{"id":73578,"date":"2017-05-30T18:17:07","date_gmt":"2017-05-30T22:17:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/?p=73578"},"modified":"2017-05-30T18:17:07","modified_gmt":"2017-05-30T22:17:07","slug":"it-looks-like-former-cia-director-john-brennan-colluded-with-obama-to-spy-on-the-trump-campaign-for-purely-political-purposes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/?p=73578","title":{"rendered":"It looks like former CIA Director John Brennan colluded with Obama to spy on the Trump campaign for purely political purposes."},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 class=\"page-headline\">Obama loyalist Brennan drove FBI to begin investigating Trump associates last summer<\/h1>\n<p><!--more--><br \/>\n<span class=\"byline\">By Rowan Scarborough<\/span><span class=\"source\"> &#8211; The Washington Times<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"font-resizer\" class=\"summary\">\n<div class=\"storyareawrapper\">\n<div class=\"bigtext\" data-fullheight=\"2843px\" data-miniheight=\"436px\">\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/launch.newsinc.com\/?type=VideoPlayer\/Single&amp;widgetId=1&amp;trackingGroup=69016&amp;playlistId=19132&amp;siteSection=91568_vmpp&amp;videoId=32451191\" width=\"590\" height=\"332\" frameborder=\"no\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>What caused the Barack Obama administration to begin investigating the Donald Trump campaign last summer has come into clearer focus following a string of congressional hearings on Russian interference in the presidential election.<\/p>\n<p>It was then-CIA Director <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/john-o-brennan\/\">John O. Brennan<\/a>, a close confidant of Mr. Obama\u2019s, who provided the information \u2014 what he termed the \u201cbasis\u201d \u2014 for the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/federal-bureau-of-investigation\/\">FBI<\/a> to start the counterintelligence investigation last summer. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/john-o-brennan\/\">Mr. Brennan<\/a> served on the former president\u2019s 2008 presidential campaign and in his <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/white-house\/\">White House<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/john-o-brennan\/\">Mr. Brennan<\/a> told the House Intelligence Committee on May 23 that the intelligence community was picking up tidbits on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/trump\/\">Trump<\/a> associates making contacts with Russians. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/john-o-brennan\/\">Mr. Brennan<\/a> did not name either the Russians or the Trump people. He indicated he did not know what was said.<\/p>\n<p>But he said he believed the contacts were numerous enough to alert the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/federal-bureau-of-investigation\/\">FBI<\/a>, which began its probe into <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/trump\/\">Trump<\/a> associates that same July, according to previous congressional testimony from then-<a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/federal-bureau-of-investigation\/\">FBI<\/a> director James B. Comey.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/federal-bureau-of-investigation\/\">FBI<\/a> probe of contacts came the same month the intelligence community fingered Russian agents as orchestrating hacks into Democratic Party computers and providing stolen emails to WikiLeaks.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/john-o-brennan\/\">Mr. Brennan<\/a>, who has not hidden his dislike for <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/trump\/\">Mr. Trump<\/a>, testified he briefed the investigation\u2019s progress to Mr.<\/p>\n<p>As <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/john-o-brennan\/\">Mr. Brennan<\/a> described his actions to the House committee: \u201cI wanted to make sure that every information and bit of intelligence that we had was shared with the bureau [<a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/federal-bureau-of-investigation\/\">FBI<\/a>] so that they could take it. It was well beyond my mandate as director of CIA to follow on any of those leads that involved U.S. persons. But I made sure that anything that was involving U.S. persons, including anything involving the individuals involved in the Trump campaign, was shared with the bureau.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was aware of intelligence and information about contacts between Russian officials and U.S. persons that raised concerns in my mind about whether or not those individuals were cooperating with the Russians, either in a witting or unwitting fashion, and it served as the basis for the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/federal-bureau-of-investigation\/\">FBI<\/a> investigation to determine whether such collusion [or] cooperation occurred,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/john-o-brennan\/\">Mr. Brennan<\/a> added.<\/p>\n<p>Eleven months later, there is no official public confirmation that <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/trump\/\">Trump<\/a> people colluded with the Russians on hacking.<\/p>\n<p>When Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, the Republican point man in questioning <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/john-o-brennan\/\">Mr. Brennan<\/a>, asked what the Russians and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/trump\/\">Trump<\/a> people were talking about, the former top spy said he did not know.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI saw interaction and [was] aware of interaction that, again, raised questions in my mind about what was the true nature of it. But I don\u2019t know. I don\u2019t have sufficient information to make a determination whether or not such cooperation or complicity or collusion was taking place. But I know that there was a basis to have individuals pull those threads,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/john-o-brennan\/\">Mr. Brennan<\/a> said.<\/p>\n<p>It is known that some <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/trump\/\">Trump<\/a> people had contact with Russians during the campaign, when the hacking occurred, and some during the transition.<\/p>\n<p>Jared Kushner, a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/white-house\/\">White House<\/a> aide and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/trump\/\">Mr. Trump<\/a>\u2019s son-in-law, is known to have communicated with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the transition, as did retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn.<\/p>\n<p>The State Department sponsored a trip by diplomats to the Republican National Convention in July. Mr. Kislyak was among those who attended.<\/p>\n<p>One <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/trump\/\">Trump<\/a> person known to have public Russian contacts in July was Carter Page. Mr. Page signed on as a low-level volunteer who made TV appearances on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/trump\/\">Mr. Trump<\/a>\u2019s behalf and offered advice on foreign policy.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Page, who has done business with Russians for years and lived in Moscow in the 2000s as a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/merrill-lynch-investment\/\">Merrill Lynch investment<\/a> banker, returned last summer to give two talks that were covered by the news media.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Page has told The Washington Times he played no role in any Russian conspiracy to hack or otherwise interfere in the election.<\/p>\n<p>He believes the Trump campaign severed ties with him because of sensational charges in an unverified anti-<a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/trump\/\">Trump<\/a> dossier that surfaced in a smattering of news stories before Nov. 8.<\/p>\n<p>The dossier was one of the forces influencing the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/federal-bureau-of-investigation\/\">FBI<\/a> that summer. Some press reports said it was the reason the bureau began investigating <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/trump\/\">Trump<\/a> associates and acquired a warrant to wiretap Mr. Page as a possible foreign agent.<\/p>\n<p>But <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/john-o-brennan\/\">Mr. Brennan<\/a>\u2019s May 23 testimony shows that it was his actions that drove the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/federal-bureau-of-investigation\/\">FBI<\/a> probe.<\/p>\n<p>The dossier was financed by a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/hillary-clinton\/\">Clinton<\/a> backer and written by British ex-spy Christopher Steele. He was hired by Democratic-tied Fusion GPS in Washington.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Steele\u2019s 35 pages of memos were first circulated in late June. In mid-July Fusion passed around another memo that made the most sensational charges. \u201cFurther Indications of Extensive Conspiracy Between <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/trump\/\">Trump<\/a>\u2019s Campaign and the Kremlin\u201d was the headline.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Steele said that Mr. Carter and former <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/trump\/\">Trump<\/a> campaign manager Paul Manafort formed a team to work with the Russians to hack the Democrats.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Page calls the charge preposterous. He told The Times he has never met Mr. Manafort.<\/p>\n<p>Also denying the charges was Mr. Manafort, whom the Trump organization fired after reports he received questionable payments from a pro-Russian Ukrainian politician. Mr. Manafort said he did not knowingly talk to any Russians.<\/p>\n<p>After <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/john-o-brennan\/\">Mr. Brennan<\/a>\u2019s May 23 appearance, Mr. Page sent a letter to the House committee.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHis testimony followed closely in line with the highly defamatory and baseless accusations offered during their regime\u2019s final year in office as well as the months since,\u201d Mr. Page wrote to Rep. K. Michael Conaway, the Texas Republican who is leading the panel\u2019s investigation, and Rep. Adam B. Schiff of California, the committee\u2019s top Democrat.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThroughout my interactions with the Russians in 2016, I consistently made it crystal clear that all of my benign statements and harmless actions in Moscow as well as elsewhere overseas were solely made as a scholar and a business person speaking only on behalf of myself. In other words, in no way connected to then-candidate <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/trump\/\">Trump<\/a>,\u201d Mr. Page wrote.<\/p>\n<p>The Steele dossier said he met with two Kremlin-connected Russians in Moscow that July. Mr. Page said he has never met the two men.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/john-o-brennan\/\">Mr. Brennan<\/a> has been a harsh critic of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/trump\/\">Mr. Trump<\/a>, especially since the election. He took umbrage at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/trump\/\">Mr. Trump<\/a> blaming the intelligence community for leaks and his likening it to how the Nazis did business. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/john-o-brennan\/\">Mr. Brennan<\/a> said <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/trump\/\">Mr. Trump<\/a> does not understand the threat posed by Russia.<\/p>\n<p>While <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/john-o-brennan\/\">Mr. Brennan<\/a> was at the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/white-house\/\">White House<\/a>, the Obama administration launched a six-year \u201creset\u201d approach to Moscow, with then-Secretary of State <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/hillary-clinton\/\">Clinton<\/a> standing next to Russian President Vladimir Putin and urging Americans to do business with Russia.<\/p>\n<p>Relations soured after Mr. Putin\u2019s forces invaded Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>To this day, nearly a year after <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/john-o-brennan\/\">Mr. Brennan<\/a> alerted the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/federal-bureau-of-investigation\/\">FBI<\/a>, there has been no public official confirmation that <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/trump\/\">Trump<\/a> people coordinated with the Russians on hacking. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, California Democrat and Senate Intelligence Committee member, said earlier this month she has seen no evidence of collusion.<\/p>\n<p>The Senate and House Intelligence committees are both investigating that charge.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, the Senate panel asked the Trump presidential campaign for all records related to Russia.<\/p>\n<p>___<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/news\/2017\/may\/29\/john-brennan-obama-loyalist-and-cia-director-drove\/\">http:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/news\/2017\/may\/29\/john-brennan-obama-loyalist-and-cia-director-drove\/<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Obama loyalist Brennan drove FBI to begin investigating Trump associates last summer<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-73578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73578","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=73578"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73578\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=73578"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=73578"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=73578"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}