Politics

Brennan, Gowdy Spar Over Trump-Russian 'Conspiracy'

Josh Saul,Newsweek 7 hours ago .
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In testimony Tuesday morning before the House Permanent Select Committee on Inte
lligence, former CIA Director John Brennan revealed publicly for the first time
that he was concerned about contacts between Russian officials and people involved
in the Trump campaign.
I encountered and am aware of information and intelligence that revealed contacts
and interactions between Russian officials and U.S. persons involved in the Tru
mp campaign that I was concerned about because of known Russian efforts to subor
n such individuals, Brennan said, answering pointed questions from South Carolina
Representative Trey Gowdy. And it raised questions in my mind about whether Russ
ia was able to gain the cooperation of those individuals.
Brennan continued, saying that he doesn t know whether any collusion actually took
place: But I know that that there was a sufficient basis of information and inte
lligence that required further investigation by the bureau to determine if U.S.
persons were actively conspiring, colluding with Russian officials.
Trending: What Are Donald, Melania and Ivanka Trump Doing in Italy?
The back-and-forth between the two men was tense at times, as Gowdy pressed Bren
nan on the issue.
Did you see evidence of collusion, coordination, conspiracy between Donald Trump
and Russian state actors? Gowdy asked.
I saw information and intelligence that was worthy of investigation by the bureau
to determine whether such cooperation and collusion was taking place, Brennan re
sponded.
That doesn t help us a lot. What was the nature of the information? Gowdy shot back,
employing less of the respectful decorum than most of his colleagues used when

no effort to consult with them before putting forward a roster of cuts that C
ongress would clearly find unacceptable. These include slashing agriculture spen
ding for crop insurance and food stamps; a cut of more than 30 percent for the S
tate Department; as well as billions in cuts to an array of other domestic progr
ams from Superfund cleanup spending to student loans.
"You would hope that they would want to ask the folks who know the most about it
," said Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee,
adding he and his staff were not consulted.
Israeli and U.S. officials like to gush about the two countries special relationsh
ip, their strategic alliance and the democratic values they share. At the airport
welcoming ceremony for President Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu s wife
Sara suggested something else shared by the two countries a combative relationsh
ip between the media and their respective leaders. While making chitchat with Fi
rst Lady Melania Trump and the president, Sara Netanyahu said in her uneven Engl
ish, The majority of the people in Israel, unlike the media, love us. So we tell
them how you are great so they love you. The president replied, "We have somethin
g very much in common, and Netanyahu chimed in, ...