Thread: Russia investigation: Ex-CIA director John Brennan testifies in House hearing -- live

Russia investigation: Ex-CIA director John Brennan testifies in House hearing -- live blog

Published May 23, 2017 Fox News

NOW PLAYINGBrennan testifies at House hearing on Russia investigation
John Brennan, the former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, testifies before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Tuesday, and answers questions on Russian influence over the 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign.

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Brennan: Russia may have successfully recruited Trump campaign aides

The former CIA director also says the FBI probe into whether Russia meddled in the election is ‘well founded.’

By AUSTIN WRIGHT
05/23/2017 10:49 AM EDT
Updated 05/23/2017 11:55 AM EDT


Former CIA Director John Brennan said on Tuesday that he had concerns that Russian officials may have successfully recruited aides from Donald Trump’s campaign to help in the Kremlin’s efforts to influence last year’s presidential election.

"I encountered and am aware of information and intelligence that revealed contacts and interactions between Russian officials and U.S. persons involved in the Trump campaign that I was concerned about because of known Russian efforts to suborn such individuals," he told lawmakers. "And it raised questions in my mind again whether or not the Russians were able to gain the cooperation of those individuals."

By the time he stepped down as CIA director on Jan. 20, he added, “I had unresolved questions in my mind about whether or not the Russians had been successful in getting U.S. persons, involved in the campaign or not, to work on their behalf, again, either in a witting or unwitting fashion.”

He said he believed the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Moscow is “certainly well founded and needed to look into these issues.”

Brennan’s remarks came in testimony before the House Intelligence Committee, which is also investigating Russia’s meddling in the presidential election, including allegations of collusion with the Trump campaign.

He made clear, though, that he is not in a position to say whether the interactions he saw between U.S. persons and Russia amounted to collusion, noting that the CIA gathers intelligence but does not investigate crimes. He said he passed evidence collected by the CIA to the FBI, which handles such investigations.

“I know that there was a sufficient basis of information and intelligence that required further investigation by the bureau to determine whether or not U.S. persons were actively conspiring and colluding with Russian officials," Brennan explained.

Asked by Rep. Tom Rooney (R-Fla.) if he saw any evidence of collusion during his time as CIA director, Brennan responded: “I was worried by a number of the contacts that the Russians had with U.S. persons.”

Brennan also told lawmakers he believes he was the first U.S. official to discuss with Russia its efforts to interfere in the presidential election. He said that last August he contacted the head of Russia’s Federal Security Service, Alexander Bortnikov, and raised the issue of Russia's election meddling. He said he warned Bortnikov that such interference would have a negative impact of U.S.-Russia relations.

He said Bortnikov denied that Russia was meddling in the election but also pledged to relay Brennan’s message to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Brennan also denounced the leaks of classified information that continue to appear in the news media, including details from Trump’s recent Oval Office meeting with Russia’s foreign minister and ambassador.

"These continue to be very, very damaging leaks, and I find them appalling, and they need to be tracked down," Brennan said.

Several lawmakers asked Brennan about whether Russia collected damaging information on Hillary Clinton that it did not release during the presidential campaign.

Brennan declined to comment on whether such damaging information exists but said that it’s possible Russia saved up some information that it could have released if Clinton had won the election to damage her presidency.

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/0...ampaign-238719

CIA director alerted FBI to pattern of contacts between Russian officials and Trump campaign associates

Laughable.

Stll no actual evidence. His testimony was a waste of time and contained nothing more than speculation and opinion.

GOP strategist admits he colluded with Russian hackers to hurt Hillary Clinton, Dem