By In Homeland Security Staff
FBI Director James B. Comey and NSA Director and Navy Admiral Mike Rogers were on Capitol Hill Monday to provide their analysis of the U.S. intelligence community’s investigation on potential Russian influence on the 2016 presidential election.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/843813078076719107
Coming off the heels of The White House’s assertion via a tweet from President Donald Trump that his predecessor authorized a wiretap at Trump Tower in New York City during the run up to the election, Director Comey disputed that allegation and—in doing so—confirmed a current FBI investigation into possible links between Russia and the Trump campaign to denigrate Hillary Clinton’s chances of winning the presidency.
“They wanted to hurt our democracy. Hurt her. Help him.”
—FBI Director James Comey
Russian Influence on the US Election
During the House hearing, Comey and Rogers answered questions in a tandem format with both confirming, in varying confidence, that the U.S. intelligence community knew of what was regarded as a Russian influence during the presidential campaign.
In a candid moment, Mr. Comey articulated the voracity of Russian’s interest. “Putin hated Secretary Clinton so much that the flip side of that coin was he had a clear preference,” stated Comey, inferring that a preference for one candidate logically meant undermining that candidate’s opponent. “By definition you want their opponent to lose.”
As House members questioned Comey and Rogers, each director agreed that Russia sought to undermine confidence in the U.S. election process. Whether or not there is a link with the Trump campaign indicating collusion remains to be determined through the investigation.
Only the Beginning
The bipartisan atmosphere in Washington continues to intensify over a series of leaks and accusations playing out in traditional and social media. In his testimony, the Comey addressed the leaks that he saw in the press, which he estimated were not accurate. When pressed on details on this and a host of other topics, both Comey and Rogers declined to delve into classified details.
However, Comey explained the investigation’s overall purpose: to clarify whether there was criminal wrongdoing between Trump’s campaign and the Kremlin. In a warning to what’s on the horizon, Comey anticipates future interference by Russia in the United States’ democratic process.
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