In order to get this whole Russia, Flynn, Trump Campaign mess figured out I’ve been reading just about everything I can find to make sure I get this right. Today another “bombshell” was dropped to the media that the “Trump Campaign had repeated contacts with Russian Intelligence”. These officials need to not just “leak” information and expose any corruption, but come forward and expose this once and for all. If they are brave enough to contact the NY Times then they should be brave enough to give us some real information. The longer this goes on it could water down any truth (if there really is) of real corruption. So I’m going to give you the facts of what has been reported and let you decide what to think.
The NY Times is reporting that intelligence officials leaked:
“Intercepted the communications around the same time 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.”
However, officials that have been interviewed on record said recently that so far, “no evidence of such cooperation existed.
Officials that leaked the information stated that the communications were not limited to campaign officials but also associates of the President. Those contacted in Russia were members of the government and outside of the intelligence service. Of course, the NY Times included:
“All of the current and former officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the continuing investigation is classified.”
The officials made claims that Paul Manafort who was Trump’s campaign chairman was one who was in touch with Russia. Officials who leaked the information refused to name any of the Trump’s associates. However, the NY Times conceded that it is not unusual for American business people working in Russia or Ukraine to come in contact with spy services because they are “deeply embedded in society”. Paul Manafort did respond via telephone interview and flat out denied the claims. It was reported that Manafort has done work in Russia.
“This is absurd. I have no idea what this is referring to. I have never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers, and I have never been involved with anything to do with the Russian government or the Putin administration or any other issues under investigation today.”
“It’s not like these people wear badges that say, ‘I’m a Russian intelligence officer.’
According to the intelligence officials:
The intercepted calls are different from the wiretapped conversations last year between Michael T. Flynn, Mr. Trump’s former national security adviser, and Sergey I. Kislyak, Russia’s ambassador to the United States. In those calls, which led to Mr. Flynn’s resignation on Monday night, the two men discussed sanctions that the Obama administration imposed on Russia in December.
According to reports, the bureau did not have enough evidence to obtain a warrant for a wiretap of Mr. Manafort’s communications, but it had the N.S.A. scrutinize the communications of Ukrainian officials he had met.
The President reached out to the American people today on Twitter in response:
This Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clinton's losing campaign.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017
Information is being illegally given to the failing @nytimes & @washingtonpost by the intelligence community (NSA and FBI?).Just like Russia
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017
Crimea was TAKEN by Russia during the Obama Administration. Was Obama too soft on Russia?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017
The real scandal here is that classified information is illegally given out by "intelligence" like candy. Very un-American!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017
So what do we know? Nothing more than we did yesterday. The officials that leaked the information last night provided no details, no proof, and no names. All they said was Manafort did work in Ukraine and Russia but may not have even known he was talking with an intel official.
So for the sake of America stop beating around the bush if President Trump or his campaign concluded with Russia than let’s handle it. But if this is simply ‘force multiplier’ political games then hang these “intelligence officials” out to dry.
Source: New York Times |Twitter