TRUMP BRIEFED ON ALLEGATIONS RUSSIA SPIED ON HIM
Document includes allegations that Moscow obtained salacious info on presidentelect
During a special briefing Friday, leaders of the intelligence community gave Donald Trump a synopsis of unsubstantiated and salacious allegations that Russian operatives obtained potentially compromising personal and financial information about the president- elect, a U. S. official confirmed Tuesday.
The official, who is not authorized to comment publicly, said the document was provided along with the intelligence community’s assessment that Russia had meddled in the U. S. election.
The separate document represented a summary of a 35- page compilation of documents prepared by a former foreign intelligence officer. The officer, the official said, is known to U. S. intelligence, but the contents of the document have not been verified.
Trump responded Tuesday evening by Twitter, calling the re-
“FAKE NEWS - A TOTAL POLITICAL WITCH HUNT!” Trump’s response on Twitter
port “FAKE NEWS - A TOTAL POLITICAL WITCH HUNT!”
The decision to present the information to Trump, first reported by CNN, was made after it was determined that the document — in many forms — had been circulated widely to political opposition researchers, U. S. lawmakers, journalists and others. CNN said it reviewed the compilation of the memos, which originated as research commissioned by anti- Trump Republicans and later by Democrats. Buzzfeed posted the intelligence documents.
The summary document includes allegations that information was exchanged over a long period of time between the Russian government and Trump representatives.
The news came on a day when the Senate Intelligence Committee conducted hearings into the alleged Russian hacking of the Democratic National Committee and emails provided to the website WikiLeaks.
Chairman Richard Burr, R- N. C., said the panel will conduct an independent review of the intelligence community’s report about Russian interference to help Trump.
FBI Director James Comey declined to answer questions from Sen. Ron Wyden, D- Ore., about whether the FBI is investigating possible contacts between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.
“I think the American people have a right to know this,” Wyden said.
“And if there is a delay in declassifying this information and releasing it to the American people, and it doesn’t happen before Jan. 20 ( Inauguration Day), I’m not sure it’s going to happen.”