Tag: Russia

Top Russian Official Tried to Broker ‘Backdoor’ Meeting Between Trump and Putin

The following article by Matt Apuzzo, Matthew Rosenberg and Adam Goldman was posted on the New York Times website November 17, 2017:

Alexander Torshin, the deputy governor of the Russian central bank, at a round table in Moscow in September 2016. Credit Alexander Shalgin/TASS, via Getty Images

WASHINGTON — A senior Russian official who claimed to be acting at the behest of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia tried in May 2016 to arrange a meeting between Mr. Putin and Donald J. Trump, according to several people familiar with the matter.

The news of this reached the Trump campaign in a very circuitous way. An advocate for Christian causes emailed campaign aides saying that Alexander Torshin, the deputy governor of the Russian central bank who has been linked both to Russia’s security services and organized crime, had proposed a meeting between Mr. Putin and Mr. Trump. The subject line of the email, turned over to Senate investigators, read, “Russian backdoor overture and dinner invite,” according to one person who has seen the message. Continue reading “Top Russian Official Tried to Broker ‘Backdoor’ Meeting Between Trump and Putin”

Former U.S. intelligence officials: Trump being ‘played’ by Putin

The following article by John Wagner was posted on the Washington Post website November 12, 2017:

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Two top former U.S. intelligence officials said Sunday that President Trump is being “played” by President Vladi­mir Putin on Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and accused him of being susceptible to foreign leaders who stroke his ego.

“By not confronting the issue directly and not acknowledging to Putin that we know you’re responsible for this, I think he’s giving Putin a pass,” former CIA director John Brennan said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “I think it demonstrates to Mr. Putin that Donald Trump can be played by foreign leaders who are going to appeal to his ego and try to play upon his insecurities, which is very, very worrisome from a national security standpoint.”

Appearing on the same program, former director of national intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. said he agrees with that assessment. Continue reading “Former U.S. intelligence officials: Trump being ‘played’ by Putin”

Major Takeaways From Carter Page’s Congressional Interview on Russian Election Meddling

The following article by Michael S. Schmidt was posted on the New York Times website November 7, 2017:

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WASHINGTON — A congressional committee investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election released a transcript late Monday of a seven-hour interview lawmakers conducted last week behind closed doors with Carter Page, a former foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign.

Some details from the interview were previously known, including the fact that Mr. Page traveled to Russia in summer 2016, when he was part of the campaign.

But the interview revealed new information about who in the campaign knew about the trip, what Mr. Page reported to the campaign and other trips he took last year. Continue reading “Major Takeaways From Carter Page’s Congressional Interview on Russian Election Meddling”

Carter Page wanted Trump to take 2016 trip to Russia

The following article by Katie Bo Williams was posted on the Hill website November 6, 2017:

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The House Intelligence Committee on Monday night released more than 200 pages of transcripts from its marathon interview of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page, sprawling testimony that contained new details about the closely-scrutinized foreign policy aide’s relationship to Moscow.

The at-times tense interview — which took place behind closed doors last week — also highlighted an increasingly public partisan rift on the committee. Continue reading “Carter Page wanted Trump to take 2016 trip to Russia”

Trump adviser sent email describing ‘private conversation’ with Russian official

The following article by Rosalind S. Helderman, Matt Zapotosky and Karoun Demirjian was posted on the Washington Post website November 7, 2017:

The FBI obtained a secret court order to monitor communications from former Trump adviser Carter Page in summer 2016, according to law enforcement and intelligence officials. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

Carter Page, a foreign policy adviser to President Trump’s campaign whose visit to Moscow during the election has drawn scrutiny, sent an email to fellow Trump aides during his trip describing “a private conversation” with a senior Russian official who spoke favorably of the Republican candidate, according to records released late Monday by congressional investigators.

Page also wrote that he had been provided “incredible insights and outreach” by Russian lawmakers and “senior members” of Russian President Vladi­mir Putin’s administration during the trip. Continue reading “Trump adviser sent email describing ‘private conversation’ with Russian official”

Russian interference was a lame effort, we see now, but Americans took the bait

The following article by Leonid Bershidsky of Bloomberg View was posted on the Star Tribune website November 3, 2017:

The trolls didn’t favor one side or the other. They favored exploiting and amplifying weaknesses, and at that, they succeeded easily.

Credit: iStockphoto.com

The Facebook ads placed by a Russian troll farm and released last Wednesday by the U.S. Congress Intelligence Committee show that the Russian propaganda campaign of 2016 did not favor either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton.

Instead, it mocked and goaded America, holding up a distorted but, in the final analysis, remarkably accurate mirror.

This directly contradicts previous U.S. intelligence community assessments. “We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election,” the intelligence community assessment released in January stated. “Russia’s goals were to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency. We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump.” Continue reading “Russian interference was a lame effort, we see now, but Americans took the bait”

Trump Urges DOJ to Investigate His Political Foes

The following article by John T. Bennett was posted on the Roll Call website November 3, 2017:

Rare move by a president follows Twitter rant before Asia trip

President Trump made his most clear statement yet about the Justice Department and how the Democratic Party handled the 2016 election, stopping just shy of directing a DOJ probe into the matter. Such a move is unusual for a sitting president.

“But honestly, they should be looking at the Democrats. They should be looking at [Tony] Podesta and all of that dishonesty,” Trump said of the Justice Department. “They should be looking at a lot of things. And a lot of people are disappointed in the Justice Department, including me.” Continue reading “Trump Urges DOJ to Investigate His Political Foes”

From Russia to tax reform to losing the popular vote, the buck stops with everyone but Trump

The following article by Eric Lutz was posted on the mic.com website November 3, 2017:

In 2013, when he was but a bombastic businessman with a reality show, Donald Trump offered the world some thoughts on leadership.

“Whatever happens, you’re responsible,” Trump tweeted. “If it doesn’t happen, you’re responsible.”

As president, though, Trump has offered a strikingly different view of leadership — one in which he is never at fault, in which there’s always somebody else to blame, in which the buck stops with everyone but him.

During a cabinet meeting Wednesday, Trump told reporters that he would not take responsibility for any failures on his upcoming tax reform push, which he has billed as “historic,” and would instead point his finger at Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and National Economic Council director Gary Cohn. Continue reading “From Russia to tax reform to losing the popular vote, the buck stops with everyone but Trump”

Franken to Sessions: American public cannot trust your word

The following article by Jennifer Brooks was posted on the Star Tribune website November 2, 2017:

Minnesota Democrat calls on the attorney general to give full accounting of the Trump campaign’s contact with Russia.

WASHINGTON – Sen. Al Franken has some questions about Russia for Attorney General Jeff Sessions — about eight pages’ worth.

Franken fired off a lengthy letter to Sessions on Thursday, asking him to give his own account of interactions between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives. It followed the guilty plea earlier this week by a former Trump foreign policy adviser on charges of lying to federal agents about his contact with Russians. Continue reading “Franken to Sessions: American public cannot trust your word”

Ex-Trump aide told House Intel members Sessions knew about his trip to Russia

The following article by Brandon Carter was posted on the Hill website November 2, 2017:

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Carter Page, a former foreign policy adviser to President Trump’s campaign, told House investigators that he informed Attorney General Jeff Sessions about his trip to Russia during the campaign, according to a new report.

CNN reports that Page testified that he told Sessions, then an Alabama senator and Trump campaign adviser, about his trip to Russia, which happened in July 2016.

“Back in June 2016, I mentioned in passing that I happened to be planning to give a speech at a university in Moscow,” Page told CNN. “Completely unrelated to my limited volunteer role with the campaign and as I’ve done dozens of times throughout my life. “ Continue reading “Ex-Trump aide told House Intel members Sessions knew about his trip to Russia”