FBI investigating Russian hacking and Trump campaign

World Today

FBI director James Comey testified before Congress on what has become a political firestorm: allegations of Russian hacking, during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign and whether President Obama ordered wiretaps at New York’s Trump Tower.

National Security Agency Director Michael Rogers also testified.

CGTN’s Jim Spellman tells us more on the hearing.

For the first time, the United States’ top crime-fighter, FBI director James Comey publicly confirmed an ongoing investigation involving the Russian government dating back to last July.

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,” Comey said.

The Kremlin denies any involvement in the U.S. election. So far, there’s no public evidence the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia over the alleged hacking. But several officials in the Trump campaign have been linked to Russia.

Michael Flynn was forced to resign as National Security Adviser after it was revealed he spoke to the Russian Ambassador during the presidential transition and misled the U.S. vice president about those talks.

Republicans largely focused their questioning on leaks coming out of the investigation. Before the hearing, President Donald Trump tweeted that the “real story that Congress, the FBI and all others should be looking into is the leaking of Classified information. Must find leaker now!”

Comey dismissed accusations made by Trump on Twitter earlier this month that former President Barack Obama had wiretapped Trump’s New York office. And the NSA Director, Mike Rogers, shot down suggestions from the White House that Obama used the British intelligence to spy on Trump. Comey refused to answer whether President Trump is personally a target of the investigation.


Vladimir Golstein on U.S. intelligence hearing, Russian hack allegations

For a more in-depth discussion on the U.S. intelligence hearing and Russian hacking allegations, CGTN’s Mike Walter spoke with Vladimir Golstein a professor of Slavic Studies at Brown University.