During the House Intelligence hearing on the Russia investigation Tuesday, the former CIA Director John Brennan revealed that not only did he warn the Russian intelligence chief not to interfere in the U.S. election but he also encountered intelligence that revealed “contacts and interactions” between Russian officials and the Trump campaign.
Representative Trey Gowdy (R-SC) was trying to get to a no since Brennan is no longer on board and could easily provide Republicans with sound bites that they could use disingenuously to suggest that there’s nothing to see here in TrumpRussiaGate.
But instead, when Gowdy pushed for evidence of collusion, he got the former CIA Director to say, “I encountered and am aware of information and intelligence that revealed contacts and interactions between Russian officials and U.S. persons involved in the Trump campaign.â€
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Brennan: Intel showed contacts & interactions between Russians & people involved in the Trump campaign; intel required FBI investigation pic.twitter.com/p8Dc1s0Xis
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) May 23, 2017
Brennan later explained that they see these contacts and interactions all of the time, but what made this so concerning was within the context of the concerns about the Russians interference in the campaign.
“Trey Gowdy tried hard to separate Trump from two other categories of “persons” w/contact with Russian intelligence. #Fail”, noted Malcolm Nance.
“After Gowdy harangue on use of word “evidence” exDCIA Brennen makes clear US persons were in contact w/ Russian intelligence during election,” Nance wrote on Twitter.
Trey Gowdy tried hard to separate Trump from two other categories of "persons" w/contact with Russian intelligence. #Fail.
— Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) May 23, 2017
After Gowdy harangue on use of word "evidence" exDCIA Brennen makes clear US persons were in contact w/ Russian intelligence during election
— Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) May 23, 2017
Brennan further said he was concerned about this because he knew of Russian efforts to “suborn such individuals.”
Brennan said he briefed congressional leaders in August of 2016, saying he became convinced that Russia was trying to interfere in the election and they were “very aggressive.” He said Russia actively recruited Americans to help interfere with U.S. election.
Brennan’s August 2016 brief included House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees.
Republicans did get their sound bite when Brennan said, “I don’t know if collusion existed.”
But it should be noted that Brennan wouldn’t know this, as he is no longer the head of the CIA, and he can only testify to the growing concern based on the information and intelligence he encountered while director. Those concerns are what brought us to today, with the possible collusion being investigated.
It’s also not the CIA’s job to reach conclusions.
“Benghazi” Trey Gowdy got burned as he was trying to get to a way to build a disingenuous Trump defense in the media by pushing Brennan, and instead he got the former Director of the CIA to say that he “encountered” and was “aware of” “contacts and interactions between Russian officials and U.S. persons involved in the Trump campaign.â€
That’s not where Republicans wanted this to go. Brennan’s testimony is basically a primer on why it was necessary to investigate the Trump campaign for possible collusion with Russia.
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