Trump's First 100 Days

[GMDino]

I guess this still goes here:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/20/us/politics/intelligence-committee-russia-donald-trump.html?_r=1

Quote:Comey Confirms F.B.I. Inquiry Into Trump Campaign Links to Russian Hackers; Sees No Evidence of Wiretapping


■ The F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, publicly confirmed an investigation into Russian interference in the presidential election and whether associates of the president were in contact with Moscow.

■ Mr. Comey also said the F.B.I. had “no information” to support President Trump’s allegation that Barack Obama wiretapped him.

■ The hearing’s featured witnesses: Mr. Comey and Adm. Michael S. Rogers, the director of the National Security Agency.

Comey confirms F.B.I. investigation into Russian election interference
The F.B.I. is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible links between the Trump campaign and the Russian government — and whether there was any coordination, Mr. Comey said.


Mr. Comey said that it was unusual for the F.B.I. to confirm or deny the existence of any investigations, but that in unusual circumstances when it is in the public interest, the bureau will sometimes discuss such matters.

“This is one of those circumstances,” he said.

“The F.B.I., as part of our counterintelligence effort, is investigating the Russian government’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 president election,” he continued, adding that the investigation included looking at whether associates of Mr. Trump were in contact with Russian officials, and whether they colluded with them.

Admiral Rogers made it clear that Russian efforts to interfere in democratic elections were not a one-off intrusion. They continue — now in Europe.

“We’ve seen some of the same things we’ve seen in the U.S. in terms of disinformation, fakes news,” he said.

President Trump, offering commentary on Twitter, put the best spin on it, noting that the witnesses did not say Russian hackers had changed vote tallies.

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Quote: Follow
President Trump 

@POTUS
The NSA and FBI tell Congress that Russia did not influence electoral process.
12:42 PM - 20 Mar 2017

But Democrats clearly had the advantage, sending out campaign fundraising appeals as the hearing unspooled.

Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, responded: “The possibility of coordination between the Trump campaign and Russian officials is a serious, serious matter. The investigation must be fair, independent, and impartial in every way, and the F.B.I. must be allowed to follow the facts wherever they may lead.”

Much of the questioning focused on the Trump confidante Roger J. Stone Jr. and his public bragging that he was in contact with the hacker Guccifer 2.0, believed to be a front for Russian intelligence officials. Mr. Comey would not confirm or deny the subject of the F.B.I.’s investigation, but Mr. Stone, never a shrinking violet, did speak up on Twitter.

Quote: Follow
Roger Stone @RogerJStoneJr
It’s only fair that I have a chance to respond 2 any smears or half truths about alleged “Collusion with Russians” from 2day’s Intel Hearing
11:33 AM - 20 Mar 2017

Mr. Nunes did seek to bring Hillary Clinton’s campaign into the discussion about Russian election meddling.

“If this committee comes to you with information about the Clinton campaign, will you add that to your investigation?” Mr. Nunes asked Mr. Comey.

Mr. Comey said he was not prepared to comment on the particulars of contacts between Russians and any campaigns. But “if people bring us info,” he said, “we will evaluate it.”

F.B.I. director says there’s ‘no information’ to support Trump wiretapping charge
Mr. Comey told the House Intelligence Committee, “We have no information to support” President Trump’s assertion on Twitter that President Barack Obama wiretapped Trump Tower.

“We have no information to support those tweets,” Mr. Comey said, repeating moments later, “All I can tell you is that we have no information that supports them.”

The N.S.A. chief, Admiral Rogers, weighed in as well, saying that he had no knowledge of anyone asking the British or any other ally to wiretap Mr. Trump. That seemed to refute another claim made by the White House.

“I’ve seen nothing on the N.S.A. side that we engaged in such activity, nor that anyone engaged in such activity,” Admiral Rogers said.
He then explicitly denied having any indication that Mr. Trump was wiretapped by British intelligence at the request of Mr. Obama.

Quote:[url=https://twitter.com/SenSchumer] Follow
Chuck Schumer 

@SenSchumer
The FBI director has now confirmed: Pres Obama wiretapping Trump Tower did not happen. 

Pres Trump needs to retract his claim immediately.
11:17 AM - 20 Mar 2017

Comey revelation raises questions about Clinton email inquiry
Mr. Comey’s statement that the F.B.I. is investigating the Trump campaign is certain to raise comparisons to his disclosure in October that the bureau had discovered a new trove of Mrs. Clinton’s emails.

“Some folks made one of a comparisons to past instances where the Justice Department and the F.B.I. has spoken about the details of some investigations,” Mr. Comey said. “Please keep in mind that those involved with the details of completed investigations. Our ability to share details with Congress and the American people is limited when those investigations are still open, which I hope makes sense. We need to protect people’s privacy. We needed to make sure we don’t get other people clues as to where we are going.”

Mr. Comey said that he had consulted the Justice Department about whether to disclose the existence of the investigation — something he had not done before he held a news conference in July to announce that there was not enough evidence to charge Mrs. Clinton with a crime.

Mr. Comey’s statements on Monday brought immediate criticism from Mrs. Clinton’s allies and former campaign officials. “In refusing to discuss an ongoing investigation, Director Comey is appropriately adhering to the Justice Department’s standards,” said Brian Fallon, the spokesman for Mrs. Clinton’s campaign. “The question he has never satisfactorily answered is why he deviated from those standards so egregiously in Hillary Clinton’s case.”

Daniel C. Richman, a longtime confidant of Mr. Comey’s and a professor at Columbia University, defended Mr. Comey. “There is no fair comparison between announcing a material status change in an investigation that you publicly declared to be closed — in an announcement the public can be expected to rely on — and speaking about investigative moves, or non moves, in a covert national security investigation,” Mr. Richman said.

McCarthyism? Um, no.
Mr. Comey provided a rare moment of levity when asked if he believed the inquiry into Russian meddling and possible connections to the Trump campaign was a form of “McCarthyism.”

The question came during a stretch of questioning in which both he and Admiral Rogers unequivocally rejected claims by Mr. Trump that he was wiretapped during the campaign.

As for McCarthyism, Mr. Comey’s reply was similarly definitive: “I try very hard not to engage in any ‘isms’ of any kind, including McCarthyism,” he said.