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James Comey Confirms FBI Probe of Trump Campaign over Ties with Russian Government Ahead of Election

Web ExclusiveMarch 20, 2017
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On Monday FBI Director James Comey confirmed an FBI probe into the Trump campaign over Russian interference in the election and denied the president’s claim that former President Barack Obama wiretapped Trump Tower.

Comey said the FBI was “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.”

Comey went on to say, “With respect to the president’s tweets about alleged wiretapping directed at him by the prior administration, I have no information that supports those tweets.”

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Transcript
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

JAMES COMEY: As you know, our practice is not to confirm the existence of ongoing investigations, especially those investigations that involve classified matters. But, in unusual circumstances, where it is in the public interest, it may be appropriate to do so, as Justice Department policies recognize. This is one of those circumstances. I have been authorized by the Department of Justice to confirm that the FBI, as part of our counterintelligence mission, is investigating the Russian government’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. And that 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. As with any counterintelligence investigation, this will also include an assessment of whether any crimes were committed. Because it is an open, ongoing investigation and is classified, I cannot say more about what we are doing and whose conduct we are examining.

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“Trump and the Russian Money Trail”: Trump’s Ties to Oligarchs Go Back Decades

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