- Former CIA Director John Brennan testified before a House intelligence panel on Tuesday
- He revealed how he called the head of Russia’s FSB intelligence service in August
- He warned that American voters would be ‘outraged’ if Russia interfered in the U.S. elections
- He said it would ‘destroy’ any prospects for improved ties and cooperation with the U.S.
- The fellow spy chief promised to relay his comments to Russian President Vladimir Putin
- ‘I was convinced in the summer that the Russians were trying to interfere in the elections’
- Says he is aware of ‘information and intelligence that revealed contacts and interactions between Russian officials and U.S. persons involved in the Trump campaign’
- He cited ‘information and intelligence’ of Americans involved in the Trump campaign who had interactions with Russian officials
- ‘Frequently, individuals on a treasonous path do not even realize they’re on that path until it gets to be too late’
The Trump White House says it is focused like ‘laser beams’ on meeting the president’s goals – on another day when sensational testimony about Russian election meddling grabbed headlines.
‘We’re very focused like laser beams on accomplishing the objectives we’d like to accomplish,’ said a senior administration official traveling with Trump, who landed in Rome Tuesday evening after a week of Russia-themed scandals.
Former CIA Director John Brennan testified before a House intelligence panel that he called the head of Russia’s federal intelligence service to warn about Russian interference in the presidential election.
‘It should be clear to everyone Russia brazenly interfered in our 2016 presidential election process,’ Brennan said at the top of a high-profile House intelligence panel hearing Tuesday.
He told a House committee that Americans ‘involved in the Trump campaign’ had interactions with Russian officials, and that he found it concerning.
Pressed by Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), who was under consideration to be Trump’s FBI chief, Brennan said: ‘I encountered and am aware of information and intelligence that revealed contacts and interactions between Russian officials and U.S. persons involved in the Trump campaign that I was concerned about because of known Russian efforts to suborn such individuals.’
‘It raised questions in my mind again whether or not the Russians were able to gain the cooperation of those individuals. I don’t know whether or not such collusion and that’s your term, such collusion existed. I don’t know,’ he said.
‘I know what the Russians try to do, they try to suborn individuals’ to get them to act on their behalf ‘either wittingly or unwittingly, the longtime CIA official said.
The White House, after a mostly successful start to President Trump’s first international trip, tried to steer clear of the details of the unfolding inquiry about Russia’s actions.
‘We’re very focused on the objectives. We know that we’re delivering on the promises that we made to the American people of creating jobs, trying to reshape the world order, we’re putting America’s place in the world as leaders back,’ said the official, who declined to be identified by name.
A White House spokesman added that there was no evidence of ‘collusion’ with the Russians.
‘This morning’s hearings back up what we’ve been saying all along: that despite a year of investigation, there is still no evidence of any Russia-Trump campaign collusion, that the President never jeopardized intelligence sources or sharing, and that even Obama’s CIA Director believes the leaks of classified information are ‘appalling’ and the culprits must be ‘tracked down,’ according to a statement.
In dramatic testimony, Brennan revealed how he warned the fellow spy chief that ‘American voters would be outraged by any Russian attempt to interfere in the election.’
He made the call to FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov in August, in the home stretch of Donald Trump’s election battle against Hillary Clinton.
He said any meddling would ‘destroy’ any chance of near-term improving of ties between the two powers.
The Russian spy chief denied interfering, but when Brennan pressed, he said he would pass on the information to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Brennan served during president President Obama’s tenure and spent decades in the CIA.
Describing the call for the first time, Brennan said he told the FSB chief ‘that if Russia had such a campaign underway it would be certain to backfire.’
‘I said that all Americans, regardless of political affiliation or whom they might support in the election cherish their ability to elect their own leaders without outside interference or disruption.’
‘I believe I was the first U.S. official to brace Russia on this matter,’ Brennan said of the August phone call.
Brennan said he warned further that ‘If Russia pursued this course, it would destroy any near-term prospect of improvement in relations between Washington and Moscow and would undermine constructive engagement even on matters of mutual interest.’
He said that as he expected, Bortnikov denied election interference – although U.S. intelligence agencies have determined with a high degree of certainty that it happened.
‘When I repeated my warning, he again denied the charge but said that he would inform President Putin of my comments. I believe I was the first U.S. official to brace the Russians on this matter,’ Brennan said.
Brennan testified that he kept Congress apprised of the issues, by briefing the so called ‘gang of eight’ top congressional leaders and Intelligence chairs.
He said the full details were shared only with those members, who were accompanied by a single staff members.
They got briefed between August 11 and Sept. 6, 2016, during the height of the elections.
‘I was convinced in the summer that the Russians were trying to interfere in the elections,’ Brennan said during questioning.
‘They were very aggressive. It was a multifaceted effort,’ he said.
As he gained intelligence, Brennan said, ‘I made sure that anything that was involving U.S. persons including anything involving the individuals involved in the Trump campaign were shared with the [FBI].
The FBI is conducting an investigation into election interference and is exploring any possible collusion with the Trump campaign.
Describing the wide-ranging Russian efforts, he said: ‘They’ve been able to use individuals, how they’ve been able to use politicians, political parties. They’ve been able to use elements within the media to try to make sure that their objectives are realized.’
Asked whether he had seen direct evidence of collusion, Brennan responded that as a longtime intelligence operative, ‘I really don’t to evidence, I do intelligence.’
He said he had studied Russian efforts to cultivate agents over the years, and has seen it even in how they were able to get people inside the CIA ‘to become treasonous.’
‘Frequently, individuals who go along a treasonous path do not even realize they’re along that path until it gets to be a bit too late.’
‘My radar goes up early when I see certain things, thatI know what the Russians are trying to do and I don’t know whether or not the targets of their efforts are as mindful of the Russian intentions as they need to be.’
Explaining the Russian mindset, he cited a ‘traditional animus’ with Democrat Hillary Clinton, who Putin believes stirred up domestic unrest against Putin. He said Russians had had success with world leaders of a business background, and anticipated better relations with Donald Trump.
He said Russia anticipated Clinton would prevail, and were likely planning to ‘denigrate her and hurt her’ after she won.
Brennan also got asked about President Trump’s recent Oval Office meeting with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian ambassador Sergey Lavrov.
The Washington Post reported that President Trump told the Russians highly-classified information.
Brenna said such information if it ever gets released doesn’t get told to foreign ministers or ambassadors, but gets passed on through ‘intelligence channels’ because it ‘needs to be handled the right way.’
‘It needs to go back to the initiating agency to make sure that the language in it is not … going to reveal sources and methods and compromise the future collection capability,’ he said.
He said he was concerned about the release of information purporting to show the ‘originator’ of the information the Trump passed on.
‘These continued to be very, very damaging leaks and I find them appalling and they need to be tracked down,’ he said.
Pressed by Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), who was under consideration to be Trump’s FBI chief, Brennan said: ‘I encountered and am aware of information and intelligence that revealed contacts and interactions between Russian officials and U.S. persons involved in the Trump campaign that I was concerned about because of known Russian efforts to suborn such individuals.’
‘It raised questions in my mind again whether or not the Russians were able to gain the cooperation of those individuals. I don’t know whether or not such collusion and that’s your term, such collusion existed. I don’t know,’ he said.
‘I’m not going to identify the individuals,’ he said, said, because it was based on ‘classified sources and intelligence.’
Describing Russian methods, Brennan said, ‘I know what the Russians try to do they try to suborn individuals.’
‘They’ve been able to use individuals, how they’ve been able to use politicians, political parties they’ve been able to use elements within the media to try to make sure that their objectives are realized.’
Brennan said the conduct didn’t stop on Election Day.
‘Even though the election is over, I think Mr. Putin and the Russian intelligence services are trying to actively exploit what is going on now in Washington to their benefit and to our detriment,’ he said.
Asked to explain his concerns about Russian interference, Brennan waved the flag. ‘Because for the last 241 years this nation and its citizens have cherished the freedom and liberty that this country was founded upon. Many, many great Americans over the years have lost their lives to be able to protect that freedom and liberty. They’ve lost their lives also to be able to protect the freedom and liberties of other countries, of other peoples around the world,’ he said.
‘Our ability to choose our elected leaders as we see fit is, I believe, an unalienable right that we must protect with all of our resources and all of our authority and power. And the fact that the Russians tried to influence that election so that the will of the American people is not going to be realized by that election I find outrageous and it’s something we need to with every last ounce of devotion to this country resist. And to try to act and prevent further instances of that.’
He concluded: ‘It’s very important for me and for my children and grandchildren to make sure that never again will a foreign country try to influence and interfere in the foundation stone of this country, which is electing our democratic leaders.’
