nuh exhausted because its tiring for me sometimes. lol
Marie :peluk the U.S. Authorities (special team because the weasel attorney general had to requise himself of all things chump) will do a Nixon eviction if anything to save face after the small fish dem get lockup. Couple congressional members fi go military prion too.
Thanks for responding PP
Ok. got it! Realistically Trump ain’t going to prison okay…not cool…. but sometimes disgrace can be just as satisfying. I continue to wait in anticipation like a child on Christmas morning.
:kiss Have a blessed day!
Met, Schiff says there’s more than circumstantial evidence……so with what he said along with Maxine Walters comment, the BBC end is near.
Hope you’re watching Rachel.
The more I learn about the Russians is the more worried I am this wicked evil man is president. He’s using America to pay back his debts to Russia. You see Tillerson plan on skipping the NATO meeting but plan to go to Russia? The way how mi nervous I’m glued to cable news waiting on the impeachment process to begin. After this wicked evil man accused President Obama knowing is a lie, and it has been proven to be a lie, he refuses to apologize to him, but his people apologized to Britain. That shows the hatred and jealousy in him dirty heart toward Pres Obama. It’s killing him slowly knowing that he became president AFTER President Obama. He plans on dismantling everything and if he could he would erase Pres Obama’s legacy clean clean. Mi hate the man so much that hearing his voice mek I want to bash my TV and radio.
Mi neva know dem tings can gwaan in America..Di republicans dem a di worseeeeeeeeeeeee
If Bill Clinton committed an impeachable offense by getting his buddy sucked in the Oval Office, WHY can’t this man face actual impeachment where them tell him fi leave? The way him, spicer, return of the cript ugly gal conway, rubio and some more were saying that, Hillary cannot be president because she’s being investigated by the FBI. Sooooooooo why should he remain president and he’s being investigated for possibly treason by the FBI? The Rep party are pure hypocrites. It’s a do as I say, not as I do for them. Comey said the Russians knew him couldn’t win the election, so they started putting out more of her emails, because of their hate for her and to persuade voters from her. Since him win I’ve been so emotional.
If it was Obama dem wudda nail him pan 500 cross. I just dont get it
Met, Michelle and their girls would still be in mourning. The Repub they know what he has done and doing are wrong, but for the sake of their party, they will put up and cover up anything and everything, at least most of them. Yesterday he threatened senators that if they don’t vote for the healthcare bill, he will make sure it affects them in 2018. He’s running the country like his businesses (bankrupt). This orange man threatened any NFL team that picks up Kaepatrick (sp). Who has donated to various charities, most recently he donated to Flint and Meals on Wheels. When will this madness stop? I am embarrassed and saddened to the core.
WTF…this man is insane. You see how the world sat quietly by as Hitler was gearing up for the Holocaust…same damn F_ing ting this. Another f__ing madman running an entire nation.
met please mi cant read no more eena night ya mi cup overflow, englan tiday during this no mi ka ka s strain what a set a……, HI needlieye needleeye please lol lol dwllll the see the finger story please during the campaign dem say him hate when anyone talk bout him fingers lolol mind war sake a fingers do…. MET don’t tek off this story soon mi gone watch don lemon, for him good fi dem, LORD HAVE MERCY PON ALL A WE, A WA DIS THE SENIOR CITIZEN PRES A STRESS OUT WI DAYS
A him mi a watch yah now
Met, something tells me that chump draw the wiretap argument base on instructions. They’re attempting to get the agencies to slip up and disclose who they have info on at the tower. Notice how Comey responded.
Nunez want two kick inna him mouth!
Trump wants to know what they have on him. That man knows what he is doing
FAKE NEWS….
What a stupid story… you lot really have been duped…
Hillary Clinton used a non-government email server to send classified government emails… Now that server she used is not safe and is easy to HACK.. No one knows who hacked into it, even some little teenagers are capable of hacking nowadays… Now, the information that was hacked was past on to Wikileaks and Wikileaks are slowly releasing some of that information…
Then they want to blame Russia, when Hillary is to be blamed…
Just because Trump said he has no problem with Russia and he is willing to work with Russia to destroy the Te rr or ist them them get vex…When it is only a Russia who really is fighting the terro them..
As all the others (anti trump officials) are using and helping the terro dem to over throw middle eastern countries who won’t obey their NWO…
That is the facts and truth
This dutty ugly orange ring threatening people about loosing jobs if they don’t do what he says but mi Kakafart mi Neva si nutten like dis yah yet….. Dictator Dem want Dictator Dem get
Met u nuh si daughter a get office Inna left wing or right wing(whichever) Inna di white house and she’s not no damn politician
The white house has now become a dolly house
Death house