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Former CIA Chief Brennan Says Russians Were in Contact With Trump Campaign

Brennan said Russia ‘brazenly’ interfered in the presidential election despite a direct warning to a top Kremlin official

By Byron Tau and Joshua Jamerson Updated May 23, 2017 11:35 a.m. ET
https://www.wsj.com/articles/former-cia-chief-brennan-says-russians-brazenly-interfered-in-u-s-election-1495551045

WASHINGTON—Former CIA director John Brennan testified Tuesday that U.S. intelligence agencies had information that Trump campaign associates had been in contact with Russian officials, shedding new light on the basis for the FBI investigation that has overshadowed the opening months of President Donald Trump’s administration.

In testimony before the House Intelligence Committee, Mr. Brennan described the basis for the Federal Bureau of Investigation counter-intelligence investigation, which is looking at potential collusion between the 2016 campaign and Russia.

“I encountered and I’m aware of information and intelligence that revealed contacts and interactions between Russian officials and U.S. persons involved in the Trump campaign,” said Mr. Brennan, the head of the Central Intelligence Agency under former President Barack Obama, in testimony before the House Intelligence Committee.

Mr. Brennan said he didn’t know if these contacts by people tied to the campaign amounted to “collusion” with Russian officials.

But, he said, “I know that there was a sufficient basis of information and intelligence that required further investigation by the bureau to determine whether or not U.S. persons were actively conspiring, colluding with Russian officials,” said Mr. Brennan.

Mr. Brennan said the intelligence community found that Russia had “brazenly” interfered in the 2016 presidential election, determining by August of last year that there was a “very aggressive” effort to intervene in the campaign.

As a result, Mr. Brennan described a previously undisclosed warning he made to his counterpart in Russian intelligence, Alexander Bortnikov, the head of the Russian FSB intelligence service, not to interfere in the U.S. election in an August phone call. According to Mr. Brennan’s account, Mr. Bortnikov denied any attempt to intervene and said that Moscow is routinely and falsely blamed for such efforts by the U.S. government.

In a separate hearing Tuesday morning, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats declined to confirm or deny that Mr. Trump had asked him to publicly state there was no collusion between the Trump presidential campaign and the Russian government.

Mr. Coats was asked to respond to a Washington Post report that he had refused such a request made by the president. He said it was not appropriate to comment publicly on this issue. He was testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

“We discuss a number of topics on a very regular basis,” Mr. Coats said. “On this topic, as well as other topics, I don’t feel it’s appropriate to characterize discussions, conversations with the president.”

The director was also asked if he knew of any efforts by the White House to interfere in other aspects of the Russia inquiry, including allegations the president asked former Federal Bureau of Investigation director James Comey to ease off investigating former National Security Adviser Mike Flynn.

“I am not aware of that,” Mr. Coats said.

The Washington Post reported Monday that the president asked Mr. Coats and the National Security Agency director, Adm. Mike Rogers, to publicly deny the existence of any evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians.

Under the Obama administration, the collective judgment of several intelligence agencies was that Russia ran a campaign of propaganda, disinformation and hacking designed to boost Mr. Trump at the expense of Democrat Hillary Clinton.

The president has denied his campaign coordinated with “any foreign entity,” and Russia has denied meddling in the election.

Write to Byron Tau at [e-mail] and Joshua Jamerson at [e-mail]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/former-cia-chief-brennan-says-russians-brazenly-interfered-in-u-s-election-1495551045