Former CIA Director John Brennan, testifying yesterday for the House Intelligence Committee hearing, said that Russia "brazenly interfered" in the 2016 presidential election in an effort to help Trump win.
He also testified that there had been "active contact" between Russian government officials and members of the Trump campaign as far back as last summer. He said that he did not know whether the contacts were related to the Russians' attempt to influence the election, but they were worrisome enough for him to refer the matter to the FBI for investigation.
Brennan was careful to avoid charging that the Trump team colluded, and he acknowledged that they may not have known that the Russians were spies. But it does seem likely, from what he said, that at least the Russians were attempting to use the Trump associates in their efforts to interfere with the election.
Here's the quote that will be long-remembered: "Frequently, people who go along a treasonous path do not know they are on a treasonous path until it is a bit too late," Brennan said.
He was speaking generally and hypothetically, not accusing anyone of treason. But his testimony revealed that concerns in our government about possible cooperation between Russia and the Trump campaign had been deeper than previously known and involved multiple contacts.
This is startling, even in light of what we've heard before. Add up all we know -- and then realize that people like Brennan still know even more than they're telling us in open testimony. Somebody knows what those FISA-warrant tapes on Carter Page show. And Flynn's talks with the Russian ambassador. And Kushner, the presumptive "person of interest currently in the White House." No wonder Trump wants to shut down the investigation. But it's too late for that now.
Ralph
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