The FBI denied a recent request by the new administration to downplay media reports linking Donald Trump’s presidential campaign to Russia, according to a new report from CNN.
The news organization reports that officials inside the White House essentially begged the FBI to publicly deny news reports that connected officials in the Trump team to Russia during the run-up to the 2016 presidential election.
This type of communication between the White House and the FBI isn’t just strange, but CNN notes that it’s also “a violation of procedures” since it relates to a pending agency investigation.
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The FBI rejected a recent White House request to publicly knock down media reports about communications between Donald Trump’s associates and Russians known to US intelligence during the 2016 presidential campaign, multiple US officials briefed on the matter tell CNN.
White House officials had sought the help of the bureau and other agencies investigating the Russia matter to say that the reports were wrong and that there had been no contacts, the officials said. The reports of the contacts were first published by The New York Times and CNN on February 14.
The direct communications between the White House and the FBI were unusual because of decade-old restrictions on such contacts. Such a request from the White House is a violation of procedures that limit communications with the FBI on pending investigations.
It’s clear that the Trump administration is concerned about the ongoing firestorm surrounding his ties to Russia. And why wouldn’t they be? With each new revelation, it looks more and more like Trump and his associates were working with Russia to defeat their common foe – Hillary Clinton.
Luckily, the FBI – the same agency that spent an entire campaign downplaying Trump’s Russia ties while blowing constant smoke over Clinton’s emails – appears to have found something that they aren’t willing to do to help this president.
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
