Trump Campaign Aides Had Repeated Contacts With Russian Intelligence

[EricMaundry]

Source: New York Times

Phone records and intercepted calls show that members of Donald J. Trumps 2016 presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election, according to four current and former American officials.

American law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted the communications around the same time that they were discovering evidence that Russia was trying to disrupt the presidential election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee, three of the officials said. The intelligence agencies then sought to learn whether the Trump campaign was colluding with the Russians on the hacking or other efforts to influence the election.

The officials interviewed in recent weeks said that, so far, they had seen no evidence of such cooperation.

But the intercepts alarmed American intelligence and law enforcement agencies, in part because of the amount of contact that was occurring while Mr. Trump was speaking glowingly about the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin. At one point last summer, Mr. Trump said at a campaign event that he hoped Russian intelligence services had stolen Hillary Clintons emails and would make them public.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/14/us/politics/russia-intelligence-communications-trump.html

[Squinch]

1. Boom! Here it comes!

[AJT]

3. I'll believe it when I see it.

[LisaM]

33. Same here.

Nothing ever sticks to these guys.

[brush]

39. Why else would an American political campaign be constantly in touch with Russian...

intel agents? There is no way trump is in up to his ears with this "coup".

He's coming down, and I hope going to prison.

[GP6971]

15. We can only hope

but I'm doubtful with this Congress

[mobeau69]

49. It won't take that many pukes that are willing to put country before party.

They'll start pealing away day by day.

[GeoWilliam750]

60. So far there seems to be a grand total of maybe two Senators

[Hortensis]

83. Drip, drip, drip equals kick, kick, kick to the investigations,

one FBI and two congressional. Doesn't look like people in the intelligence services are going to let the FBI and GOP smother this.

You know, some of the attitudes exhibited above are a big, big part of why we're in this mess. Adding millions of resigned "nothing will happens" to the typical conservative's "nothing did happen" is a huge enabler for wrongdoing in government.

Btw, delay, delay, delay until a whiny apathy replaces anger is SOP for getting away with "it." That's McConnell's key strategy for repealing-without-replacing the ACA.

How about zero tolerance, zero acceptance, zero weakening instead?

[mobeau69]

89. hortensis, spot on observation there.

[cstanleytech]

35. If by "it" you mean the Repugnant coverup attempt by Congress with them

working overtime to delay any investigation while those in the Trump administration work to hide and or destroy any evidence then ya.

[ck4829]

100. Hopefully

[myrna minx]

2. K&R

[myrna minx]

70. Thank you for the hearts, friend.

[elleng]

4. Rachel's on it.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. Rachel Maddow is talking about this now.

[KewlKat]

10. yes, rachel is covering right now.......

nothing from the alert says they "helped" with the hacking, but they were having contact DURING the time the ruskies were hacking america

[George II]

6. This is worse than emails!

[Trust Buster]

26. Ya think ?

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

34. Not according to the brainwashed Trumpistas.

Still defending that MFker and trashing Obama. The idiocracy will support the Rs in doing nothing about this. I hope I'm wrong. Never hoped that more in my life.

[TrollBuster9090]

7. *sigh* And yet, Comey still thought the only investigation worth mentioning was Huma Abedin's

...f@#king laptop computer.

[KewlKat]

16. yeah ain't that the bees knees......that ba$tard should be investigated and let go

he was clearly out to stop President Clinton. To stop her momentum.......

[TrollBuster9090]

22. Personally, I don't think Comey's goal was to get Trump elected. I think he wanted to make sure

that Clinton got elected with the SMALLEST margin possible, and without any Democratic majorities in the Senate or House, so that she'd effectively by paralyzed. Paralyzed and gridlocked like Obama was for the last two years of his Administration.

I think he probably went "oh SHIT" like everybody else when Trump actually won. (Except, in our case, we all said "oh SHIT!" In his case he said "oh SHIT...WHAT HAVE I DONE!?&quot

[Volaris]

47. Then that means he knew he shouldnta done it and he should probably be indicted

[TrollBuster9090]

76. Yeah, Jim Comey knows that he should be indicted, but the problem is that JIM COMEY does NOT think

he should be indicted. Maybe the two of them can have a meeting and discuss it.

[lagomorph777]

95. James "Edgar Hoover" Comey is a Russian mole.

He certainly did want Agent Orange elected; when his role is more fully revealed, he is going down.

[NBachers]

63. He is being investigated- The FBI is investigating the FBI investigating the FBI.

In other words, the FBI is investigating the FBI's investigation of the FBI investigating the FBI.

[KewlKat]

65. The FBI hard at work....investigatin

[lagomorph777]

91. NO he should not be let go. He should be locked up.

Comey is a Russian mole. I've been saying that for months.

[ck4829]

99. +1

[alfredo]

8. Holy Shit!

[C_U_L8R]

9. Trump's behind the hacking.

This could be it, folks.

[Cooley Hurd]

11. Holy shit. It's finally in the Times...

Long suspected, but now it's being reported by the Times.

[bucolic_frolic]

12. Stolen emails

was something he said July 27, 2016.

[fountainofyouth]

13. Devil's advocate for one sec

It is possible that these contacts still fell short of coordination. It obviously means Congress needs to get involved in this, but there may not be a "smoking gun" to find.

[EarlG]

24. Maybe, but

isn't "...Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election..." incriminating enough?

I mean why would any U.S. presidential campaign have repeated contact with Russian intelligence?

[fountainofyouth]

36. There's two kinds of intelligence officers

Those under official cover and "illegals." There's any number of reasons why Trump people would come into contact with either of them. Those with official cover would be more obvious as possible intelligence officers, since their affiliation with the Russian government would be public.

[NewRedDawn]

41. you did not answer the question

Why would any campaign be in touch with any foreign intelligence not to mention are #1 adversary Russia?
Does not pass the smell test for me! Now if you have someone who you have been grooming blackmailing for years like the Steele dossier states. You draw the conclusions.

[fountainofyouth]

46. Like I said, it may depend on if they were official or illegal operatives

Anna Chapman came into contact with tons of people who never knew she was a Russian intelligence officer. All the Russians would need is to have someone -- maybe a member of the media, or a lobbyist, e.g. -- who reached out to Trump people at various points to establish a relationship.

[NewRedDawn]

51. And?

They took the bait. Steele's dossier sounds very credible. If it wasn't why all of a sudden Putin's purge of his intelligence agency? That action alone says yes!
We have some very serious moles in the Whitehouse & I believe in the NY. FBI.

[fountainofyouth]

53. There's a shit-ton of smoke

But not fire -- yet. I believe it may surface, but we don't have it now.

[NewRedDawn]

56. Where there is smoke

there is fire. What sealed the deal for me was Putin's actions purging his intelligence after the Steele Dossier. His actions basically confirmed the dossier.

[fountainofyouth]

59. Definitely damning

What I still don't understand is 1) why senior FSB officials were arrested for treason in December, and 2) the Kremlin leaked it.

[NewRedDawn]

66. a warning?

to other spies working on behalf of us?

[DeminPennswoods]

81. Because someone outed them?

nt

[Hassin Bin Sober]

38. Maybe the campaign needed a good Borscht recipe?

[herding cats]

72. That's the question, isn't it?

I realize I'm looking at this as a person who stated here in one of their first post DU hack posts that I thought we'd been victims of a coup instigated by Russia. Granted, I was extremely emotional at that point, but there was antidotal evidence at the time which pointed in that direction. Enough I considered it a real possibility.

Now, just over three months later here we find ourselves. My gut says this is a real possibility, and now there's leaks that affirm my own personal thinking. That's an odd feeling. Frankly, it's not a a "good" sensation. It's more a 'sense of fear with a side of disgust' type of feeling. It's deeply unpleasant, to say the least.

I'm not discrediting this out of hand, instead I'm welcoming it as a million lumens of light being directed at what I consider to possibly (probably) be a very real crisis.

The odd thing is, there's been no push back, or even real concern, on this matter by the current congress. Theres a very real chance this isn't "breaking news" to many of them. We know senior senate members were briefed on some classified issue that enraged Democrats, and wasn't addressed by Republicans. The question is, what did our individual members of Congress know, and when did they know it? Follw up question: what did the party in power do about what they knew?

[TomCADem]

14. Mike Pence insists Trump campaign has not been in contact with Russia

The Republican party is working overtime to try to insulate Pence while they throw Trump under the bus, which is why every Republican being interviewed is obligated to volunteer that Pence was totally in the dark even while he was busily denying that there was any contact between the Trump campaign and the Russians.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/15/mike-pence-trump-campaign-russia

Vice-President-elect Mike Pence denied on Sunday that Donald Trump’s presidential campaign had any contacts with Russia, insisting investigations into Russian hacking of political parties are “a distraction”.

Since the election, US intelligence agencies have publicly concluded that the Kremlin orchestrated a series of hacks intended to create chaos, defeat Hillary Clinton and help Trump win the White House.

After weeks of doubting such opinions, Trump this week said: “I think it was Russia.” But he did not answer questions about alleged contacts between advisers and powerful Russians.

On Sunday, Pence denied there were any such contacts, telling Fox News Sunday: “Of course not. Why would there be any contacts between the campaign?”

[Chasstev365]

17. If this comes out, it will be the beginning of the end of Benedict Donald

I'm starting to change my mind. Public pressure will increase ten fold if this gets wide spread attention.

I just saw that conservative Sen Roy Blunt is even saying there needs to be a full investigation.

[Blue Idaho]

18. Comrade Trump is screwn.

The report says this information comes from a "trove" of information that has not been fully explored. He is the Manchurian Candidate.

[Fast Walker 52]

19. IMPEACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

shit just got real and hit the fan and filled the creek...

[PSPS]

25. Sorry, but it will never happen with the house in the firm grip of the GOP.

Remember that gerrymandering and voter suppression are so bad that the democrats won't have a majority in the house again at least in our lifetimes.

[NewRedDawn]

44. so let them stall & pay the consequences.

Already Town halls are exploding. Add this shit & watch the cockroaches capitulate.

[Fast Walker 52]

87. exactly-- the more they align with Trump, the more likely they will go down with him

[Fast Walker 52]

86. I'm more optimistic that Dems can take back the House... the awfulness of Trump can overcome

a lot of suppression and gerrymandering.

[KewlKat]

20. i thnk rachel said 4 people named but heard only manafort

[blitzen]

21. Geez the NYT and Wash Post are nonchalantly dropping bombshells every night! n/t

[JudyM]

52. And yet, teflon don is still standing.

[herding cats]

74. It's only been less than one month.

Patience, Grasshopper.

[KewlKat]

23. multiple campaign aides in the year BEFORE the election

had contact with the ruskies....

[Freethinker65]

27. But we already knew this before the election

[Corgigal]

28. And Flynn is probably trying to save his behind now

RICO baby.....they all fall down.

[TomCADem]

29. Flynn Probably Has An Assurance of a Pardon if convicted...

...which is why he stepped down.

[Corgigal]

32. Don't charge him now

Pressure him, to go for the of the snake.

[briv1016]

67. If they even suspect he might flip, he'll be disappeared before the weekend.

[Trust Buster]

30. This is what happens when you diss the intelligence community.

[sarcasmo]

31. Mama said knock you out, Mama said knock you out.

[YOHABLO]

37. The question: Did Russian tech operatives hack voting machines in our Pres. Election?

The answer they give: It's possible but no, no, this did not occur. I'm not buying it. All the polls before the election could not be that way off the mark.

[fountainofyouth]

42. Remember what Nate Silver said

If the polls are off, they'll likely be off in a statistically correlated way across states. Which is what happened. Polls undercounted the white working class vote in the rust belt.

Still no evidence to support tampered results.

[Achilleaze]

85. republicans let the Evil Empire russians jerk electoral strings against America

republican treason sucks, and no weak-kneed, anti-American apologists grasping for lame excuses can change that. You are either an American patriot, or you are a traitorous KGOP enabler.

[tammywammy]

40. Here's my shocked face

🙄

Now let's hope some republicans still have a love of country over party to investigate this.

[rdking647]

43. thast settles it. trump is not a legitimate president

any action him or pence(once trump is tossed out of office) are not valid

[Ccarmona]

45. One of the NYT Writers

Is going to be on with Joy Reid, sitting in for Lawrence

[dalton99a]

48. Exactly as suspected.

[Ccarmona]

50. I Think

And hope that Comey turns out to be the hero in all this. He screwed up in October, but he could be the one who has been digging into the Russian/Trump connection.

[briv1016]

68. .

[Botany]

54. It was a coup and people are guilty of Treason

n/t

[FailureToCommunicate]

55. K & R !

[Hayabusa]

57. I don't like to throw the word "treason" around.

I think it cheapens the word, but how is this NOT treasonous?

[Liberal In Red State]

58. DUH!!!!! Why did this not come out before the election or at the very least before Obama

stepped down!!!!!!!!???????!!!!!!

[nolabear]

61. Now you see why he's been claiming the press can't be trusted.

Getting out in front of what he had to know was potentially a huge story. Crooked media, eh? Lock her up, eh?

[peggysue2]

62. Nance is on with Joy Reid

Malcolm Nance is saying this is the moment he predicted 7 months ago. Repeated contact between Trump aides during the campaign means that all these people who arrogantly thought they could weasel their way around the FBI and Intelligence Community, make deals with Putin and sabotage our election are about to start weeping crocodile tears and lawyering up. The sh*t just hit the fan.

Boom is right. Boom, Boom, Boom!

[malchickiwick]

64. Treason Most Foul!!

The Congress, despite its majority of quislings, MUST now become the bulwark against the executive that it was designed to be, in my most humble opinny inny.

[jimlup]

69. Shit is hitting the fan right now

Some alt-right drooler over at Discussionist (which is really an 80% alt-right free for all) replied in defense of Trump and the current administration that if we wanted to change the political power structure it would take a "civil war. "

The other side is frothing out the mouth insane.

[kairos12]

71. Nothing will happen unless his popularity drops below 30%. He's at 40 now.

Everything will be called fake news and alternative facts and nothing will happen.

[Grammy23]

73. I've been so morose since Nov. 8th and even looked at leaving the U.S.

But it is complicated and I finally concluded that there may be no truly safe place to go. So imagine the glee I felt as this started cracking open late last night with Flynn "resigning". Some of you can relate and it has been hard to contain the giddiness that tRump is finally getting what is due to him.

The other really startling thing about all of this is knowing we really are witnessing an historic moment in the life of our nation. When Watergate happened I watched the hearings but it just never struck me that I was watching history in the making. Too young and naive. Now that I am older and more informed about things, I KNOW for certain this really is a big deal.

This is unfolding at such a rapid clip, it really is hard to keep up. I know the news hounds here at DU will keep us all informed and for that I say a big THANK YOU!

It's a good day again in the U.S. Maybe our national nightmare will be over soon. Buh-bye, tRump!

[UCmeNdc]

75. The NSA, CIA, and FBI must get a handle on the extent of Trump's Treason

Everybody in the United States must face the truth that Trump stole this election. He has no moral soul. He worked with the Russians in some fashion to win this election and that is why every strange result occurred on election day.

The US must get rid of all of their electronic voting systems. They are compromised. The US must hold independent investigations into Trump and his underlings contact with Russian spies before the elections. Bring them all in and put them under oath.

The United States is under attack from within by Trump and his moles.

[Dallasdem1988]

77. Am I...

Misreading this...or does this all pretty much say nothing. If we have evidence why don't we blow these ****ers out of the water?????


From the article

"The officials interviewed in recent weeks said that, so far, they had seen no evidence of such cooperation."

I'm lost. Are we free of this nightmare or not??? It says we do but then it literally says we don't. I can't get my hopes up again. I can't do this up and down anymore.

[OKNancy]

78. kick

[DeminPennswoods]

79. My theory

Trump had several Nixon men in his inner circle including the late Roy Cohn, Roger Ailes and Roger Stone. Of these, Stone is the most interesting because he's a known, long time dirty trickster. Then you have Manafort and Page, both with deep ties to Putin/Russia. While I doubt Trump was the mastermind, I think that Stone could well have facilitated the hacking via Manafort and/or Page in order to help elect Trump. It's right up Stone's alley. Stone has the dirty trickster knowledge and the other 2 the necessary contacts to pull off the email theft. And, remember Stone tweeted about Podesta being "next". Perhaps he saw himself avenging what Dems did to Nixon (well, Nixon did it to himself) during the senate Watergate committee (of which a young Hillary Clinton was a part) hearings, too. I think Stone would be the easiest to "flip" also because I don't think he wants to go to jail.

I'm not sure how much anyone knew/knows about Trump's financial ties to Russia, but protecting them would have been a side benefit.

[pecosbob]

80. It's all about the money

Full analysis will show all the money changing hands and that's all you need...from Manafort up to DJT. What was it...15% of Rosneft changing hands?

[DeminPennswoods]

82. Good point

that's a good point, too.

[Achilleaze]

84. republican TREASON

most foul. Support America. Disband the KGOP and ship them all of to a freaking Gulag so they can spend eternity with their Evil Empire BFFs.

[OKNancy]

88. and another kick because topic keeps getting duplicated

grrrrrrrrrrrr

[mahatmakanejeeves]

93. It's another benefit of the ***** administration: full employment for forum hosts. NT

[OKNancy]

94. LOL - thanks for my morning laugh

[Ford_Prefect]

90. The shit is heading towards the fan as we speak.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

92. By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT, MARK MAZZETTI and MATT APUZZO FEB. 14, 2017

I'm adding the links to the authors' Twitter feeds. The print edition of the New York Times comes out once a day, unless there's a huge emergency. The Twitter feeds, though, are constantly being updated.

MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT
@nytmike
https://twitter.com/nytmike

MARK MAZZETTI
@MarkMazzettiNYT
https://twitter.com/MarkMazzettiNYT

MATT APUZZO
@mattapuzzo
https://twitter.com/mattapuzzo

I see Paul Manafort is mentioned in the article. I have a long sleeve t-shirt that I bought at a thrift store or rummage sale or yard sale. It's for the Children's Hospice International 10K Run For The Children. The first sponsor listed on the back is Black, Manafort, Stone & Kelly, Paul Manafort's old lobbying firm.

[Mr. Sparkle]

96. but but but , what about Hilary's emails / Andrea Mitchell

Funnily enough , since the election, i think she has stopped talking about those nothing-burger emails.

[FairWinds]

97. This is eerily similar to the contacts . .

that Nixon had with S. Vietnam in 1968, and Reagan had with
Iran in 1980. There were likely others.

For the GOP, the rule of law is for suckers and democrats.

When will the Dems stop playing softball?

[ck4829]

98. K&R