FBI confirms probe of Trump team ties to Russia

Yahoo – AFP, Paul Handley, March 20, 2017

FBI Director James Comey confirmed longstanding reports that his agency is
conducting a counterintelligence probe into the Russian government's covert
effort to steer the 2016 presidential vote (AFP Photo/Nicholas Kamm)

Washington (AFP) - FBI chief James Comey dealt Donald Trump a double blow Monday by confirming a probe into his election campaign's links to Russia last year while repudiating the president's claim that he was wiretapped by Barack Obama.

In a high-stakes public hearing televised live from the US Congress, Comey took the extraordinary step of confirming that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating whether Trump campaign aides colluded with a Russian effort to influence the 2016 election.

Comey's bombshell statement undercut a White House effort to dismiss the controversy stalking Trump's young administration -- with the president once more dismissing talk of his team's ties to Russia as "FAKE NEWS" as the hearing got underway.

The FBI chief refused to answer the questions of the House Intelligence Committee about exactly what and who its probe involves, citing the need to protect a sensitive, ongoing counterintelligence investigation.

But he confirmed to lawmakers that it "includes investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government, and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia's efforts."

And in a second setback for the Republican president, Comey firmly shot down his tweeted allegation earlier this month that his predecessor ordered a wiretap on Trump Tower, the real estate mogul's Manhattan residence and office.

"The Department of Justice has asked me to share with you that the answer is the same for the Department of Justice and all its components. The department has no information that supports those tweets," he told the hearing.

Trump-Russia connections (AFP Photo/Christopher HUFFAKER, Paz

 PIZARRO, Gillian HANDYSIDE)

Putin's 'clear preference'

At least four separate congressional investigations are underway into Moscow's election meddling, which US intelligence chiefs said in January was directed by President Vladimir Putin and aimed to boost Trump's campaign over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

Democrats argue that the interference, in which Russian actors allegedly stole Democratic documents and communications and released them through WikiLeaks, contributed to frontrunner Clinton's defeat.

Confirming longstanding reports that his agency is probing a Russian effort to steer last year's vote, Comey dated the probe back to July last year, when the government became aware of the Democratic party hack.

Until Monday only a small group of legislators has been briefed in secret on this issue by US intelligence and law enforcement, and the public had not heard directly from them.

Comey and Admiral Mike Rogers, director of the National Security Administration, confirmed that they believed Moscow aimed to hurt Clinton's campaign and support Trump.

"Putin hated Secretary Clinton so much that the flip side of that coin was he had a clear preference to the person running against the person he hated so much," Comey said.

"They wanted to hurt our democracy, hurt her, help him. I think, all three, we were confident in at least as early as December," he said.

'Nothing has changed'

But Comey's unwillingness to comment on specifics, or on unproven media reports of Trump aides' contacts with Russian intelligence, gave the White House room to defend its position -- which is that the entire controversy was manufactured by opponents to undermine Trump's presidency.

As he testified, a senior administration official said in a written statement: "There is NO EVIDENCE of Trump-Russia collusion and there is NO EVIDENCE of a Trump-Russia scandal."

National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers speaks during the House 

Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on Russian actions during

the 2016 election campaign on March 20, 2017 (AFP Photo/Nicholas Kamm)

Later, Trump spokesman Sean Spicer told journalists: "Following this testimony it's clear nothing has changed. Senior intelligence officials have gone on record to say there is no evidence of a Trump/Russia collusion."

"Investigating and having proof are different thing," he added.

Likewise -- in spite of Comey's straightforward rejection of Trump's wiretapping allegations -- the White House continued to cling to those claims.

Asked if Trump would withdraw the accusation and apologize to Obama, Spicer said that investigations are "still ongoing" into the issue.

Independent probe sought

Monday's hearing made clear the question of Russian interference in the election will continue to trouble the Trump administration.

Both the House and Senate Intelligence Committees will hold more public hearings in the coming weeks, as well as closed-door sessions with Comey, Rogers and other intelligence chiefs to discuss classified information on the probes.

But Democrats have expressed concerns that the White House and Republicans would like to stifle the issue, and are calling for an independent probe.

"I believe that we would benefit from the work of an independent commission that can devote the staff and resources to this investigation that we do not have, and that can be completely removed from any political considerations," said Adam Schiff, the senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.

Related Article:

"Wild Cards" (3) - Nov 19 - 20, 2016 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)- (Text version)

".... The Wild Card of 2016

Remember: No emotion now. You have come from another planet and you’re looking at the end of 2016 – and there is the election. Understand without bias.

So for 2016, let’s do the numerology. You add the numbers and get nine. Nine is completion in simple numerology, and when you see a nine it often means the completion of something. Often it is of a time cycle, an energy or the completion of a paradigm. But it’s very strong.

The nines are stronger than many of the other numerological aspects and you feel them. The president-elect (at this writing) is a strong wild card. He is scheduled to become the 45th president. What a coincidence! Forty-five is a nine. A nine and a nine together are more than significant. They tell a story about what is happening. I will tell you something else. This story is not finished yet and there is more coming. You don’t know what you don’t know, so don’t make up your mind in advance about any outcomes. You’re from another planet, remember? There’s no emotion, no bias, no politics and nothing to judge. Look at it for what it is.

A big stick has just been inserted into what is normal and it’s going to be turned. As the big stick turns, other things will respond that never would have responded otherwise. I wish to tell you, dear one, old soul, relax with upcoming wild cards. They do what they do on purpose so that you will have a better civilization in the future. Sometimes they show you what won’t work, and sometimes they change paradigms that would have never changed otherwise. But what you have now is a profound wild card. That is the message.

It’s so common for you to respond certain ways when you are invested in the process. The knee-jerk reaction is expected or you wouldn’t be a Human. However, for this lesson, you’re from another planet and you’re looking down and you’re seeing it. Pretend.

Isn’t that interesting about a nine and a nine together? It means that truly the end of something is here. Perhaps it’s the end of the old way things were done? Perhaps it’s a shake-up of the system so it can correct itself? Don’t dare make up your mind where it’s going, because it’s not finished yet. However, wait a moment. Did you also realize that 2017 is a “one” year? Not only is the energy one of completion with a double nine, but it moves into “a new beginning” (the definition of a one in numerology).

I have more to tell you about numerology, and also something that will be clearer about this whole situation. I will give this to you in the next channelling.

Can you relax in the face of uncertainty when it’s your own country? Can you relax in the face of not knowing what’s next? When you’re so involved, can you disengage from either side of the fray? That is the test of a Lightworker.

There’s something else coming. Dear ones, this is beautiful. No matter what you think and no matter what your reaction is to this channelling, what is happening is correct for your time and needed for your immediate future. I will speak of this later. The beauty is when you step away and see how grand it is, that Spirit cares enough that it would allow a big stick to occur that would stir your complacency at this time. The real reason? The shift is here.

How do you feel? I want you to relax and smile at what the shift has brought you. For those of you who felt all the “shift talk” was nonsense, this may be your wake-up call. It’s real. Here it comes.

This is the message of the day. I am Kryon, in love with humanity, and for good reason.

And so it is.

KRYON