This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2017/mar/20/donald-trump-campaign-russia-fbi-nsa-live
The article has changed 14 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| Russia hearing live: FBI director Comey says no information to confirm Trump's wiretap claims | Russia hearing live: FBI director Comey says no information to confirm Trump's wiretap claims |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 5.14pm GMT | |
| 17:14 | |
| Comey: 'I have no information that supports those [wiretapping] tweets' | |
| Here’s another video clip, of a key moment from this morning. Nunes, the Republican chairman of the committee, admitted as much at the top of the hearing: Trump’s wire tapping claim is bushwa. | |
| 5.08pm GMT | |
| 17:08 | |
| Here’s a selection from our news coverage so far of these hearings: | |
| Updated | |
| at 5.09pm GMT | |
| 5.03pm GMT | |
| 17:03 | |
| President seeks to muddy testimony about Russia's role | |
| Trump tweets a second moment from this morning’s hearing. | |
| Our original coverage of the section is here. Nunes was asking Rogers and then Comey whether Russia had succeed in altering vote totals in various swing states. | |
| The intelligence directors said no, Russia had not succeeded in altering vote totals. | |
| Trump frames the moment falsely. He says the directors testified that “Russia did not influence the electoral process.” | |
| The NSA and FBI tell Congress that Russia did not influence electoral process. pic.twitter.com/d9HqkxYBt5 | |
| Does the electoral process include information-dissemination by the media and -gathering by voters? In that case, the directors said the exact opposite. Comey declared at the top of the hearing that the FBI was investigating Russian interference in the election and the Trump campaign role. A bit later this morning, there was this exchange between Democratic Rep Himes and the witnesses: | |
| Himes wonders whether “Russian hacking” refers to the fact that the intelligence community believes that Russians penetrated DNC and Podesta, stole info and disseminated it. | |
| Is that a fair characterization? | |
| Yes sir, says Rogers. | |
| But Rogers did not analyze whether that activity affected the election outcome. | |
| Of course you didn’t, Himes said. | |
| Precisely as Trump was asserting that the intelligence chiefs had denied Russian influence, Comey and Rogers were testifying that Russian interference in the election had been “unusually loud,” as if the whole point of the interference was to destroy the credibility of American democracy by encouraging the intelligence community to flag the activity. | |
| Something else that might erode faith in American democracy: the president running a misinformation campaign that renders sworn testimony by intelligence chiefs incoherent. | |
| 4.59pm GMT | |
| 16:59 | |
| Comey: 'loud' Russia 'didn't care that we knew' about intervention | |
| Comey said the Russian intervention was unusually loud: | |
| They were unusually loud in their intervention. It’s almost as if they didn’t care that we knew. | |
| Why so loud? | |
| Comey: “I don’t know the answer for sure. Their number one mission is to undermine the credibility of the entire democracy enterprise. Of this nation. Their loudness in a way would be counting on us to amplify... and freaking people out.” | |
| Rogers agrees. “We never saw information being published on such a massive scale.” | |
| Updated | |
| at 5.01pm GMT | |
| 4.45pm GMT | |
| 16:45 | |
| Trump spins conspiracy theory around Comey 'no comment' | |
| The president of the United States tweets from his official account a snippet of testimony in which the director of the FBI declines to comment on classified briefings between himself and the past president. | |
| The current president frames the testimony as a dodge by Comey, saying that the director “refuses to deny” he briefed Obama. | |
| Perfectly equally, of course, Comey here “refuses to confirm.” | |
| But that’s now how Trump wishes to spin the moment. The tweet suggests that Comey here is engaging in implicit confirmation. Trump is encouraging conspiracy-minded speculation about Comey and Obama. The kind of speculation that would discredit the integrity of the FBI, Congress and the presidency and of these proceedings. But serve Trump’s private purposes. | |
| FBI Director Comey refuses to deny he briefed President Obama on calls made by Michael Flynn to Russia. pic.twitter.com/cUZ5KgBSYP | |
| Updated | |
| at 4.47pm GMT | |
| 4.31pm GMT | 4.31pm GMT |
| 16:31 | 16:31 |
| Republican's leak accusation focuses on Brennan, Clapper and Comey | Republican's leak accusation focuses on Brennan, Clapper and Comey |
| Comey tells King that yes, leaking activity lately has seemed prevalent. | |
| “I do think in the last six weeks, couple of months, there’s been apparently a lot of conversation about classified matters that’s been ending up in the media. A lot of it is dead wrong.” | |
| He calls the leaking scene “unusually active.” | He calls the leaking scene “unusually active.” |
| King says it must have been an FBI person who leaked to the New York Times that Flynn was meeting with Kislyak. | |
| King turns to the purported dossier on Trump – the one drawn up by former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele. How did that get out? | King turns to the purported dossier on Trump – the one drawn up by former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele. How did that get out? |
| Comey: It is an enormous problem whenever you find information that is actually classified in the media. | Comey: It is an enormous problem whenever you find information that is actually classified in the media. |
| This is not OK. This behavior can be deterred, and it’s deterred by locking some people up. | This is not OK. This behavior can be deterred, and it’s deterred by locking some people up. |
| King: Come on. [He’s pressing on a reported meeting with Trump about Steele’s dossier.] It was you, Trump, Brennan and Clapper? Four people in the room, right? And it was leaked hours after that meeting about the dossier. It’s a small universe of people? | |
| Comey: No comment. I can tell you ... it often turns out there are more people that know about something than you expected. | |
| King: I’ll be advising Clapper and Brennan that I’ll be asking them the same questions next week. | |
| Updated | |
| at 4.41pm GMT | |
| 4.24pm GMT | 4.24pm GMT |
| 16:24 | 16:24 |
| Nunes: You’ve said that the Russians favored Donald Trump. | Nunes: You’ve said that the Russians favored Donald Trump. |
| Comey: I want to clarify. We didn’t change our view from December to early January. I don’t know that anybody in the intelligence community did. | Comey: I want to clarify. We didn’t change our view from December to early January. I don’t know that anybody in the intelligence community did. |
| Nunes: The change was from, hurt-Clinton to help-Trump. You changed your mind? | Nunes: The change was from, hurt-Clinton to help-Trump. You changed your mind? |
| Comey and Rogers: No – “That’s not my recollection.” | Comey and Rogers: No – “That’s not my recollection.” |
| Nunes: Do Russians historically prefer Republicans to win over Democrats? Did the Russians prefer Mitt Romney to win over Barack Obama in 2012? Did the Russians prefer John McCain in 2008 over Barack Obama? Isn’t it ridiculous to say that Russians prefer Republicans to win over Democrats? Wouldn’t that be preposterous to say? | Nunes: Do Russians historically prefer Republicans to win over Democrats? Did the Russians prefer Mitt Romney to win over Barack Obama in 2012? Did the Russians prefer John McCain in 2008 over Barack Obama? Isn’t it ridiculous to say that Russians prefer Republicans to win over Democrats? Wouldn’t that be preposterous to say? |
| Comey and Rogers: Basically dumbfounded. | Comey and Rogers: Basically dumbfounded. |
| Rogers: There is some classified analysis that discusses this. | Rogers: There is some classified analysis that discusses this. |
| Rep King of New York takes over. He seems to say that the classified report notes that Russia has preferred Republicans. He seems to indicate that this analysis undermines the report. | Rep King of New York takes over. He seems to say that the classified report notes that Russia has preferred Republicans. He seems to indicate that this analysis undermines the report. |
| 4.20pm GMT | 4.20pm GMT |
| 16:20 | 16:20 |
| Meanwhile at the Gorsuch hearing, senators still talking: | Meanwhile at the Gorsuch hearing, senators still talking: |
| More than an hour into the Gorsuch hearing and seemingly not close to finished with sens' opening statements please stuff my ears with corn | More than an hour into the Gorsuch hearing and seemingly not close to finished with sens' opening statements please stuff my ears with corn |
| 4.19pm GMT | 4.19pm GMT |
| 16:19 | 16:19 |
| Why did the public hear from the FBI about Clinton’s emails and not about the Trump camp’s Russia ties? | Why did the public hear from the FBI about Clinton’s emails and not about the Trump camp’s Russia ties? |
| 2. Was the FBI's goal to complete and make public its findings about the Trump-Russia investigation before the election? | 2. Was the FBI's goal to complete and make public its findings about the Trump-Russia investigation before the election? |
| 4.17pm GMT | 4.17pm GMT |
| 16:17 | 16:17 |
| Democrats call for criminal investigation of Flynn for taking money from RT | Democrats call for criminal investigation of Flynn for taking money from RT |
| Sewell: Is it right that RT is owned by Moscow. | Sewell: Is it right that RT is owned by Moscow. |
| Rogers: We’re aware of direct connections and monetary flow. | Rogers: We’re aware of direct connections and monetary flow. |
| Sewell: how long have you known? | Sewell: how long have you known? |
| Rogers: Years. | Rogers: Years. |
| Sewell: Wouldn’t Flynn know when he agreed to speak at anniversary gala for RT in 2015 of ties between RT and Moscow? | Sewell: Wouldn’t Flynn know when he agreed to speak at anniversary gala for RT in 2015 of ties between RT and Moscow? |
| Rogers: no comments. | Rogers: no comments. |
| Sewell: Isn’t this unusual? | Sewell: Isn’t this unusual? |
| Comey: No comment. | Comey: No comment. |
| Sewell: Reads from July 2016 Flynn communications with Yahoo correspondent. “Yeah, I didn’t take any money from Russia, if that’s what you’re asking me,” Flynn wrote. But last week the House oversight committee said that Flynn accepted almost $35,000 from RT. Right? | Sewell: Reads from July 2016 Flynn communications with Yahoo correspondent. “Yeah, I didn’t take any money from Russia, if that’s what you’re asking me,” Flynn wrote. But last week the House oversight committee said that Flynn accepted almost $35,000 from RT. Right? |
| Comey: I saw that report. No comment. | Comey: I saw that report. No comment. |
| Sewell: Does the emoluments clause apply to Flynn? | Sewell: Does the emoluments clause apply to Flynn? |
| Comey: No comment. | Comey: No comment. |
| Sewell: It does. I can’t believe that Flynn would take money from the Russian government in violation of the US constitution and I believe such violations worthy of a criminal investigation by the FBI. | Sewell: It does. I can’t believe that Flynn would take money from the Russian government in violation of the US constitution and I believe such violations worthy of a criminal investigation by the FBI. |
| 4.12pm GMT | 4.12pm GMT |
| 16:12 | 16:12 |
| Sewell: Isn’t the American public right to be concerned about Mr Flynn’s conduct? | Sewell: Isn’t the American public right to be concerned about Mr Flynn’s conduct? |
| Comey: I can’t comment. I understand people’s curiosity about our work and intense interest in it. | Comey: I can’t comment. I understand people’s curiosity about our work and intense interest in it. |
| 4.11pm GMT | 4.11pm GMT |
| 16:11 | 16:11 |
| Now Sewell, the Democrat from Alabama. How is it possible that Flynn did not remember talking to Kislyak? | Now Sewell, the Democrat from Alabama. How is it possible that Flynn did not remember talking to Kislyak? |
| Comey won’t talk about Flynn. | Comey won’t talk about Flynn. |
| Sewell asks whether this skullduggery warrants an investigation. | Sewell asks whether this skullduggery warrants an investigation. |
| Comey can’t comment he says. | Comey can’t comment he says. |
| Sewell wants the public record to reflect that Flynn texted Kislyak on Christmas and talked on the phone with Kislyak on 28 December, and again on 29 December, when the Obama administration expelled 35 operatives and announced new sanctions. Also Flynn and Jared Kushner met with Kislyak at Trump tower. | Sewell wants the public record to reflect that Flynn texted Kislyak on Christmas and talked on the phone with Kislyak on 28 December, and again on 29 December, when the Obama administration expelled 35 operatives and announced new sanctions. Also Flynn and Jared Kushner met with Kislyak at Trump tower. |
| “The White House and Mr Flynn didn’t disclose this face-to-face meeting until this month,” Sewell says. | “The White House and Mr Flynn didn’t disclose this face-to-face meeting until this month,” Sewell says. |
| She notes that Pence went on TV in January and said Flynn never discussed sanctions with Kislyak. | She notes that Pence went on TV in January and said Flynn never discussed sanctions with Kislyak. |
| 4.08pm GMT | 4.08pm GMT |
| 16:08 | 16:08 |
| Comey: Russians had positive preference for Trump | Comey: Russians had positive preference for Trump |
| Schiff asks Comey whether Russians had a positive preference for Donald Trump? | Schiff asks Comey whether Russians had a positive preference for Donald Trump? |
| Comey: Correct. | Comey: Correct. |
| Schiff: Would it be logical for the Kremlin to want someone who had a dim view of Nato? | Schiff: Would it be logical for the Kremlin to want someone who had a dim view of Nato? |
| Comey: Beyond my responsibilities. | Comey: Beyond my responsibilities. |
| Schiff: Do Russians like Nato. | Schiff: Do Russians like Nato. |
| Comey: Not my expertise but no. | Comey: Not my expertise but no. |
| Schiff: How about Ukraine sanctions? Would Russia like to see sanctions go away? | Schiff: How about Ukraine sanctions? Would Russia like to see sanctions go away? |
| Comey: Yes. | Comey: Yes. |
| Schiff: What about Putin? | Schiff: What about Putin? |
| Comey: Mr Putin would like Putin who liked him. | Comey: Mr Putin would like Putin who liked him. |
| Schiff: Would they like to see more Brexits? | Schiff: Would they like to see more Brexits? |
| Comey: Yes. | Comey: Yes. |
| Schiff: Do they like business people because they can entangle them? | Schiff: Do they like business people because they can entangle them? |
| Comey: In our joint report we say Putin preferred business leaders – Schroeder and Berlusconi. He believes they’re more open to negotiation and easier to deal with. | Comey: In our joint report we say Putin preferred business leaders – Schroeder and Berlusconi. He believes they’re more open to negotiation and easier to deal with. |