C.I.A. Had Evidence of Russian Effort to Help Trump Earlier Than Believed

[wishstar]

Source: NY Times

The former officials said that in late August — 10 weeks before the election — John O. Brennan, then the C.I.A. director, was so concerned about increasing evidence of Russia’s election meddling that he began a series of urgent, individual briefings for eight top members of Congress, some of them on secure phone lines while they were on their summer break.

It is unclear what new intelligence might have prompted the classified briefings. But with concerns growing both internally and publicly at the time about a significant Russian breach of the Democratic National Committee, the C.I.A. began seeing signs of possible connections to the Trump campaign, the officials said. By the final weeks of the campaign, Congress and the intelligence agencies were racing to understand the scope of the Russia threat.

In an Aug. 25 briefing for Harry Reid, then the top Democrat in the Senate, Mr. Brennan indicated that Russia’s hackings appeared aimed at helping Mr. Trump win the November election, according to two former officials with knowledge of the briefing.

The officials said Mr. Brennan also indicated that unnamed advisers to Mr. Trump might be working with the Russians to interfere in the election. The F.B.I. and two congressional committees are now investigating that claim, focusing on possible communications and financial dealings between Russian affiliates and a handful of former advisers to Mr. Trump. So far, no proof of collusion has emerged publicly.


Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/06/us/trump-russia-cia-john-brennan.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

---

The breaking news element of this story is that government officials have leaked to NY Times that CIA knew much earlier than previously reported about the Russian hacking specifically to help Trump and that CIA had to push FBI into doing more to investigate as FBI was downplaying the aspect that the hacking was to help Trump, not just disrupt our election. Also CIA director Brennan had indicated Trump advisors might be working with the Russians.

[still_one]

1. and of course Greenwald and Stein will continue to tell yes this is just more mccarthyism to pick on

poor innocent Putin

[wishstar]

2. Here are two more paragraphs from this new article

WASHINGTON — The C.I.A. told senior lawmakers in classified briefings last summer that it had information indicating that Russia was working to help elect Donald J. Trump president, a finding that did not emerge publicly until after Mr. Trump’s victory months later, former government officials say.

The briefings indicate that intelligence officials had evidence of Russia’s intentions to help Mr. Trump much earlier in the presidential campaign than previously thought. The briefings also reveal a critical split last summer between the C.I.A. and counterparts at the F.B.I., where a number of senior officials continued to believe through last fall that Russia’s cyberattacks were aimed only at disrupting America’s political system, and not at getting Mr. Trump elected, according to interviews.

[McCamy Taylor]

3. Important part

These new details show Congress and the intelligence agencies racing in the final weeks of the campaign to understand the scope of the Russian threat. But Democrats and Republicans who were privy to the classified briefings often saw the intelligence through a political prism, sparring over whether it could be construed as showing that the Russians were helping Mr. Trump.

The briefings left Mr. Reid particularly frustrated with the F.B.I.’s handling of Russia’s election intrusion, especially after the agency said in late October — 11 days before the election — that it was re-examining Mrs. Clinton’s emails.

Mr. Reid fired off another letter on Oct. 30, accusing Mr. Comey of a “double standard” in reviving the Clinton investigation while sitting on “explosive information” about possible ties between Russia and Mr. Trump.

“The public,” Mr. Reid wrote said, “has a right to know this information.”

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. This means that 4 top RepubliCONs knew for months & covered up & refused to investigate. . . nt

[caroldansen]

5. Yes because they wanted trump in even by doing wrong. Thats the republicans.

[Dustlawyer]

27. They sanctioned it.

Not that they will, but they should be investigated for conspiracy, collusion, and obstruction of justice. They let a hostile foreign government influence our elections and sat and watched it unfold, nothing said.

[wishstar]

6. Glad there are whistleblowing leakers determined to get the truth out and make sure coverups fail

[global1]

7. Didn't McConnell Stonewall On Hearing This Too?....

I'm thinking the Repugs knew well in advance that the Russians were favoring Trump. That's why they iced out Garland. They knew they would be able to place their boy in after the election.

Invoking the nuclear option was a given. They were planning for a SCOTUS appointment all along and had too much invested in the process to let the Dems stop them. They had to go nuclear.

McConnell, in my opinion, was in on this and he had too much at stake not to get this appointment.

The Repugs need to be taught a lesson in 2018 & 2020.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

9. Yes, I think you are essentially correct on all points. The first is speculative, but very possible.

[wishstar]

10. McConnell didnt even want to warn state elections officials- "he resisted" according to the article

"In the briefings, the C.I.A. said there was intelligence indicating not only that the Russians were trying to get Mr. Trump elected but that they had gained computer access to multiple state and local election boards in the United States since 2014, officials said.

Although the breached systems were not involved in actual vote-tallying operations, Obama administration officials proposed that the eight senior lawmakers write a letter to state election officials warning them of the possible threat posed by Russian hacking, officials said.

But Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican majority leader, resisted, questioning the underpinnings of the intelligence, according to officials with knowledge of the discussions. Mr. McConnell ultimately agreed to a softer version of the letter, which did not mention the Russians but warned of unnamed “malefactors” who might seek to disrupt the elections through online intrusion. The letter, dated Sept. 28, was signed by Mr. McConnell, Mr. Reid, Speaker Paul D. Ryan and Representative Nancy Pelosi, the ranking Democrat.

On Sept. 22, two other members of the Gang of Eight — Senator Dianne Feinstein and Representative Adam B. Schiff, both of California and the ranking Democrats on the Senate and House intelligence committees — released their own statement about the Russian interference that did not mention Mr. Trump or his campaign by name.
But they did say that “based on briefings we have received, we have concluded that the Russian intelligence agencies are making a serious and concerted effort to influence the U.S. election.”

[Amaryllis]

15. I have thought that for months; that they stonewalled Garland becasue they knew they had the

election in the bag. REmember it wasn't just the Russians. It was Interstate Crosscheck which took hundreds of thousands off the voter reg databases, and all the usual pub voter suppression stuff. THis needs to be remedied if Dems are to win in upcoming elections.

[global1]

16. And McConnell Got His Quid Pro Quo....

his wife got a cabinet post - didn't she?

[Amaryllis]

17. yes, but that was minor compared to getting the executive, house, senate and SCOTUS.

Downline races were impacted as well as president.

[NewRedDawn]

22. Good ole Moscow Mitch

Treasonous Putin-Publican Pus bag.

[rockfordfile]

8. Yes they knew and support Trump's Russian connection

[Delphinus]

12. And that needs

to be spread far and wide - explaining to everyone *WHY* this is important! (Shouldn't have to explain, but ... )

[elmac]

11. generally, the FBI & CIA have been strong arms for the military industrial complex

and the corporate elites. The last thing they want is a progressive president. Enough said.

[warmfeet]

13. Did they get what they wanted? NT.

[Fast Walker 52]

21. that may have been part of it but I don't think that was their main thinking

Hillary was hardly a peacenik that would eschew the MIC

[NoMoreRepugs]

14. Anyone else think Comey has a bit more explaining to do?

[Amaryllis]

18. There was that Newsweek report last week that Comey wanted to go to the NYT last summer

and it seemed the Obama admin stopped him.

[JTFrog]

25. I call bullshit from anonymous sources. Fucking bullshit.

He is up to his fucking eyeballs in complicity. And he's a fucking traitor who threw the election to Russia and Trump with his fucking bullshit on Hillary.


FUCK COMEY AND ANYONE WHO EVEN LOOKS LIKE HIM!

[wishstar]

20. FBI officials misled NY Times earlier to be dismissive of notion that Russians were helping Trump

These same NYTimes writers wrote that article before election debunking Trump Campaign/Russia connections based on info from FBI officials. This new article published today says that CIA head Brennan most definitely had intelligence indicating it was very clear Russia was helping Trump and that Trump advisors might be working with Russians

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/01/us/politics/fbi-russia-election-donald-trump.html

"Law enforcement officials say that none of the investigations so far have found any conclusive or direct link between Mr. Trump and the Russian government. And even the hacking into Democratic emails, F.B.I. and intelligence officials now believe, was aimed at disrupting the presidential election rather than electing Mr. Trump"

New article is clear that CIA Brennan thought Russians were trying to help Trump and Trump advisors may have been working with Russians, while FBI was downplaying those assessments. When this article was printed the week before election, it helped Trump by quashing the impact and momentum of the Trump/Russia revelations.

[riversedge]

28. THIS****

[JTFrog]

24. Fuck yes. And I better not hear another fucking word from Comey defenders here.

I swear to fuck all I'm pissed.

[Crash2Parties]

19. So, is the entire top of the GOP complicit in helping Russia place Trump?

[JTFrog]

23. One more motherfucker tries to tell me that Comey was being a stand up guy they can kiss my ass.

So fucking over this bullshit. He needs to rot in jail with the rest of them.

[aquamarina]

26. This entire election is illegitimate.

A fraud and an abomination.