FBI Director Confirms Agency Is Investigating Ties Between Trump And Russia (HuffPo)
4 minute video clip here with Comey - worth listening to. Wish I had a transcript. I'm sure there will be one later.
snip
“I have been authorized by the Department of Justice to confirm that the FBI, as part of our counterintelligence mission, is investigating the Russian government’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election,” Comey told the House Intelligence Committee. “That includes investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government, and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia’s efforts.”
snip
The intelligence community publicly shared its assessment in January that the Russian government hacked Democratic entities and operatives and released damning information with the goal of helping Trump win the election. But the assessment did not indicate whether Trump and his campaign team were aware of or complicit in Moscow’s operations.
Since then, lawmakers have pushed law enforcement and intelligence officials to respond to repeated queries about ties between Trump associates and Russian intelligence. Comey, to the frustration of several lawmakers, has insisted he cannot publicly discuss the possible existence of an ongoing investigation. (Comey did, however, disclose information to lawmakers related to an investigation into Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s email server days before the election. His letter to lawmakers was quickly leaked.)
But the FBI director has faced mounting pressure to speak publicly about the situation, amid a relentless series of leaks about seemingly bizarre communications between high-level Trump aides and Russian intelligence officials.
snip
“As you know, our practice is not to confirm the existence of ongoing investigations, especially those investigations that involve classified matters,” Comey said Monday. “But in unusual circumstances, where it is in the public interest, it may be appropriate to do so. This is one of those circumstances.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/james-comey-confirm-investigation-trump-russia-fbi_us_58cfe036e4b0ec9d29dd728c?
