Not surprisingly, Pa. lawmakers split along party lines

Reaction to Trump, Russians mixed

meeting occurred the day after the president fired FBI Director James B. Comey in the middle of his WASHINGTON — investigation into possible Potentially imprudent, but links between Mr. Trump not illegal. and Moscow.

That’s how U.S. Sen. Pat “Why did he have a Russians Toomey, R-Pa., characterized in the Oval the day after President Donald firing Comey? He Trump’s decision to provide doesn’t even understand Russian officials with the optics of what he does,” information described as Mr. Doyle said. classified. It’s easy now for the Russians

“Ifthe president divulged to “reverse-engineer information that exposes what he told them and figure our sources and methods to out the sources and the Russians, who are obviously methods,” Mr. Doyle said. adversaries of the “This is sensitive information United States, then that that was given to our could be a very imprudent country by another country decision despite the fact — an ally of ours. To reveal that it couldn’t have been illegal” that to an adversary is because of discretion just really shocking. The presidents have over how next time that country has information is classified, he something very sensitive said Tuesday as concern to tell us, how can they be grewon Capitol Hill. sure we’re not going to tell

Mr. Toomey is the only theRussians? That’s where Republican lawmaker representing the concern is.” Western Pennsylvania Gen. McMaster, who was to address the present during the Oval Office controversy, which has meeting, said the information been problematic for the came up in the GOP to defend after its electioncourse of conversation asyear criticism of Hillary Mr. Trump was emphasizing Clinton jeopardizing the U.S. and Russia’s national security by using common interest in stopping a private email server. transnational terrorism

“They’re hiding. They organizations such as don’t want to get up and defend ISIS. this,” said U.S. Rep. “It is wholly appropriate Mike Doyle, D-Forest Hills. for the president to share “The most benefit of the whatever information he doubt you can give [Mr. thinks is necessary to advance Trump] is that he unwittingly the security of the revealed information American people,” Gen. that not only threatened McMaster said. “That’s our what he did.” security He said the bigger national but also security concern is raises that leakers are providing concerns information to the press among about the president’s conversations our allies in the Oval Office. that are sharing In a series of tweets earlier information Mr. Trump acknowledged sharing “facts us. They’re going to be reluctant pertaining to terrorism and to share information airline flight safety, with the United States Humanitarian reasons, if it can’t be treated in a plus I want Russia to classified way.” greatly step up their fight

Mr. Toomey expressed against ISIS and terrorism.” similar concerns, saying the president’s disclosure Mr. Toomey said he could hamper the ability to wants to “get to the bottom gather intelligence in the of what did happen” before future. he comes to a conclusion

But, he said, he wants about it. more information from the He was quicker to blast administration about the Democrat Hillary Clinton reports of Trump disclosures during election season of classified information when she was accused of first made in the jeopardizing classified information Washington Post on Monday. by using a private email server.

The controversy surrounds Other Pennsylvania Republicans a conversation in stayed mum. the Oval Office during a recent A spokeswoman for U.S. visit by Russian Foreign Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper Minister Sergei Lavrov St. Clair, said he had just and Ambassador Sergey returned from service in Kisylak. According to the Navy Reserves and was the Washington Post, Mr. tied up in a committee Trump told them about terrorist hearing. The offices of U.S. threats related to the Reps. Keith Rothfus, R-Sewickley; use of laptop computers on Mike Kelly, R-Butler; aircraft. Glenn “G.T.” Thompson,

During a press briefing R-Centre and Bill Tuesday, national security Shuster, R-Bedford, did not adviser H.R. McMaster respond to interview requests. pushed back against the report, repeatedly saying U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, DPa., that the president’s actions also weighed in. He were “wholly appropriate” called Mr. Trump’s disclosure while refusing to characterize inappropriate and the information he risky. disclosed as either classified “Not only does this endanger or unclassified. the source of the intelligence

Democrats raised concerns but it may give that Mr. Trump had our allies caution before shared the source of the information sharing vital information and method by with U.S. intelligence agencies,” which it was obtained, exposing he said in a written an important ally. statement.

Gen. McMaster said the “Any president can declassify president couldn’t have intelligence information. compromised the source or However it is not a method because he “wasn’t question of legality. aware” of them and hadn’t Rather,it’s about the appropriate been briefed on them. use of highly classified,

That left Democrats like sensitive intelligence Mr. Doyle incredulous. and how to use that intelligence

“That’s part of the problem. in a manner that will He wasn’t briefed. He increase the likelihood that doesn’t believe he needs the U.S. and our coalition briefings because he’s partners will defeat ISIS smarter than the generals, and keep our country safe,” smarter than the smartest Mr. Casey wrote. “This disclosure guy,” Mr. Doyle said. to Russian officials

Mr. Doyle said he underminesthat effort.” couldn’t decide what’s worse — unknowingly revealing or deliberately revealing the information.

He couldn’t rule out the latter, and noted that the Post-Gazette Washington Bureau Toomey says a Democrat should be next FBI director, online only at postgazette. share “facts pertaining to terrorism” and airline safety with Russia. Although top aides Monday had declared reports about Mr. Trump’s discussions false, National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster on Tuesday sought instead to downplay the significance of the information Mr. Trump revealed. The president had been engaging in “routine sharing” with foreign leaders, he said, arguing that some of the information was publicly available.

Still, the revelations were seen as sending a White House accustomed to chaos reeling anew. It is viewed as extraordinary for a president to share such information without consent of the country that collected it, apparently violating the confidentiality of an intelligence-sharing agreement with Israel. It was, perhaps, even more remarkable that Mr. Trump chose to confide in representatives of what many see as an adversary, who could use the information to find its source.

A U.S. official who confirmed the disclosure to The Associated Press said the revelation potentially put the sourceat risk.

The U.S. official told the AP that Mr. Trump shared details about an IS terror threat related to the use of laptop computers on aircraft with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey information to the Russian foreign minister and the country’s ambassador to the United States.

“While the President has repeatedly expressed his view that General Flynn is a decent man who served and protected our country, the President has never asked Mr. Comey or anyone else to end any investigation, including any investigation involving General Flynn,” the White Housesaid in a statement.

Mr. Trump abruptly fired Mr. Comey last week, saying he did so based on his very public handling of the Hillary Clintonemail probe.

But the White House has provided differing accounts of the firing. And lawmakers have alleged that the sudden ouster was an attempt to stifle the bureau’s investigation into Trump associates’ ties to Russia’s alleged meddling in the2016 presidential election.

Mr. Comey’s memo detailing his conversation with Mr. Trump would be the clearest proof to date that the presidenthas tried to influence that investigation. The Times said it was part of a paper trail Mr. Comey created documenting what he saw as Mr. Trump’s efforts to improperly interfere inthe ongoing probe.

“I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go,” Mr. Trump said, according to the Times reporton Mr. Comey’s memo. Kislyak. The official said the disclosure came as Mr. Trump boasted about his access to classified intelligence. An excerpt from an official transcript of the meeting reveals that Mr. Trump told them, “I get great intel. I have people brief me on great intel every day.” The official said the information was providedto the U.S. by Israel.

The extraordinary leak of Mr. Trump’s private conversations in the Oval Office was seen as a direct consequence of the president’s combative relationship with the U.S. spy agencies. The White House vowed to track down those who disclosed the information.

The president’s action drew rare criticism from some Republicans, who are desperate to get the White House refocused on health

TheJustice Department declinedto comment.

Meanwhile, the Republican chairman of the House oversight committee — Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah — is requesting that the FBI turn over all documents and recordingsthat detail communications between Mr. Comey andMr. Trump.

Atthe same time, an associate of Mr. Comey says the former FBI director documented conversations he had with Mr.Trump in several memos.

According to the Times, Mr. Comey wrote in the February memo that Mr. Trump told him Mr. Flynn had done nothing wrong. But Mr. Comeydid not say anything to Mr. Trump about limiting the investigation, replying, “I agreehe is a good guy.” care and tax changes. Coming days before Mr. Trump’s first tripabroad, it also raised questions about his standing with world leaders and led some countries to start secondguessing their own intelligence-sharing agreements withthe U.S.

Ron Dermer, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., said the partnership between the U.S andIsrael was solid.

“Israel has full confidence in our intelligence sharing relationship with the United States and looks forward to deepeningthat relationship in the years ahead under President Trump,” Mr. Dermer said.

But other nations were viewed as reconsidering. A senior European intelligence official told the AP his country might stop sharing informationwith the U.S. if it confirms

The newspaper said Mr. Comey was in the Oval Office that day with other national security officials for a terrorismthreat briefing. When that ended, Mr. Trump asked everyone to leave except Mr. Comey, and he eventually turned the conversation to Mr.Flynn.

On Tuesday, for the second night in a row, Senate Republicans and Democrats were caught off-guard as they enteredthe chamber.

“I don’t know the facts, so I really want to wait until I find out what the facts are before commenting,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, the second most powerful Senate Republican, who took himself out of contention Tuesday to be Mr. Comey’s replacement and said that whoever is nominated