FBI director confirms Russia-Trump campaign probe
WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director James Comey took the extraordinary step on Monday of announcing that the bureau is investigating whether members of US President Donald Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election.
Comey’s testimony before the House Intelligence Committee created a treacherous political moment for Trump, who has insisted that “Russia is fake news” that was cooked up by his political opponents to undermine his presidency.
Comey placed a criminal investigation at the doorstep of the White House and said officers would pursue it “no matter how long that takes.”
Joined by Adm. Michael Rogers, the director of the National Security Agency (NSA), Comey also dismissed Trump’s claim that he was wiretapped by his predecessor during the campaign, a sensational accusation that has served as a distraction in the public debate over Russian election interference.
“With respect to the president’s tweets about alleged wiretapping directed at him by the prior administration, I have no information that supports those tweets,” Comey said.
Rogers also strongly rebutted the suggestion, repeated by Trump's administration, that the NSA had asked Britain’s GCHQ intelligence agency to spy on the US president.
“That would be expressly against the construct of the five eyes agreement that’s been in place for decades, ”’Rogers told the hearing.
Taken together, the two provided the most definitive statement yet that Trump’s accusation was false.
The New York Times and other news organizations have reported the existence of the investigation into the Trump campaign and its relationship with Russia, but the White House dismissed those reports as politically motivated.