Trump allies: former FBI official gives ‘explosive’ testimony in Russia probe

Rep. Jordan says Baker told of source who gave info directly to bureau

Washington — President Donald Trump’s closest congressional allies said Wednesday that a four-hour interview with former FBI general counsel James Baker had “fundamentally changed” their understanding of the Justice Department’s Russia investigation, confirming and furthering their previous convictions that federal law enforcement agencies were biased in their scrutiny of Trump’s campaign.

Reps. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., and Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, both leaders in the conservative House Freedom Caucus, called the closed-door meeting the “most informative” interview they have had in the House Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform committees’ nearly yearlong probe into the FBI’s investigations of the Trump campaign’s alleged Russia ties and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server.

Democrats repeatedly have argued that the Republicans’ aim is to undermine and discredit the FBI and Justice Department, as well as Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s ongoing probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election. They also have criticized the probe’s format of conducting private interviews, saying that doing so allows Republicans to misrepresent witnesses’ testimony.

Jordan told reporters that Baker informed them of a “completely new” and “explosive” source who provided information “directly” to the FBI “during the time that the DOJ and the FBI were putting together” an application to surveil former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. He offered no details about the source, or the information the source provided to the bureau, beyond saying it was “related to the whole Russia investigation.”

Baker declined to comment to reporters as he departed the interview.

The FBI’s press office did not immediately respond to a request to comment on Jordan’s characterization of Baker’s testimony.

Meadows and Jordan have been among Trump’s most dogged defenders as the president seeks to discredit federal law enforcement’s Russia investigations, which Trump has labeled a “witch hunt.”