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Friday, May 05, 2017 4:23:22 PM
Senate Committee Asks Carter Page to Reveal Russian Contacts
One-time advisor of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump Carter Page addresses the audience during a presentation in Moscow, Russia, December 12, 2016.
Sergei Karpukhin / Reuters file
by Ken Dilanian
May 5 2017, 3:05 pm ET
The Senate Intelligence Committee has asked former Trump adviser Carter Page to provide a list of his contacts with Russian officials and turn over any emails or other communications with Russians, according to a letter Page provided to NBC News.
The New York Times is reporting [ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/05/us/politics/senate-russia-trump-associates.html ] that similar letters were sent to former Trump advisers Roger Stone, Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort. Committee officials declined to confirm or deny that report. Manafort's spokesman declined to comment; representatives for Stone and Flynn did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The letter to Page was signed by Republican Richard Burr and Democrat Mark Warner, the chairman and ranking Democrat on the committee. It signaled that the committee was stepping up its inquiry into Russian election interference, after spending weeks reviewing intelligence documents. Such requests are commonly made before a formal subpoena for records is issued.
At issue is whether any Trump associate colluded with the Russian intelligence operation to hack, leak and plant fake news stories to hurt Hillary Clinton and benefit Donald Trump.
In a statement, Burr and Warner called for Page to fully cooperate and turn over the material by the deadlines they set for him.
"Should Mr. Page choose to not provide the material requested by those dates, the Committee will consider its next steps at that time," the senators said.
"Mr. Page has indicated in correspondence to the Committee that he looks forward to working with us on this matter, and that our cooperation will help resolve what he claims are false allegations. For that to happen, Mr. Page must supply the requested documents to the Committee. As our letter indicated, the requested documents must be provided in advance of any interviews the Committee may conduct."
Page, Stone, Manafort and Flynn have each drawn FBI attention, though it's not clear whether it all relates to the FBI's counterintelligence investigation into the Russian operation. Manafort's financial transactions with his Ukrainian political clients have come under scrutiny, as have Flynn's unregistered lobbying for Turkish government interests during the election campaign.
Stone has acknowledged conversations with Guccifer 2.0, an online persona that American officials say was a front for Russian intelligence. Page, identified in a previous case as a recruiting target for Russian spies, made a trip to Moscow while he was advising the Trump campaign on foreign policy, though his role in the campaign does not appear to have been significant.
The Senate committee is on track to interview as many as two dozen witnesses, U.S. officials tell NBC News. Separately, former acting attorney general Sally Yates is scheduled to testify publicly May 8 before a Senate judiciary subcommittee about her disclosure to the White House that Flynn had misled officials about his conversations with the Russian ambassador.
The House Intelligence Committee, which is conducting a separate but parallel investigation, heard testimony behind closed doors Thursday from FBI director James Comey. Among the House lines of inquiry, one official familiar with the investigation told NBC News, is to what extent Russian money bailed out Trump's real estate empire after the 2008 real estate crash.
The letter to Page asked him to list any Russian official or business executive he met with between June 16, 2015 and Jan. 20, 2017. It also asked him to provide information about Russia-related real estate transactions during that period. And it seeks all his email or other communications during that period with Russians, or with the Trump campaign about Russia or Russians.
Page responded in a letter of his own that he was committed to cooperating with the Senate investigation, but "please note that any records I may have saved as a private citizen with limited technology capabilities will be minuscule in comparison to the full database of information which has already been collected under the direction of the Obama Administration during last year's completely unjustified FISA warrant that targeted me for exercising my First Amendment rights, both in 2016 as well as in years prior."
He was referring to reports that the FBI targeted him with a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant after suspecting him of acting as an agent of Russia. He denies that allegation.
"I eagerly await your Committee's call to help finally set the record straight following the false evidence, illegal activities as well as other lies distributed by Mrs. Hillary Clinton's campaign and their associates in coordination with the Obama Administration, which defamed me and other supporters of the Trump campaign," Page said in a separate letter to the Senate Intelligence Committee, dated March 5.
Related:
Trump Campaign Associate Carter Page Revealed as Target of Russian Spies
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-campaign-associate-carter-page-revealed-target-russian-spies-n742356 [with embedded video]
Carter Page, Adviser Once Linked to Trump Campaign, Met With Russian Ambassador
http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/carter-page-adviser-once-linked-trump-campaign-met-russian-ambassador-n728511
©2017 NBCNews.com
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/senate-committee-asks-carter-page-reveal-russian-contacts-n755516
*
Carter Page rebukes Senate Russia investigators in letter
Carter Page is a former foreign policy adviser to President Donald Trump's campaign last year
Senate investigators request information from him in a letter and Thursday he responded
By Tom LoBianco and Manu Raju
Updated 3:39 PM ET, Fri May 5, 2017
(CNN) — Carter Page brushed back the Senate intelligence committee in a letter Thursday, telling members that if they want details about his communications with Russians, they'll need to ask former President Barack Obama.
The former foreign policy adviser for Donald Trump's campaign, who is being scrutinized by both congressional and FBI investigators, berated the Senate intelligence committee's requests in an April 28 letter provided to CNN for details about his communications and schedule a time to be interviewed by Senate investigators.
The Senate panel has also asked for records of former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and former Trump adviser Roger Stone as part of its probe. And the panel, sources said, is prepared to subpoena them for the records if necessary.
Instead, Page, who has been strangely outspoken, wrote in his response that he was confident evidence would prove he was a target of surveillance by Obama -- evidence, he said, that would likely induce "severe vomiting" when it comes out.
"I suspect the physical reaction of the Clinton/Obama regime perpetrators will be more along the lines of severe vomiting when all the facts are eventually exposed regarding the steps taken by the U.S. Government to influence the 2016 election," Page wrote.
In a joint statement from the committee's chairman, Sen. Richard Burr, and ranking Democrat, Sen. Mark Warner, the investigation's leaders said their committee will "continue to pursue its inquiry into issues surrounding Russia's involvement in the 2016 presidential election."
"Three days ago, Carter Page told Fox News he was cooperating with the committee's investigation into Russian activities surrounding the 2016 Election," the statement said. "Today we have learned that may not be the case."
Warner and Burr later added, "Mr. Page has indicated in correspondence to the committee that he looks forward to working with us on this matter, and that our cooperation will help resolve what he claims are false allegations. For that to happen, Mr. Page must supply the requested documents to the committee."
Federal investigators believe Page was being cultivated as a Russian asset by a Russian spy -- whether Page knew it or not -- a charge Page has vehemently denied [ http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/21/politics/russia-trump-campaign-advisers-infiltrate/ ].
The Senate letter to Page is the latest sign that its Russia investigation is plowing ahead, now moving to the phase of calling in high-profile witnesses.
In his three-page reply, Page wrote that he believed Senate investigators would have better access to his communications than he would because of the alleged surveillance by the Obama administration.
"But please note that any records I may have saved as a private citizen with limited technology capabilities will be miniscule in comparison to the full database of information which has already been collected under the direction of the Obama Administration during last year's completely unjustified FISA warrant that targeted me for exercising my First Amendment rights, both in 2016 as well as in years prior," Page wrote.
FBI Director James Comey said again this week that Trump was definitely not a target of surveillance by Obama. And House investigators rebutted House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes' claim that Trump aides were victims of incidental collection.
The White House has distanced itself from Page since it became clear he was a key target for investigators.
But Page clearly did not play a central role in Trump's campaign, unlike other targets including former campaign Chairman Paul Manafort and former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
CNN's Pamela Brown, Shimon Prokupecz, Jim Sciutto and Marshall Cohen contributed to this report.
RELATED
Sources: Russia tried to use Trump advisers to infiltrate campaign
http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/21/politics/russia-trump-campaign-advisers-infiltrate/
© 2017 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/05/politics/carter-page-letter-senate-investigators/ [with embedded video]
--
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One-time advisor of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump Carter Page addresses the audience during a presentation in Moscow, Russia, December 12, 2016.
Sergei Karpukhin / Reuters file
by Ken Dilanian
May 5 2017, 3:05 pm ET
The Senate Intelligence Committee has asked former Trump adviser Carter Page to provide a list of his contacts with Russian officials and turn over any emails or other communications with Russians, according to a letter Page provided to NBC News.
The New York Times is reporting [ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/05/us/politics/senate-russia-trump-associates.html ] that similar letters were sent to former Trump advisers Roger Stone, Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort. Committee officials declined to confirm or deny that report. Manafort's spokesman declined to comment; representatives for Stone and Flynn did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The letter to Page was signed by Republican Richard Burr and Democrat Mark Warner, the chairman and ranking Democrat on the committee. It signaled that the committee was stepping up its inquiry into Russian election interference, after spending weeks reviewing intelligence documents. Such requests are commonly made before a formal subpoena for records is issued.
At issue is whether any Trump associate colluded with the Russian intelligence operation to hack, leak and plant fake news stories to hurt Hillary Clinton and benefit Donald Trump.
In a statement, Burr and Warner called for Page to fully cooperate and turn over the material by the deadlines they set for him.
"Should Mr. Page choose to not provide the material requested by those dates, the Committee will consider its next steps at that time," the senators said.
"Mr. Page has indicated in correspondence to the Committee that he looks forward to working with us on this matter, and that our cooperation will help resolve what he claims are false allegations. For that to happen, Mr. Page must supply the requested documents to the Committee. As our letter indicated, the requested documents must be provided in advance of any interviews the Committee may conduct."
Page, Stone, Manafort and Flynn have each drawn FBI attention, though it's not clear whether it all relates to the FBI's counterintelligence investigation into the Russian operation. Manafort's financial transactions with his Ukrainian political clients have come under scrutiny, as have Flynn's unregistered lobbying for Turkish government interests during the election campaign.
Stone has acknowledged conversations with Guccifer 2.0, an online persona that American officials say was a front for Russian intelligence. Page, identified in a previous case as a recruiting target for Russian spies, made a trip to Moscow while he was advising the Trump campaign on foreign policy, though his role in the campaign does not appear to have been significant.
The Senate committee is on track to interview as many as two dozen witnesses, U.S. officials tell NBC News. Separately, former acting attorney general Sally Yates is scheduled to testify publicly May 8 before a Senate judiciary subcommittee about her disclosure to the White House that Flynn had misled officials about his conversations with the Russian ambassador.
The House Intelligence Committee, which is conducting a separate but parallel investigation, heard testimony behind closed doors Thursday from FBI director James Comey. Among the House lines of inquiry, one official familiar with the investigation told NBC News, is to what extent Russian money bailed out Trump's real estate empire after the 2008 real estate crash.
The letter to Page asked him to list any Russian official or business executive he met with between June 16, 2015 and Jan. 20, 2017. It also asked him to provide information about Russia-related real estate transactions during that period. And it seeks all his email or other communications during that period with Russians, or with the Trump campaign about Russia or Russians.
Page responded in a letter of his own that he was committed to cooperating with the Senate investigation, but "please note that any records I may have saved as a private citizen with limited technology capabilities will be minuscule in comparison to the full database of information which has already been collected under the direction of the Obama Administration during last year's completely unjustified FISA warrant that targeted me for exercising my First Amendment rights, both in 2016 as well as in years prior."
He was referring to reports that the FBI targeted him with a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant after suspecting him of acting as an agent of Russia. He denies that allegation.
"I eagerly await your Committee's call to help finally set the record straight following the false evidence, illegal activities as well as other lies distributed by Mrs. Hillary Clinton's campaign and their associates in coordination with the Obama Administration, which defamed me and other supporters of the Trump campaign," Page said in a separate letter to the Senate Intelligence Committee, dated March 5.
Related:
Trump Campaign Associate Carter Page Revealed as Target of Russian Spies
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-campaign-associate-carter-page-revealed-target-russian-spies-n742356 [with embedded video]
Carter Page, Adviser Once Linked to Trump Campaign, Met With Russian Ambassador
http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/carter-page-adviser-once-linked-trump-campaign-met-russian-ambassador-n728511
©2017 NBCNews.com
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/senate-committee-asks-carter-page-reveal-russian-contacts-n755516
*
Carter Page rebukes Senate Russia investigators in letter
Carter Page is a former foreign policy adviser to President Donald Trump's campaign last year
Senate investigators request information from him in a letter and Thursday he responded
By Tom LoBianco and Manu Raju
Updated 3:39 PM ET, Fri May 5, 2017
(CNN) — Carter Page brushed back the Senate intelligence committee in a letter Thursday, telling members that if they want details about his communications with Russians, they'll need to ask former President Barack Obama.
The former foreign policy adviser for Donald Trump's campaign, who is being scrutinized by both congressional and FBI investigators, berated the Senate intelligence committee's requests in an April 28 letter provided to CNN for details about his communications and schedule a time to be interviewed by Senate investigators.
The Senate panel has also asked for records of former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and former Trump adviser Roger Stone as part of its probe. And the panel, sources said, is prepared to subpoena them for the records if necessary.
Instead, Page, who has been strangely outspoken, wrote in his response that he was confident evidence would prove he was a target of surveillance by Obama -- evidence, he said, that would likely induce "severe vomiting" when it comes out.
"I suspect the physical reaction of the Clinton/Obama regime perpetrators will be more along the lines of severe vomiting when all the facts are eventually exposed regarding the steps taken by the U.S. Government to influence the 2016 election," Page wrote.
In a joint statement from the committee's chairman, Sen. Richard Burr, and ranking Democrat, Sen. Mark Warner, the investigation's leaders said their committee will "continue to pursue its inquiry into issues surrounding Russia's involvement in the 2016 presidential election."
"Three days ago, Carter Page told Fox News he was cooperating with the committee's investigation into Russian activities surrounding the 2016 Election," the statement said. "Today we have learned that may not be the case."
Warner and Burr later added, "Mr. Page has indicated in correspondence to the committee that he looks forward to working with us on this matter, and that our cooperation will help resolve what he claims are false allegations. For that to happen, Mr. Page must supply the requested documents to the committee."
Federal investigators believe Page was being cultivated as a Russian asset by a Russian spy -- whether Page knew it or not -- a charge Page has vehemently denied [ http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/21/politics/russia-trump-campaign-advisers-infiltrate/ ].
The Senate letter to Page is the latest sign that its Russia investigation is plowing ahead, now moving to the phase of calling in high-profile witnesses.
In his three-page reply, Page wrote that he believed Senate investigators would have better access to his communications than he would because of the alleged surveillance by the Obama administration.
"But please note that any records I may have saved as a private citizen with limited technology capabilities will be miniscule in comparison to the full database of information which has already been collected under the direction of the Obama Administration during last year's completely unjustified FISA warrant that targeted me for exercising my First Amendment rights, both in 2016 as well as in years prior," Page wrote.
FBI Director James Comey said again this week that Trump was definitely not a target of surveillance by Obama. And House investigators rebutted House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes' claim that Trump aides were victims of incidental collection.
The White House has distanced itself from Page since it became clear he was a key target for investigators.
But Page clearly did not play a central role in Trump's campaign, unlike other targets including former campaign Chairman Paul Manafort and former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
CNN's Pamela Brown, Shimon Prokupecz, Jim Sciutto and Marshall Cohen contributed to this report.
RELATED
Sources: Russia tried to use Trump advisers to infiltrate campaign
http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/21/politics/russia-trump-campaign-advisers-infiltrate/
© 2017 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/05/politics/carter-page-letter-senate-investigators/ [with embedded video]
--
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