Trump’s wiretap claims rebutted by Federal Bureau of Investigation director

Not unexpected, but undeniably an embarrassment for the tweeter-in-chief. Comey didn’t bite, apparently disinclined to threaten reporters with long prison terms.

I think there’s probably more evidence that CNN colluded with the Clinton campaign to give her debate questions than the Trump campaign gave any kind of collusion.

In an interview on “Fox News Sunday”, Wallace asked Priebus whether Trump accepted the conclusion from law enforcement and intelligence officials that there was no evidence to support Trump’s accusation.

The Associated Press revealed that Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, was paid millions by a Russian oligarch between 2005 and 2009 as part of a plan to improve Russia’s political and economic interests in the United States and around the world. “And there’s a lot of people looking for it”. And one thing we learned for certain this week is that the FBI thinks the evidence is serious enough to justify a full investigation. In addition, multiple Trump campaign and administration officials, including National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, Campaign Manager Paul Manafort, and foreign policy adviser Carter Page, resigned their posts after scandals related to their connections with Russian Federation. Flynn’s name was undoubtedly released with the intention to hurt Trump’s reputation by having a selected adviser with connections to Russian Federation.

But why now? Why not eight months ago?

Then there is this: If there has been a victor in this sordid game, it is Russian President Vladimir Putin regardless of whether Russia’s exertions actually tipped the election to Trump.

However, the known unknowns seem more significant.

Every day brings fresh revelations about the possible links between President Donald J. Trump’s campaign and Russian Federation.

“People have got to know whether or not their president is a crook”, President Nixon famously declared in the throes of the Watergate scandal.

Did the Federal Bureau of Investigation fly to Moscow and question Putin’s cyberwarfare team?

Testifying before the House Intelligence Committee on Monday, FBI Director James Comey announced that the agency was investigating Trump campaign officials’ relationship with Russian Federation, and said that the FBI found no evidence supporting the president’s wiretap allegations. The Associated Press reported this week that Manafort has previously been paid millions by a Russian oligarch to promote a pro-Putin and pro-Russian agenda, which contradicts previous assertions by the Trump organization that Manafort never worked for any Russian groups. It confers an undeserved credibility on them and further hobbles reporters who may have the best of intentions but couldn’t see the forest for the trees as they skated through the Comey appearance, and as a effect were unable or disinclined to put the scandal in the perspective it cries out for.

At the hearing, there were some useful exchanges between Republican members and FBI Director Comey on the seriousness of recent leaks of intelligence as well as the unmasking and illegal disclosure of General Michael Flynn’s name from NSA reports, noted our friend Fred Fleitz, a former CIA officer and HPSCI staff member.

Less noticed, but just as important, was Comey’s description of the probe – as a counterintelligence investigation, not a criminal inquiry.

The decision to scrap a key component of the Republican election platform came after defections on both the right and center of the Republican Party made it clear that the first major legislative initiative of the Trump administration was doomed to failure.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wants President Donald Trump to apologize for his “outlandish” tweets that accused former President Barack Obama of wiretapping Trump Tower prior to the 2016 election, but Trump should not have to apologize.

If Comey refuses to do it, appoint a special counsel.