CIA triggered FBI investigation into Russia links of Trump team

WASHINGTON: The CIA detected a pattern of suspicious contacts between members of the Donald Tramp campaign and Russian officials in 2016 that was so worrying it alerted the FBI. The FBI started an investigation that has thrown this White House into an unrelenting crisis.

Testifying before a congressional committee on Tuesday, former CIA director John Brennan , an Obama appointee, gave the most detailed public account yet of the Russia probe.

“I was worried by a number of contacts that the Russians had with US persons... felt as though the FBI investigation was certainly well-founded and needed to look into those issues,” he said.

At a separate congressional hearing, director of national intelligence Daniel Coats refused to deny or confirm reports that Trump asked him — and national security agency head Michael Rogers — to dispute allegations of collusion between his campaign and Russians. Both turned down the request.

Brennan, however, was far more forthcoming.

“I know what the Russians try to do. They try to suborn individuals and try to get individuals, including US individuals, to act on their behalf, wittingly or unwittingly,” he said.

“I have studied Russian intelligence activities... and I have seen it manifest in many of our counter-intelligence cases and how they have been able to get people, including inside CIA, to become treasonous.”

DETAILS OF TRUMPDEUTSCHE BANK-RUSSIA TIES SOUGHT

Democratic members of the House Financial Services Committee have demanded documents from Deutsche Bank detailing its ties with Trump and his dealings with Russia.

They also demanded similar documents from treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin .

It was the latest twist in the high-stakes investigation of Trump’s relations with Moscow.