Former CIA Director, John Brennan testified before the House Intelligence Committee yesterday. He added fuel to the fire building under Donald Trump, aka Putin’s [R-RU]. Equally important, he resisted attempts by House Republicans to twist his testimony into providing a false appearance of innocence for Trump.
Former CIA Director John Brennan told the House Intelligence Committee Tuesday that Russia "brazenly interfered in the 2016 election process," despite U.S. efforts to warn it off. Brennan testified in an open session of the committee, one of a handful of congressional committees now investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
Brennan said he told his Russian counterpart, the head of Russia’s FSB, last August that if Russia pursued its efforts to interfere, "it would destroy any near-term prospect for improvement in relations" between the two countries. He said Russia denied any attempts to interfere.
In his opening statement, Brennan also recounted how he had briefed congressional leaders in August of last year, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees about the "full details" of what he knew of Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. Brennan said he became convinced last summer that Russia was trying to interfere in the campaign, saying "they were very aggressive."
Brennan said he is "aware of information and intelligence that revealed contacts and interactions between Russian officials and U.S. persons involved in the Trump campaign." Brennan said that concerned him, "because of known Russian efforts to suborn such individuals," and that it raised questions about whether or not the Russians "were able to gain the cooperation of those individuals." Brennan added he didn’t know if "collusion existed" between the Russians and those he identified as involved in the Trump campaign… [emphasis added]
From <NPR>
First, note that the "gang of eight" know about both Russian interference and Trump campaign Russian contacts in August, and Republicans refused to release the information to the public.
Second, note that the CIA does not investigate crime. They gather intelligence and turn it over to the people who do investigate crime, the FBI. Brennan would not know if collusion existed, because even considering that determination was outside of his purview.
Lawrence O’Donnell covered Brennan and interviewed former CIA Acting Director John McLaughlin.
Note how Trey "Benghazi Barf Bag" Gowdy tried to get a No from Brennan, trying to box him in.
I think Trump was "suborned" before the urine was dry on the hotel room sheets.
RESIST!!
11 Responses to “Brennan Adds Fuel to the Fire”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Rachel covered this too, and included a little of Gowdy, but not the entire slapdown. Love it! Thanks Lawrence! And thanks also for pointing out we aren't seeing any consequences. On the other hand – they have certainly pissed off the intelligence community here, and I would not underestimate them.
Malfoy (Gowdy), was doing a word play with Mr. Brennan, and he wasn't having that. Good for him.
Yes, the drumbeat continues..!
Gowdy is trés sucky! I wonder what color the Empty Orange's hair will turn when the flames engulf him.
Kudos to Brennan for seeing through Gowdy's BS and trickery. Gowdy, dim bulb that he is, wanted Brennan to play a game but Brennan would have none of it. Gowdy is solely interested in partisanship, Brennan the safety of the nation.
Resist and Persist!!!
Brennan certainly has stoked up the fires, and being the professional he was hasn't let himself be cornered by Republican pressure in the House Intelligence Committee to let Drumpf himself off the hook at this early stage. But he hasn't said that Drumpf was in collusion with the Russians either. By defining "suborne" as "trying to get individuals to act on their [the Russians] behalf, either wittingly or unwittingly" Brennan may actually have given Republicans and Drumpf and his team the excuse they need. If these investigations get closer to establishing real connections, the Republicans undoubtedly will use Brannan's statement that either the Russians never got past the phase of "trying" to suborn them or that their subornation was unwittingly. But of course that won't let Drumpf of the hook for wittingly obstructing justice numerous times.
Brennans statement that he briefed Congressional leaders in August, including Ryan and McConnell, was no more than a confirmation of what already had become publicly know. Upon receiving this information Democrats wanted to go public, but Obama, by then also briefed on all details, let himself be pressured(?) by the GOP not to allow that or investigate further, as the story goes. It's still a mystery to me why Obama went along with it, given the reputation of the GOP, and overruled the Democrats in Congress, nor do I understand why he didn't backtrack on that decision when Comey, but in fact Chaffetz(!), revealed a "reopening of Clinton's email investigation".
Obama knew that it would create a crisis if he released the intelligence. Trump would have claimed that the election had vben stolen from him and tens of thousands of his followers would have joined bloody Ammosexual riots, as soon as Trump lost. IMHO, I think Omama's intent was to avoid all that, because he assumed Hillary would win anyway, and we could deal with it then.
A whole lot of us assumed that. Sigh.
I'm sure a lot of great minds fell in that ditch.
That's pretty much it in a nutshell.
And no one – absolutelly NO ONE – is sorrier he didn't than he is.
OK – well, of course, Hillary … and certainly Bill … then there's me … my Mom … well, pretty much the majority of Americans who have functioning synapes!
I agree.
Thanks all. Hugs!