Page 2 - ARUBA TODAY

A2 UP FRONT
Friday 25 May 2018
Dem, GOP leaders get classified briefings on Russia probe

By MARY CLARE JALONICK substance of the briefing,
and ERIC TUCKER but gave a joint statement
Associated Press afterward saying their view
WASHINGTON (AP) — Re- had not changed that
publican and Democratic "there is no evidence to
lawmakers on Thursday support any allegation that
huddled in classified brief- the FBI or any intelligence
ings about the origins of the agency placed a 'spy' in
FBI investigation into Russia's the Trump Campaign, or
meddling in the 2016 presi- otherwise failed to follow
dential election, a highly appropriate procedures
unusual series of meetings and protocols."
prompted by partisan al- The statement was issued
legations that the bureau by Senate Democratic
spied on the Trump cam- leader Chuck Schumer,
paign. House Democratic leader
Democrats emerged from Nancy Pelosi, and the top
the meetings saying they Democrats on the Senate
saw no evidence to sup- and House intelligence
port Republican allega- panels, Warner and Rep.
tions that the FBI acted Adam Schiff.
inappropriately in its early Senate Intelligence Com-
investigation into ties be- mittee Chairman Richard
tween Russia and Don- Burr also attended the
ald Trump's presidential briefing but did not com-
campaign. Senate Major- ment afterward.
ity Leader Mitch McCon- The back and forth be-
nell told Fox News he had FBI Director Christopher Wray, right, leaves a classified briefing about the federal investigation into tween Congress and the
learned "nothing particular- President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, May 24, 2018. Justice Department has
ly surprising," but declined (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) simmered for weeks.
to go into detail. The Justice Department
Still, the extraordinary brief- the White House had ear- government informant ap- quested the information on had rejected Nunes' origi-
ings drew attention to the lier said it would keep a proached members of his an FBI source in the Russia nal request, writing in a let-
unproved claims of FBI distance, drawing criticism campaign in a possible investigation. The original ter in April that his request
misconduct and political from Democrats. bid to glean intelligence meeting was scheduled for information could put
bias. The meetings were "For the record, the presi- on Russian efforts to sway for just Nunes and Repub- lives in danger.
sought by Trump's GOP al- dent's chief of staff and the election. The president lican Rep. Trey Gowdy, Negotiations over release
lies and arranged by the his attorney in an ongoing intensified his attacks this the chairman of the House of the information stalled
White House, as the presi- criminal investigation into week, calling it "spygate" Oversight and Government but restarted when Trump
dent has tried to sow suspi- the president's campaign and tweeting Thursday that Reform Committee, but demanded, via tweet, on
cions about the legitimacy have no business show- it was "Starting to look like the Justice Department re- Sunday that the Justice De-
of the FBI investigation that ing up to a classified intel- one of the biggest political lented and allowed addi- partment investigate.
spawned a special counsel ligence briefing," Sen. Mark scandals in U.S. history." tional lawmakers to come In response to the tweet,
probe. Initially offered only Warner tweeted after the It was unclear how much after Democrats strongly the Justice Department im-
to Republicans, the brief- briefing. information was given to objected. Nunes and other mediately asked its inspec-
ings were the latest piece The White House said the lawmakers. According to Republicans already eager tor general to expand its
of stagecraft meant to officials didn't attend the a U.S. official familiar with to discredit special coun- ongoing investigation to
publicize and bolster the full briefings, but instead the meeting, the briefers sel Robert Mueller's Russia look into whether there was
allegations. But they also delivered brief remarks did not reveal the name of investigation used Trump's any politically motivated
highlighted the degree to communicating the "presi- an informant. They brought complaints to obtain the surveillance of the cam-
which the president and his dent's desire for as much documents but did not briefing from the Justice paign and agreed to hold
allies have used the levers openness as possible under share them, and made Department, whose lead- the classified briefings.
of the federal government the law" and relaying "the several remarks about the ers have tried for months It remained unclear what, if
— in this case, intelligence president's understanding importance of protect- to balance demands from any, spying was done. The
agencies — to aide in of the need to protect hu- ing intelligence sources congressional overseers White House gave no evi-
Trump's personal and politi- man intelligence services and methods. The person against their stated obliga- dence to support Trump's
cal defense. and the importance of declined to be identified tion to protect Mueller's on- claim that President Barack
Under direct pressure from communication between because the briefing was going investigation into ties Obama's administration
the president, Justice De- the branches of govern- classified. between the Kremlin and was trying to spy on his 2016
partment officials agreed ment," according to a In a statement, House the Trump campaign. campaign for political rea-
to grant Republicans a statement. Speaker Paul Ryan wouldn't Nunes attended both brief- sons.
briefing, and only later Deputy Attorney General say what he learned, but ings Thursday. According It's long been known that
opened it up to Democrats. Rod Rosenstein, FBI Director said he looked forward to to the U.S. official and an- the FBI was looking into Rus-
The invite list evolved up un- Christopher Wray and Na- the "prompt completion" other person briefed on the sian meddling during the
til hours before the meeting tional Intelligence Director of the House Intelligence Capitol Hill meeting, Nunes campaign and that part
— a reflection of the parti- Dan Coats attended both Committee's work now that did not speak at all during of that inquiry touched on
san distrust and the political meetings — the first at the they are "getting the coop- the briefing. The second the Trump campaign's con-
wrangling. A White House Department of Justice and eration necessary." person also declined to be tacts with Russian figures.
lawyer, Emmet Flood, and the second on Capitol Hill. House Intelligence Com- named because the meet- Mueller took over the inves-
White House Chief of Staff Trump has zeroed in on, mittee Chairman Devin ing was classified. tigation when he was ap-
John Kelly showed up for and at times embellished, Nunes, an ardent Trump Democratic lawmakers de- pointed special counsel in
both briefings, although reports that a longtime U.S. supporter, had originally re- clined to comment on the May 2017.q