Russia ran U.S. election interference, no Trump collusion - panel Republicans

By Warren Strobel and John Walcott

 

FILE PHOTO - A Russian flag flies atop the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Seattle, Washington, U.S., March 26, 2018. REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russia ran an information warfare campaign to disrupt the 2016 U.S. presidential election, but there is no evidence that President Donald Trump's campaign colluded with Moscow, Republicans on a congressional panel said in a report released on Friday.

 

The findings of majority Republicans on the U.S. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee were immediately challenged by minority Democrats following a year of rancorous disputes on a panel whose role is to oversee intelligence agencies in a spirit of bipartisanship. Republicans, over Democratic objections, voted in March to end the committee's investigation of election meddling.

 

The 253-page report was seized on by Trump, a Republican, who posted its conclusions on Twitter and repeated his view that the Russian investigation is "A total Witch Hunt! MUST END NOW!" despite probes by a U.S. special counsel and other congressional committees that are still open.

 

Trump has repeatedly denied receiving help from Moscow for his election campaign. The Kremlin denies meddling in the election.

 

The heavily redacted Republican report contains little new information about Russia's election interference or the Trump teams contacts with Russia.

 

But it criticizes an array of actors for their response to the election meddling.

 

Then U.S. President Barack Obama's response to Russia's actions was insufficient, it said, while the FBI's notification to hacking victims was "inadequate."

 

The report said that the Trump campaign should not have held a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower with Russians who claimed to have damaging information about Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, nor praised and communicated with WikiLeaks, which released documents hacked by Russia.

 

The interaction with WikiLeaks was "highly objectionable and inconsistent with U.S. national security interests," it said.

 

Separately, a Russian lawyer who attended the Trump Tower meeting, Natalia Veselnitskaya, said in an interview to be broadcast Friday with NBC News that she had Russian government ties, the New York Times reported.

 

"I am a lawyer, and I am an informant," she was quoted as saying in the NBC interview.

 

Russia for years has conducted information warfare in Europe, running cyber operations, supporting fringe political parties and targeting disaffected populations to sow discord, the House committee said.

 

In the U.S. election campaign, the report says Twitter identified 36,746 automated accounts and 2,752 human-operated accounts linked to the Russian effort. Russian operatives used paid advertising on Facebook to reach 5 million Americans, it said.

 

Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee released their own 98-page report, which charged that the Republican document "reflects a lack of seriousness and interest in pursuing the truth."

 

"Throughout the investigation, Committee Republicans chose not to seriously investigate - or even see, when in plain sight - evidence of collusion," the panel's top Democrat, Rep. Adam Schiff, said in a statement on Friday.

 

Schiff said the Democrats would continue their own investigation and this week "received new documents from another important witness." He did not elaborate.

 

The Senate Intelligence Committee is conducting its own investigation of Russia and the 2016 election.

 

That panel's top Democrat, Sen. Mark Warner, told an event sponsored by Yahoo that it's unclear whether that inquiry will be completed before congressional elections in November.

 

Asked what the Senate panel had found regarding collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, Warner said: "Stay tuned."

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-04-28

What a surprise 

In a concurrently released report, the Republican members of the committee also noted that;

 

• President Trump has the body of a God
• President Trump is clearly the intelligentest person ever
• President Trump should not have to run for re-election as he is the bestest person to hold office, like ever!
• President Trump has the largest hands in America
• President Trump is so hugely smart-like that all future male children should be named Trump in his honour.

The Republican House Intelligence members have failed in their duty. I will be sooooo happy come November when they are shown the door.

 

Clearly another case of PREMATURE explanation ... 

 

It’s obviously premature to absolve the Trump campaign on the collusion question

...
If and when more information relevant to the investigation emerges — as it did on Friday with the Times report — the prematurity of the committee’s conclusion will become only more apparent.

http://www.paywallnews.com/news/Analysis-|-It’s-obviously-premature-to-absolve-the-Trump-campaign-on-the-collusion-question.HyvwZkWpz.html

 

The new House GOP report on Russia is revealing. But not in a good way for Trump.

...

To paraphrase David St. Hubbins, there’s a fine line between stupid and clever, and the committee’s Republicans seem to think they’re firmly on the right side of it. After conducting seven separate congressional investigations into Benghazi, it is clear they just want the Russia story to go away. The only consolation is that they’re not even competent enough to mount a credible cover-up.

http://www.paywallnews.com/life/Opinion-|-The-new-House-GOP-report-on-Russia-is-revealing--But-not-in-a-good-way-for-Trump-.rJIrWgZ6f.html

 

Edited April 28, 20188 yr by Jingthing

Trumpland...one presumes that perpetually sniffing gun oil fumes is really not that good for a nation's mental health.

To paraphrase mandy rice Davies 

'Well they would say that wouldnt they'?

DT has tainted all republicans by getting elected under their banner. 

They have little choice but to come out with this twaddle

Please US, make this man go away!

As usual, Republican politicians are so sickly partisan, they can't think reasonably.

 

Devon Nunes is among a cabal of Republican congresspeople who should be hauled off to prison - for conspiring with the Russians to harm the USA.  I jest not.  

 

Today's biggest news is added proof (of what reasonable already knew months ago) - that the Russkie woman at the Trump Tower meeting (summer '16) was a Russian spy with close ties to Putin.   Additionally, Don Jr, on that same day, called an unlisted number several times (before and during the meeting with Russians).   It's a no-brainer that the unlisted # was his dad's.  Nunes and other Republicans would not allow investigation of that - and other key factors which would prove Trump and cabal colluding with Russians to skew the US election.

 

Mueller has all this info, including which Russians Trump owes money to.

 

 

 

 

Still the Democrats offer no evidence that Trump or the Trump campaign colluded with the Russians. In all the year long multiple investigations there is nothing to pin on Trump to date.  Even Schiff, who hates Trump with a passion, can't point a finger at anything definitive.  

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Then U.S. President Barack Obama's response to Russia's actions was insufficient, it said, while the FBI's notification to hacking victims was "inadequate."

 

Fine, so what will Trump be doing about it to make sure it doesn't happen again and the next congress doesn't label his inaction as "insufficient"?

10 minutes ago, Trouble said:

Still the Democrats offer no evidence that Trump or the Trump campaign colluded with the Russians. In all the year long multiple investigations there is nothing to pin on Trump to date.

 

What "multiple investigations" have the democrats undertaken?

23 minutes ago, attrayant said:

 

What "multiple investigations" have the democrats undertaken?

Uhm... I know!!

 

Zero.

 

They did just initiate a lawsuit tho...

No Trump collusion - what we have maintained all along. 

Does this mean that the witch hunt is over? 

9 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

No Trump collusion - what we have maintained all along. Does this mean that the witch hunt is over? 

 

No, because there have already been too many indicted and confessed witches.

1 hour ago, Trouble said:

Still the Democrats offer no evidence that Trump or the Trump campaign colluded with the Russians. In all the year long multiple investigations there is nothing to pin on Trump to date.  Even Schiff, who hates Trump with a passion, can't point a finger at anything definitive.  

You should read more and look less at FOX tv.

13 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

No Trump collusion - what we have maintained all along. 

Does this mean that the witch hunt is over? 

You should read more and look less at FOX tv.

1 minute ago, attrayant said:

 

No, because there have already been too many indicted and confessed witches.

Well, those so -called confessed 'witches' were basically caught in perjury traps. 

"Show me the man and I'll show you the crime". V. Lenin

28 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

Well, those so -called confessed 'witches' were basically caught in perjury traps. 

"Show me the man and I'll show you the crime". V. Lenin

Right. They meant to say the truth but because of traps set by the prosecutors their tongues stumbled.

The idea that Russia could and/or did control Americans via the internet/social media, isn't a ringing endorsement for Americans.  Good thing there's an Electoral College.  Oh, wait! 

2 minutes ago, 55Jay said:

The idea that Russia could and/or did control Americans via the internet/social media, isn't a ringing endorsement for Americans.  Good thing there's an Electoral College.  Oh, wait! 

Oh, is that what this issue is? I thought that at least one of them was that the Russians hacked the DNC's email and then colluded with Trump campaign officials to release them.

9 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

Oh, is that what this issue is? I thought that at least one of them was that the Russians hacked the DNC's email and then colluded with Trump campaign officials to release them.

Which begs an obvious question.  Were the contents of those emails true?

11 minutes ago, 55Jay said:

Which begs an obvious question.  Were the contents of those emails true?

Which begs another obvious question: how would we know if the contents of those emails were altered? I don't think anyone would accuse the Russian intelligence services of being crusading journalists.

1 hour ago, Boon Mee said:

Well, those so -called confessed 'witches' were basically caught in perjury traps. 

"Show me the man and I'll show you the crime". V. Lenin

"perjury traps" can only happen if you have been lying in the first place. (don need a Russian to tell me that)

9 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

Which begs another obvious question: how would we know if the contents of those emails were altered? I don't think anyone would accuse the Russian intelligence services of being crusading journalists.

Fair point, of course.  As is questioning the motive of those engaged in hacking.  Are you suggesting the leaked Clinton campaign emails were altered to make them more scandalous and damaging? 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37639370

 

I was pissed off at Chelsea Manning for what she did in her capacity as a military service member with access to classified terminals and information.   Despite that, the revelations were important. 

 

For me, the quality of the information rests on the idea that the participants at the time, didn't anticipate the content being revealed.   So it was an interesting peek behind the curtain, so to speak.  I don't delude myself into thinking this kind of s**t is limited to Clinton.  Politics is a dirty business.

Edited April 28, 20188 yr by 55Jay

Obviously the U.S. Congress is not a suitable investigatory body. Unfortunately this was a staged event where the head of the committee blocked any attempt at a serious investigation. We'll wait for Mueller's investigation to finish up and see if there is any there there. Strangely enough, collusion is not a crime and the investigations were supposed to be geared towards Russian interference whether it was through collusion or otherwise but Trump is stuck on collusion and shouts "no collusion" every time he opens his mouth. I will assuming that Mueller's investigation will (and already has) find other crimes to prosecute. This is what really worries Trump. Digging into his business dealings prior to his election...

10 minutes ago, kamahele said:

Strangely enough, collusion is not a crime

 

But individual crimes within a web of collusion may come to light. There is already a very good case to be made that Little Don solicited foreign assistance in support of the Trump campaign, which is a crime.

4 hours ago, Trouble said:

Still the Democrats offer no evidence that Trump or the Trump campaign colluded with the Russians. In all the year long multiple investigations there is nothing to pin on Trump to date.  Even Schiff, who hates Trump with a passion, can't point a finger at anything definitive.  

I agree, thus far nothing definitive. I will await the independent investigation conclusions. Any Congressional investigation under today’s political divide is suspect in my mind.

7 hours ago, Trouble said:

Still the Democrats offer no evidence that Trump or the Trump campaign colluded with the Russians. In all the year long multiple investigations there is nothing to pin on Trump to date.  Even Schiff, who hates Trump with a passion, can't point a finger at anything definitive.  

see my response below.......   BTW, Schiff has heaps of evidence.  Nunes is doing all he can to stifle it, but much of that incriminating evidence, against Trump and his cabal, will come out.

6 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

No Trump collusion - what we have maintained all along. 

Does this mean that the witch hunt is over? 

A message to those who choose to wear blinders.  Here are just a tip of the iceberg indications of collusion:

 

>>>   repeated and multiple denials by Trump and his cabal of ANY meetings with Russian agents, .....until, more recently repeated proofs show Trumpists were/are lying and covering up.  22 meetings thus far, involving Trump and nearly all the people close to him, including Ivanka.  Note: Sessions will be busted and probably do jail time (for lying to Congress) along with dozens of others in Trump's circle.

 

>>>  Flynn arranging quid pro quo with Russians top tier.  Of course Trump knew, and was orchestrating those arrangements.  Do you think Flynn would be acting as a rogue agent?

 

>>>  Admission by Russian lawyer at the June 16th Trump Tower meeting that she's a Russian agent with connections up to Putin's right hand man, and probably direct contact with Putin.  

 

>>>  2 long phone calls, within an  hour, to a top Russian agent - 2 days prior to the Trump Tower Russia meeting.  Between those two calls, Don Jr called his dad.

 

.....that's just an aperatif.

 

 

I think one of the most potentially damning pieces of evidence is Trump's relations with Deutches Bank. Trump had a loan with the commercial section of the Bank that was due and he couldn't pay it back. The loan was then taken over by the Private Banking division of the bank. This is the same division that subsequently got into a lot of trouble for dealing with dubious Russians. This takeover of a loan by the Private Banking division was unprecedented. Why would it do such a thing? Take over a dubious loan? The most obvious answer is that someone was guaranteeing the bank against loss. 

1 hour ago, bristolboy said:

I think one of the most potentially damning pieces of evidence is Trump's relations with Deutches Bank. Trump had a loan with the commercial section of the Bank that was due and he couldn't pay it back. The loan was then taken over by the Private Banking division of the bank. This is the same division that subsequently got into a lot of trouble for dealing with dubious Russians. This takeover of a loan by the Private Banking division was unprecedented. Why would it do such a thing? Take over a dubious loan? The most obvious answer is that someone was guaranteeing the bank against loss. 

Deutches Bank is probably the #1 western bank for handling Russian Oligarch money.  Trump couldn't borrow from any banks in the US because his credit was zero, .....so he went to Germany.  

 

Interesting that it was a bank, in the US, which started the ball rolling toward indictments in the Stormy Daniels' case.  If it wasn't for the the bank flagging a loan taken out by M. Cohen (to pay hush money for Trump), none of the Stormy storm would be swirling around Trump and Cohen.