Top intelligence nominee pledges to blunt political pressure

President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the director of national intelligence pledged on Tuesday to support thorough investigation of any Russian efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election, seeking to reassure lawmakers anxious that partisan politics might interfere with a probe.

The Senate intelligence committee’s investigation into Russian activities, however, did not take centre stage at Tuesday’s confirmation hearing.

The Indiana Republican noted that Russian Federation has “a long history” of propaganda and trying to influence elections and that recent events suggest Kremlin officials “have stepped up their game”.

In January, the Federal Bureau of Investigation released a report concluding Russian Federation had intervened in the election to help Trump win. Following the report, lawmakers raised concerns over the integrity of the investigation. Hill is “in the process to take over the Europe and Russian Federation position”, said the official. Mattis opposes the practice.

Congress legally ended the CIA’s use of “enhanced” interrogation techniques in 2015, through an amendment Coats – then a senator – voted against. “Coats will be one more voice to push back on any politicization, marginalization or demonizing” of the intelligence community. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., Trump’s pick for Central Intelligence Agency director.

The report notes that members of the Obama White House were intentionally leaving a trail so it couldn’t easily be covered up by the incoming administration.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said there is nothing to the new report.

“We have heard different statements from President (Donald) Trump”, Peskov told a conference call with reporters.

Several leaks from anonymous government sources have revealed details about Flynn’s conversations with Russian Federation, draft memos of policy plans, a report about the FBI investigations into Trump campaign officials, and more. Also, US intelligence agencies intercepted conversations of Kremlin officials discussing contacts with Trump associates.

Committee chair Devin Nunes and ranking member Adam Schiff aren’t seeing eye to eye on the investigation of President Trump’s alleged ties to Russian Federation.

But Devin Nunes, the Republican chairman of the House Committee on Intelligence, has questioned the need for a special prosecutor, saying he’s not interested in a congressional “witch hunt”.

“I’m not sure likability and affability are the qualities I want in this position”, King said.

Whether that inquiry was still going on, and what its findings were, wasn’t clear, the sources said. He served for years on the Senate intelligence committee, the very group that was tasked with grilling him today. And here is what Coats, nominee for director of national intelligence, replied.

The Obama administration also tried to spread the information outside of the executive branch of government, passing along some intelligence to members of Congress.

“I would like to believe that the change in Washington will create a door of opportunity to improve the situation in the dialogue between our countries…”

“This is a textbook definition of waste and duplication”, she said. “We don’t have a choice”. Of contacts between Russian Federation and Trump lieutenants, he said, “What I’ve been told.by many folks is that there’s nothing there”. Let me let you listen in to one place where it came up.

“I haven’t had a chance to talk to Sen”.