FBI boss James Comey confirms investigation of Trump, Russia links

Comey and Rogers said they believe Russian Federation meddled in the race leading up to Election Day, chiefly by cyber-infiltrating the Democratic National Committee and other political organizations.

But the public did know before the election that the FBI was investigating Hillary Clinton’s email server and her handling of classified information.

Mr Comey, however, cautioned that he would not be able to discuss many details of what remains a classified probe.

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The intelligence community had previously said that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election to bolster Trump’s chances and sources had said the FBI was investigating people associated with Trump’s campaign for alleged communication with Russian officials during the campaign. “However, it’s still possible that other surveillance activities were used against President Trump and his associates”.

The US intelligence community has said that Guccifer 2.0, which also pushed out stolen documents to journalists, is only one part of a complex scheme which saw Russian intelligence hack documents and submit the contents to WikiLeaks for release. He also says there is no proof to support the president’s claim that his predecessor wiretapped him.

He said the committee heard “damning” evidence about what Russian Federation did and how Russian Federation did it, and that it was in part an “inside job” to help attack American democracy. Comey also said he was unaware of any evidence supporting Trump’s allegations that Obama wiretapped Trump Tower during the campaign. But I think it’s telling what they’re focusing on in their questions.

Joining Nunes, the Ranking Member Congressman Adam Schiff said last summer at the height of a bitterly contested and hugely consequential presidential campaign, Russia, a foreign adversarial power, intervened in an effort to weaken U.S. democracy and to influence the outcome for one candidate and against the other. Comey said Moscow had always been opposed to Trump’s election rival, former secretary of state Clinton. “But more often than not, it’s people [speaking to reporters] who act like they know when they really don’t know”. There can be no more lingering doubt that the FBI is engaged in a massive investigation into Russian interference in the American elections of 2016. Some might argue: So did the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Yet Comey’s public confirmation on Monday increases pressure on both the White House and Republican leaders in Congress, who so far have resisted calls for the appointment of a special prosecutor to handle the matter rather than the Trump Justice Department.

Perhaps softened by the flattery, Comey admitted, “By the way, if I’m honest with myself, the reason I don’t like the Patriots is they represent sustained excellence, and as a Giants fan, that drives me insane”.

Two: Comey’s testimony could lead to additional hearings. That’s the “Hillary standard” Comey inserted into the 2016 campaign.

Instead, they pursued the White House’s preferred lines of inquiry by asking pointed questions about the illegality of leaking classified information and rhapsodizing about how leaks harm national security. The world knows the FBI is investigating, and facts are needed – not tweets, and not speculation. And so does Comey.