FBI to break silence on Russia ties, wiretap claims

THE directors of the FBI and NSA are set to break their public silence on potential ties between President Donald Trump and Russia, and on his explosive allegation that he was wiretapped by his predecessor Barack Obama.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey and Mike Rogers of the National Security Agency (NSA) were to speak to Congress yesterday, publicly addressing for the first time two issues that have riveted the American public for weeks and have further divided the country’s two major political parties.

They were both set to testify before the House Intelligence Committee at a hearing aimed at probing Russia’s interference in the 2016 election campaign.

Trump and his entourage’s possible ties with Russia under President Vladimir Putin have been the subject of much speculation since before Trump was elected on November 8.

US intelligence agencies in January concluded that hackers working for Russia broke into the email accounts of senior Democrats and released embarrassing emails with the aim of helping Trump defeat Hillary Clinton.

Several congressional panels have launched investigations into Russia’s alleged interference, including the House and Senate intelligence committees, which have jurisdiction over the nation’s 17 intelligence agencies, as well as the House and Senate judiciary committees.— Al Jazeera.