Former FBI director James Comey violated agency policies when he leaked memos documenting conversations with President Donald Trump, the Justice Department's watchdog said on Thursday.

Comey, who was fired by Trump in 2017 after allegedly resisting the president's entreaties to drop an investigation into former national security advisor Michael Flynn, penned the memos after meeting the president during his early days at the White House.

One memo said Trump asked Comey to shut down an investigation into Flynn, who eventually admitted lying to the FBI about conversations with Russia's ambassador.

The admission led to one of the earliest indictments to come from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into contacts between Russia and the Trump 2016 election campaign.&nbsp;

The Justice Department's Office of Inspector General berated Comey for asking an acquaintance teaching at Columbia University to share the contents of the memo with The New York Times.

Comey set a "dangerous example" for FBI employees in an attempt to "achieve a personally desired outcome," the report states.&nbsp;

But it found "no evidence that Comey or his attorneys released any of the classified information contained in any of the memos to members of the media" and said prosecutors had declined to bring a case.

Comey, who was among 17 people interviewed by the IG's office for the investigation, immediately responded on Twitter, saying a "quick message with a 'sorry we lied about you' would be nice."

Comey singled out the president, who has repeatedly upbraided the former intelligence official as a "leaker" since details of the memos emerged.

"And to all those who've spent two years talking about me 'going to jail' or being a 'liar and a leaker' -- ask yourselves why you still trust people who gave you bad info for so long, including the president," Comey said.

The IG focused on Comey's handling of seven memos detailing interactions with Trump in the first three months of 2017. Comey kept signed originals of four memos at home after being fired, without telling the FBI.

He also gave copies of several memos to personal attorneys and to Mueller's team, the report said.

"Department policy states that employees may not, without agency permission, remove records from the Department -- either during or after employment," the report said.&nbsp;

"The FBI policies are no different."&nbsp;

Former FBI director James Comey violated agency policies when he leaked memos documenting conversations with President Donald Trump, the Justice Department's watchdog said on Thursday.

Former FBI director James Comey violated agency policies when he leaked memos documenting conversations with President Donald Trump, the Justice Department's watchdog said on Thursday. Comey, who was fired by Trump in 2017 after allegedly resisting the president's entreaties to drop an investigation into former national security advisor Michael Flynn, penned the memos after meeting the president during his early days at the White House. One memo said Trump asked Comey to shut down an investigation into Flynn, who eventually admitted lying to the FBI about conversations with Russia's ambassador. The admission led to one of the earliest indictments to come from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into contacts between Russia and the Trump 2016 election campaign. The Justice Department's Office of Inspector General berated Comey for asking an acquaintance teaching at Columbia University to share the contents of the memo with The New York Times. Comey set a "dangerous example" for FBI employees in an attempt to "achieve a personally desired outcome," the report states. But it found "no evidence that Comey or his attorneys released any of the classified information contained in any of the memos to members of the media" and said prosecutors had declined to bring a case. Comey, who was among 17 people interviewed by the IG's office for the investigation, immediately responded on Twitter, saying a "quick message with a 'sorry we lied about you' would be nice." Comey singled out the president, who has repeatedly upbraided the former intelligence official as a "leaker" since details of the memos emerged. "And to all those who've spent two years talking about me 'going to jail' or being a 'liar and a leaker' -- ask yourselves why you still trust people who gave you bad info for so long, including the president," Comey said. The IG focused on Comey's handling of seven memos detailing interactions with Trump in the first three months of 2017. Comey kept signed originals of four memos at home after being fired, without telling the FBI. He also gave copies of several memos to personal attorneys and to Mueller's team, the report said. "Department policy states that employees may not, without agency permission, remove records from the Department -- either during or after employment," the report said. "The FBI policies are no different."

Ex-FBI chief James Comey violated policies with Donald Trump memos: Watchdog

The FBI is investigating the apparent suicide in a New York prison of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wealthy-financier-jeffrey-epstein-kills-himself-in-prison-242042">disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein</a>, the Justice Department said Saturday.

The department's Bureau of Prisons made the announcement as questions were raised as to how a high-profile inmate who had apparently attempted to kill himself last month could take his life in what is supposed to be a highly secure federal facility in downtown Manhattan.

Epstein was charged with trafficking girls for sex.

The bureau said Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell in the Metropolitan Correctional Center "from an apparent suicide."

It said staff began life-saving measures and Epstein was eventually rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

"The FBI is investigating the incident," said the bureau.

The FBI is investigating the apparent suicide in a New York prison of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, the Justice Department said Saturday. The department's Bureau of Prisons made the announcement as questions were raised as to how a high-profile inmate who had apparently attempted to kill himself last month could take his life in what is supposed to be a highly secure federal facility in downtown Manhattan.

The FBI is investigating the apparent suicide in a New York prison of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, the Justice Department said Saturday. The department's Bureau of Prisons made the announcement as questions were raised as to how a high-profile inmate who had apparently attempted to kill himself last month could take his life in what is supposed to be a highly secure federal facility in downtown Manhattan. Epstein was charged with trafficking girls for sex. The bureau said Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell in the Metropolitan Correctional Center "from an apparent suicide." It said staff began life-saving measures and Epstein was eventually rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. "The FBI is investigating the incident," said the bureau.

FBI investigating death of financier Epstein: Justice Department

Two mass shootings in the United States have left 29 people dead within 24 hours, the latest such attacks in a nation torn over how to tackle gun violence.

A gunman armed with an assault rifle killed 20 people Saturday when he opened fire on shoppers at a packed Walmart store in El Paso, Texas.

Less than 13 hours later, a lone <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/seven-feared-dead-in-second-mass-shooting-incident-in-us-in-24-hours-240568">shooter killed nine people in Dayton, Ohio</a> early Sunday before being shot dead by responding police officers.

"We have nine victims deceased... and we have approximately 16 more victims hospitalized right now in unknown conditions," Dayton Police Lieutenant Colonel Matt Carper said.

The attacker opened fire around 1:00 am Sunday (0500 GMT) on a street in the popular bar and nightlife Oregon district.

Police were working to identify the shooter and the FBI were on the scene.

"Fortunately we had multiple officers in the immediate vicinity when this incident started so there was a very short timeline of violence, for that we've very fortunate," he said, praising the swift response by officers.

"As bad as this is, it could have been much, much worse."

Carper said the investigation would continue through the night but the attack appeared to be the work of a lone shooter.

The incident came just hours after the mass shooting at a Walmart store in Texas which has reignited debate about the US "epidemic" of gun violence.

President Donald Trump described the El Paso attack as "an act of cowardice" and police are treating it as a possible hate crime.

One suspect was taken into custody while authorities were studying an extremist manifesto purportedly written by the gunman.

Footage shot with cellphones appeared to show multiple bodies lying on the ground in the store's parking lot while other footage showed terrified shoppers running out of the store as gunfire echoed.

Two to 82 years&nbsp;

Police chief Greg Allen confirmed that in addition to the 20 confirmed fatalities in El Paso, there were 26 wounded.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said three Mexican citizens were killed and Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said six others were wounded.

Various news reports said the ages of victims being treated at hospitals ranged from two to 82 years.

Police said that Walmart was "at capacity" at the time of the shooting, with 1,000-3,000 customers inside.

A 21-year-old from Allen, Texas, was the only person in custody, police confirmed. US media identified him as Patrick Crusius, who is white. He surrendered to police about a block away from the Walmart.

"Right now we have a manifesto from this individual that indicates to some degree, it has a nexus to potential hate crime," Allen said.

The "manifesto" purportedly written by Crusius that was circulated online includes passages railing against the "Hispanic invasion" of Texas and the author makes clear that he expected to be killed during his attack.

Witnesses said the gunman appeared to be shooting at random when he opened fire around 10:30 am.

One woman, who gave her name as Vanessa, said she had just pulled into the Walmart parking lot when the shooting began.

"You could hear the pops, one right after another and at that point as I was turning, I saw a lady, seemed she was coming out of Walmart, headed to her car. She had her groceries in her cart and I saw her just fall," she told Fox News.

The witness said the gunman wore a black T-shirt, combat trousers and earmuffs.

"He was just shooting randomly. It wasn't to any particular person. It was any that would cross paths."

Another shopper described how he managed to avoid being hit by hiding along with his mother between two vending machines just outside the store.

"That's where the individual tried to shoot at me, which he missed cause I kind of ducked down," Robert Curado told the El Paso Times.

"He had an AK-47."

'Act of cowardice'

Video captured by a witness in the parking lot in the immediate aftermath of the shooting showed three people lying motionless on the ground.

One had fallen next to a truck, while two were on the sidewalk outside the store entrance.

"Ambulance! Help!" people cried as they rushed to the victims.

A still captured from CCTV showed the gunman carrying what appeared to be an AK-47 assault rifle.

Beto O'Rourke, a former US congressman for El Paso who is now running for president, cut off his campaigning in the wake of the shooting.

"I'm incredibly saddened and it's very hard to think about this. But I tell you El Paso is the strongest place in the world, this community is going to come together," he told supporters.

Elizabeth Warren, a senator who is among the frontrunners for the Democratic party's presidential nomination, said: "We must act now to end our country's gun violence epidemic."

Two mass shootings in the United States have left 29 people dead within 24 hours, the latest such attacks in a nation torn over how to tackle gun violence. A gunman armed with an assault rifle killed 20 people Saturday when he opened fire on shoppers at a packed Walmart store in El Paso, Texas.

Two mass shootings in the United States have left 29 people dead within 24 hours, the latest such attacks in a nation torn over how to tackle gun violence. A gunman armed with an assault rifle killed 20 people Saturday when he opened fire on shoppers at a packed Walmart store in El Paso, Texas. Less than 13 hours later, a lone shooter killed nine people in Dayton, Ohio early Sunday before being shot dead by responding police officers. "We have nine victims deceased... and we have approximately 16 more victims hospitalized right now in unknown conditions," Dayton Police Lieutenant Colonel Matt Carper said. The attacker opened fire around 1:00 am Sunday (0500 GMT) on a street in the popular bar and nightlife Oregon district. Police were working to identify the shooter and the FBI were on the scene. "Fortunately we had multiple officers in the immediate vicinity when this incident started so there was a very short timeline of violence, for that we've very fortunate," he said, praising the swift response by officers. "As bad as this is, it could have been much, much worse." Carper said the investigation would continue through the night but the attack appeared to be the work of a lone shooter. The incident came just hours after the mass shooting at a Walmart store in Texas which has reignited debate about the US "epidemic" of gun violence. President Donald Trump described the El Paso attack as "an act of cowardice" and police are treating it as a possible hate crime. One suspect was taken into custody while authorities were studying an extremist manifesto purportedly written by the gunman. Footage shot with cellphones appeared to show multiple bodies lying on the ground in the store's parking lot while other footage showed terrified shoppers running out of the store as gunfire echoed. Two to 82 years Police chief Greg Allen confirmed that in addition to the 20 confirmed fatalities in El Paso, there were 26 wounded. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said three Mexican citizens were killed and Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said six others were wounded. Various news reports said the ages of victims being treated at hospitals ranged from two to 82 years. Police said that Walmart was "at capacity" at the time of the shooting, with 1,000-3,000 customers inside. A 21-year-old from Allen, Texas, was the only person in custody, police confirmed. US media identified him as Patrick Crusius, who is white. He surrendered to police about a block away from the Walmart. "Right now we have a manifesto from this individual that indicates to some degree, it has a nexus to potential hate crime," Allen said. The "manifesto" purportedly written by Crusius that was circulated online includes passages railing against the "Hispanic invasion" of Texas and the author makes clear that he expected to be killed during his attack. Witnesses said the gunman appeared to be shooting at random when he opened fire around 10:30 am. One woman, who gave her name as Vanessa, said she had just pulled into the Walmart parking lot when the shooting began. "You could hear the pops, one right after another and at that point as I was turning, I saw a lady, seemed she was coming out of Walmart, headed to her car. She had her groceries in her cart and I saw her just fall," she told Fox News. The witness said the gunman wore a black T-shirt, combat trousers and earmuffs. "He was just shooting randomly. It wasn't to any particular person. It was any that would cross paths." Another shopper described how he managed to avoid being hit by hiding along with his mother between two vending machines just outside the store. "That's where the individual tried to shoot at me, which he missed cause I kind of ducked down," Robert Curado told the El Paso Times. "He had an AK-47." 'Act of cowardice' Video captured by a witness in the parking lot in the immediate aftermath of the shooting showed three people lying motionless on the ground. One had fallen next to a truck, while two were on the sidewalk outside the store entrance. "Ambulance! Help!" people cried as they rushed to the victims. A still captured from CCTV showed the gunman carrying what appeared to be an AK-47 assault rifle. Beto O'Rourke, a former US congressman for El Paso who is now running for president, cut off his campaigning in the wake of the shooting. "I'm incredibly saddened and it's very hard to think about this. But I tell you El Paso is the strongest place in the world, this community is going to come together," he told supporters. Elizabeth Warren, a senator who is among the frontrunners for the Democratic party's presidential nomination, said: "We must act now to end our country's gun violence epidemic."

29 killed in two US mass shootings within hours

FBI documents unsealed on Thursday suggest that Donald&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;was actively involved in engineering a hush-money payment shortly before the 2016 election to a porn actress who said she had a sexual encounter with him, as his personal lawyer Michael Cohen, campaign team and others scrambled to head off a scandal.

The documents, released on the orders of US&nbsp;District Judge William Pauley in Manhattan, were used by law enforcement officials to obtain a 2018 search warrant that led to FBI raids on Cohen's home and office.

The documents provided the most extensive account to date of what appears to be then-candidate&nbsp;Trump's personal involvement in the scheme to pay $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels to avert a controversy for a campaign already reeling from the release of 2005 audio from the TV programme "Access Hollywood" in which&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;bragged about grabbing women by the genitals.

The documents detailed repeated communications between&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;and Cohen and Hope Hicks,&nbsp;Trump's presidential campaign press secretary who later became a senior White House official.

The White House and a lawyer for Hicks did not respond to a request for comment on the documents.

Cohen, 52, pleaded guilty in August 2018 to violating campaign finance law by directing the payment to Daniels as well as another payment of $150,000 to Playboy model Karen McDougal shortly before the election.

Both women have said they had sexual encounters with&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;more than a decade ago and that the money was meant to buy their silence.&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;has denied the encounters and in 2018 told reporters he knew nothing about a payment to Daniels.

The newly unredacted material includes a 19-page section of the FBI's search warrant application with the heading: "The Illegal Campaign Contribution Scheme." It shows Cohen having multiple interactions with&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;and&nbsp;Trump's campaign staff as Cohen was negotiating the payoff with Daniels' lawyer and executives of American Media Inc, publisher of the National Enquirer tabloid newspaper.

A lawyer for AMI did not respond to a request for comment on the documents.

The National Enquirer's publisher had offered to help&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;by buying rights to unflattering stories and never publishing them.

Before the payoff negotiations began, Cohen spoke on the phone with&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;approximately once a month and rarely had phone contact with&nbsp;Trump's presidential campaign staff, the search warrant application said. The FBI documents do not provide the content of the calls.

Beginning on Oct. 8, there was a sharp uptick in calls with&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;and his campaign staff. That evening - a month before the election and in the immediate aftermath of the "Access Hollywood" tape that caused a political firestorm and prompted a rare apology from&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;- Hicks, Cohen and&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;held a three-way phone call lasting more than four minutes, the FBI document said.

Over the course of the evening, Cohen had several calls with Hicks, AMI President David Pecker, a friend of&nbsp;Trump, and Dylan Howard, AMI's chief content officer, before calling&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;back for eight minutes. The FBI documents do not provide the content of the calls.

Later that evening, Howard then sent Cohen a text message: "Keith will do it," the message said, in an apparent reference to Keith Davidson, a lawyer for Daniels who would end up receiving the $130,000 payment for Daniels from Cohen later that month. "Let's reconvene tomorrow."

The next day, Howard connected Cohen and Davidson in a text message to begin the payoff negotiations, the document stated.

Hicks testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee earlier this year that she was never present for any discussion during the campaign between&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;and Cohen about Daniels.

The chairman of the House judiciary panel, Jerrold Nadler, in a letter to Hicks released publicly on Thursday, demanded that she return to Capitol Hill before Aug. 15 to explain the inconsistencies in her testimony.

'Inescapable conclusion'

Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that the documents demonstrate&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;was "intimately involved in devising and executing a corrupt scheme" to keep the Daniels matter secret.

"The inescapable conclusion from all of the public materials available now," Schiff added, "is that there was ample evidence to charge Donald&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;with the same criminal election law violations for which Michael Cohen pled guilty and is now serving time in prison."

The documents show that Hicks spoke with Cohen several times about the importance of keeping the Daniels and McDougal stories from "gaining national traction."

Not long after the Wall Street Journal published an article online four days before the Nov. 8 election, the documents showed Cohen sent a text message to Hicks saying the article was getting "little to no traction," prompting her to respond: "Same. Keep praying!! It's working!"

On the same day as that text, Howard texted Cohen about the Wall Street Journal story, saying, "I think it'll be ok pal. I think it'll fade into the distance," the documents showed. Cohen responded, "He's pissed," an apparent reference to&nbsp;Trump, according to the documents.

Cohen, who was once&nbsp;Trump's self-described "fixer," began serving a three-year prison sentence in May for his campaign finance violations and other crimes, including making false statements to a bank and tax evasion.

In a statement released from prison on Thursday, Cohen reiterated his previous comments about&nbsp;Trump's central role in the hush money scheme, referring to the president's company in saying, "I and members of The&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;Organization were directed by Mr.&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;to handle the Stormy Daniels matter; including making the hush money payment."

Cohen pleaded guilty last November to separate charges brought by the office of former Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who was investigating contacts between&nbsp;Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russia. Cohen admitted he lied to Congress about the extent of contacts between&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;and Russians during the campaign.

The judge on Wednesday said there was no reason to keep the documents secret after prosecutors told him that their investigation into the payments had ended.

FBI documents unsealed on Thursday suggest that Donald Trump was actively involved in engineering a hush-money payment shortly before the 2016 election to a porn actress who said she had a sexual encounter with him, as his personal lawyer Michael Cohen, campaign team and others scrambled to head off a scandal.

FBI documents unsealed on Thursday suggest that Donald Trump was actively involved in engineering a hush-money payment shortly before the 2016 election to a porn actress who said she had a sexual encounter with him, as his personal lawyer Michael Cohen, campaign team and others scrambled to head off a scandal. The documents, released on the orders of US District Judge William Pauley in Manhattan, were used by law enforcement officials to obtain a 2018 search warrant that led to FBI raids on Cohen's home and office. The documents provided the most extensive account to date of what appears to be then-candidate Trump's personal involvement in the scheme to pay $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels to avert a controversy for a campaign already reeling from the release of 2005 audio from the TV programme "Access Hollywood" in which Trump bragged about grabbing women by the genitals. The documents detailed repeated communications between Trump and Cohen and Hope Hicks, Trump's presidential campaign press secretary who later became a senior White House official. The White House and a lawyer for Hicks did not respond to a request for comment on the documents. Cohen, 52, pleaded guilty in August 2018 to violating campaign finance law by directing the payment to Daniels as well as another payment of $150,000 to Playboy model Karen McDougal shortly before the election. Both women have said they had sexual encounters with Trump more than a decade ago and that the money was meant to buy their silence. Trump has denied the encounters and in 2018 told reporters he knew nothing about a payment to Daniels. The newly unredacted material includes a 19-page section of the FBI's search warrant application with the heading: "The Illegal Campaign Contribution Scheme." It shows Cohen having multiple interactions with Trump and Trump's campaign staff as Cohen was negotiating the payoff with Daniels' lawyer and executives of American Media Inc, publisher of the National Enquirer tabloid newspaper. A lawyer for AMI did not respond to a request for comment on the documents. The National Enquirer's publisher had offered to help Trump by buying rights to unflattering stories and never publishing them. Before the payoff negotiations began, Cohen spoke on the phone with Trump approximately once a month and rarely had phone contact with Trump's presidential campaign staff, the search warrant application said. The FBI documents do not provide the content of the calls. Beginning on Oct. 8, there was a sharp uptick in calls with Trump and his campaign staff. That evening - a month before the election and in the immediate aftermath of the "Access Hollywood" tape that caused a political firestorm and prompted a rare apology from Trump - Hicks, Cohen and Trump held a three-way phone call lasting more than four minutes, the FBI document said. Over the course of the evening, Cohen had several calls with Hicks, AMI President David Pecker, a friend of Trump, and Dylan Howard, AMI's chief content officer, before calling Trump back for eight minutes. The FBI documents do not provide the content of the calls. Later that evening, Howard then sent Cohen a text message: "Keith will do it," the message said, in an apparent reference to Keith Davidson, a lawyer for Daniels who would end up receiving the $130,000 payment for Daniels from Cohen later that month. "Let's reconvene tomorrow." The next day, Howard connected Cohen and Davidson in a text message to begin the payoff negotiations, the document stated. Hicks testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee earlier this year that she was never present for any discussion during the campaign between Trump and Cohen about Daniels. The chairman of the House judiciary panel, Jerrold Nadler, in a letter to Hicks released publicly on Thursday, demanded that she return to Capitol Hill before Aug. 15 to explain the inconsistencies in her testimony. 'Inescapable conclusion' Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that the documents demonstrate Trump was "intimately involved in devising and executing a corrupt scheme" to keep the Daniels matter secret. "The inescapable conclusion from all of the public materials available now," Schiff added, "is that there was ample evidence to charge Donald Trump with the same criminal election law violations for which Michael Cohen pled guilty and is now serving time in prison." The documents show that Hicks spoke with Cohen several times about the importance of keeping the Daniels and McDougal stories from "gaining national traction." Not long after the Wall Street Journal published an article online four days before the Nov. 8 election, the documents showed Cohen sent a text message to Hicks saying the article was getting "little to no traction," prompting her to respond: "Same. Keep praying!! It's working!" On the same day as that text, Howard texted Cohen about the Wall Street Journal story, saying, "I think it'll be ok pal. I think it'll fade into the distance," the documents showed. Cohen responded, "He's pissed," an apparent reference to Trump, according to the documents. Cohen, who was once Trump's self-described "fixer," began serving a three-year prison sentence in May for his campaign finance violations and other crimes, including making false statements to a bank and tax evasion. In a statement released from prison on Thursday, Cohen reiterated his previous comments about Trump's central role in the hush money scheme, referring to the president's company in saying, "I and members of The Trump Organization were directed by Mr. Trump to handle the Stormy Daniels matter; including making the hush money payment." Cohen pleaded guilty last November to separate charges brought by the office of former Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who was investigating contacts between Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russia. Cohen admitted he lied to Congress about the extent of contacts between Trump and Russians during the campaign. The judge on Wednesday said there was no reason to keep the documents secret after prosecutors told him that their investigation into the payments had ended.

FBI documents point to Trump role in hush money for porn star Daniels

US Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer called on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to conduct a national security and privacy investigation into FaceApp, a face-editing photo app developed in Russia, in a letter sent on Wednesday.

The viral smartphone application, which has seen a new surge of popularity due to a filter that ages photos of users' faces, requires "full and irrevocable access to their personal photos and data," which could pose "national security and privacy risks for millions of US citizens," Schumer said in his letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray and FTC Chairman Joe Simons.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BIG: Share if you used <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FaceApp?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FaceApp</a>: 
 
The <a href="https://twitter.com/FBI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBI</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/FTC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FTC</a> must look into the national security &amp; privacy risks now 
 
Because millions of Americans have used it 
 
It’s owned by a Russia-based company 
 
And users are required to provide full, irrevocable access to their personal photos &amp; data <a href="https://t.co/cejLLwBQcr">pic.twitter.com/cejLLwBQcr</a>
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/1151645791796248576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 18, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The Democatic National Committee also sent out an alert to the party's 2020 presidential candidates on Wednesday warning them against using the app, pointing to its Russian provenance.

In the email, DNC security chief Bob Lord also urged Democratic presidential campaigns to delete the app immediately if they or their staff had already used it.

There is no evidence that FaceApp provides user data to the Russian government.

Democrats have invested heavily in bolstering party cyber defenses after US intelligence agencies determined that Russia used hacking as part of an effort to boost support for President Donald Trump’s 2016 election campaign. Russia has repeatedly denied those claims.

FaceApp, which was developed by Wireless Lab, a company based in St. Petersburg, says on its website that it has over 80 million active users. Its CEO, Yaroslav Goncharov, used to be an executive at Yandex, widely known as "Russia's Google".

The app, which was launched in 2017, made headlines in 2018 when it removed its 'ethnicity filters' after users condemned them as racist.

More recently, it has faced scrutiny from the public over issues such as not clearly communicating that the app uploads images to the cloud rather than processing them locally on a user's device.

It is not clear how the artificial intelligence application retains the data of users or how users may ensure the deletion of their data after usage, Schumer said in the letter.

Schumer said the photo editing app's location in Russia raises questions about how FaceApp lets third parties, including foreign governments, have access to the data of American citizens.

In a statement cited by media outlets, FaceApp has denied selling or sharing user data with third parties.

"99% of users don't log in; therefore, we don't have access to any data that could identify a person," the company said in a statement cited by TechCrunch, adding that most images are deleted from its servers within 48 hours of the upload date.

While the company's research and development team is located in Russia, the user data is not transferred to Russia, according to the statement.

US Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer called on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to conduct a national security and privacy investigation into FaceApp, a face-editing photo app developed in Russia, in a letter sent on Wednesday.

US Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer called on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to conduct a national security and privacy investigation into FaceApp, a face-editing photo app developed in Russia, in a letter sent on Wednesday. The viral smartphone application, which has seen a new surge of popularity due to a filter that ages photos of users' faces, requires "full and irrevocable access to their personal photos and data," which could pose "national security and privacy risks for millions of US citizens," Schumer said in his letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray and FTC Chairman Joe Simons. BIG: Share if you used #FaceApp: The @FBI & @FTC must look into the national security & privacy risks now Because millions of Americans have used it It’s owned by a Russia-based company And users are required to provide full, irrevocable access to their personal photos & data pic.twitter.com/cejLLwBQcr — Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) July 18, 2019 × The Democatic National Committee also sent out an alert to the party's 2020 presidential candidates on Wednesday warning them against using the app, pointing to its Russian provenance. In the email, DNC security chief Bob Lord also urged Democratic presidential campaigns to delete the app immediately if they or their staff had already used it. There is no evidence that FaceApp provides user data to the Russian government. Democrats have invested heavily in bolstering party cyber defenses after US intelligence agencies determined that Russia used hacking as part of an effort to boost support for President Donald Trump’s 2016 election campaign. Russia has repeatedly denied those claims. FaceApp, which was developed by Wireless Lab, a company based in St. Petersburg, says on its website that it has over 80 million active users. Its CEO, Yaroslav Goncharov, used to be an executive at Yandex, widely known as "Russia's Google". The app, which was launched in 2017, made headlines in 2018 when it removed its 'ethnicity filters' after users condemned them as racist. More recently, it has faced scrutiny from the public over issues such as not clearly communicating that the app uploads images to the cloud rather than processing them locally on a user's device. It is not clear how the artificial intelligence application retains the data of users or how users may ensure the deletion of their data after usage, Schumer said in the letter. Schumer said the photo editing app's location in Russia raises questions about how FaceApp lets third parties, including foreign governments, have access to the data of American citizens. In a statement cited by media outlets, FaceApp has denied selling or sharing user data with third parties. "99% of users don't log in; therefore, we don't have access to any data that could identify a person," the company said in a statement cited by TechCrunch, adding that most images are deleted from its servers within 48 hours of the upload date. While the company's research and development team is located in Russia, the user data is not transferred to Russia, according to the statement.

US Senator Schumer asks FBI to probe Russia's FaceApp over security concerns

U.S. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer called on the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission to conduct a national security and privacy investigation into FaceApp, a face-editing photo app developed in Russia, in a letter sent on Wednesday.

U.S. Senator Schumer asks FBI, FTC to probe Russia's FaceApp over security concerns

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/us-to-seek-rollback-of-indian-tariffs-during-trade-talk-report-235194">US</a> Attorney General William Barr has recused himself from the Justice Department's investigation into Boeing Co after two <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ryanair-holdings-sees-risk-to-2020-growth-if-737-max-grounded-beyond-november-234886">737 MAX</a> aeroplane crashes killed 346 people, a spokeswoman for Barr said Thursday.

Bloomberg News reported on Thursday that Barr has recused himself because his former law firm is representing Boeing.&nbsp;

Reuters and other outlets reported in March that federal prosecutors aided by the FBI were scrutinizing the development of the 737 MAX jetliners. Boeing did not immediately comment.

US Attorney General William Barr has recused himself from the Justice Department's investigation into Boeing Co after two 737 MAX aeroplane crashes killed 346 people, a spokeswoman for Barr said Thursday.

US Attorney General William Barr has recused himself from the Justice Department's investigation into Boeing Co after two 737 MAX aeroplane crashes killed 346 people, a spokeswoman for Barr said Thursday. Bloomberg News reported on Thursday that Barr has recused himself because his former law firm is representing Boeing. Reuters and other outlets reported in March that federal prosecutors aided by the FBI were scrutinizing the development of the 737 MAX jetliners. Boeing did not immediately comment.

United States Attorney General William Barr has recused himself from Boeing 737 MAX probe: Justice Department

Pak foreign ministry denies Dawood's presence in Pak. India said Dawood's presence in Pak is a long known fact. Pak's denial on Dawood shows it's not serious over terrorism. Dawood aide Jabir Motiwala revealed that He was in Pakistan. FBI wants Dawood aide Jabir Motiwala to be extradited. Watch this video to know more.

India Slams Pak Govt's Denial On Dawood

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of US suspects that underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is currently in Pakistan after secretly recording his close aide and Karachi-based businessman Jabir Motiwala.

On Tuesday, the second day of Motiwala's extradition hearing to the United States, at the Westminster Magistrates' Court here, Barrister John Hardy, on behalf of the US government, said, "Motiwala was a high ranking member of the D-company, a criminal organisation run by Dawood Ibrahim."

Dawood Ibrahim is wanted in India to face the law of the land for carrying out serial blasts in Mumbai in 1993 in which scores of people were killed and injured.

Hardy also claimed that during his interaction with the FBI agents, the businessman disclosed activities of D-company in India, United Arab Emirates, and Pakistan, The News International has reported.

The FBI's three Pakistani agents, described as CS1, CS2, and CS3 to protect their identity, interacted with Motiwala extensively over the course of more than five years in Karachi and Atlantic City to set up deals for the smuggling of heroin into the US.

The Court was further informed that Motiwala was not aware that those dealing with him were working for the FBI, secretly recording him on audio, video and written form to create evidence against him for arrest and prosecution later on.

Meanwhile, Motiwala's legal team, led by barrister Edward Fitzgerald, claimed that the alleged offences date back many years and the "long delay" between 2014 and 2018. He also raised the issue of illegal methods being used to trap the businessman into committing acts of criminality.

In addition, a psychiatrist specialist told the court that Motiwala is highly likely to commit suicide if extradited to America. The doctor stressed that after reviewing Motiwala's past medical record, obtained independently from Pakistan, it was well established that the businessman has a long history of depression and he had attempted suicide on three occasions.

However, despite Motiwala's denial of allegations, the trial continues at the Westminster Magistrates' Court.

The 51-year-old Pakistani national was arrested in August last year from Hilton on Edgware Road by Scotland Yard's Extradition Unit on the request of the US government to face extradition to America after an FBI probe charged him with money laundering, extortion, and conspiracy to import unlawful substances such as heroin.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of US suspects that underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is currently in Pakistan after secretly recording his close aide and Karachi-based businessman Jabir Motiwala.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of US suspects that underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is currently in Pakistan after secretly recording his close aide and Karachi-based businessman Jabir Motiwala. On Tuesday, the second day of Motiwala's extradition hearing to the United States, at the Westminster Magistrates' Court here, Barrister John Hardy, on behalf of the US government, said, "Motiwala was a high ranking member of the D-company, a criminal organisation run by Dawood Ibrahim." Dawood Ibrahim is wanted in India to face the law of the land for carrying out serial blasts in Mumbai in 1993 in which scores of people were killed and injured. Hardy also claimed that during his interaction with the FBI agents, the businessman disclosed activities of D-company in India, United Arab Emirates, and Pakistan, The News International has reported. The FBI's three Pakistani agents, described as CS1, CS2, and CS3 to protect their identity, interacted with Motiwala extensively over the course of more than five years in Karachi and Atlantic City to set up deals for the smuggling of heroin into the US. The Court was further informed that Motiwala was not aware that those dealing with him were working for the FBI, secretly recording him on audio, video and written form to create evidence against him for arrest and prosecution later on. Meanwhile, Motiwala's legal team, led by barrister Edward Fitzgerald, claimed that the alleged offences date back many years and the "long delay" between 2014 and 2018. He also raised the issue of illegal methods being used to trap the businessman into committing acts of criminality. In addition, a psychiatrist specialist told the court that Motiwala is highly likely to commit suicide if extradited to America. The doctor stressed that after reviewing Motiwala's past medical record, obtained independently from Pakistan, it was well established that the businessman has a long history of depression and he had attempted suicide on three occasions. However, despite Motiwala's denial of allegations, the trial continues at the Westminster Magistrates' Court. The 51-year-old Pakistani national was arrested in August last year from Hilton on Edgware Road by Scotland Yard's Extradition Unit on the request of the US government to face extradition to America after an FBI probe charged him with money laundering, extortion, and conspiracy to import unlawful substances such as heroin.

FBI suspects Dawood Ibrahim is in Pakistan

Sri Lankan <a href="https://www.wionews.com/west-asia/islamic-state-claims-responsibility-for-sri-lanka-bombings-212899">PM Ranil Wickremesinghe</a> on Tuesday confirmed at a press conference that India had offered specific intelligence about an impending attack.

India had warned Sri Lanka of jihadi threat, the PM said.&nbsp;

The Sri Lankan PM said, "there has always been sharing of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-colombo-on-high-alert-following-reports-of-explosives-laden-van-212903">information between our two countries</a> with regard to terrorism. There was specific intelligence on this".

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Investigation are on and a number of people have been detained in the aftermath of the terror attack. Interpol has deployed a team while FBI has been assisting the government in the probe. The Lankan PM said all the people who have been arrested are Sri Lankans.

PM Ranil said, "The investigators are making good progress in identifying the culprits."

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena briefed foreign envoys on the situation in the country.

At least ten&nbsp;Indians are among the more than 300 dead in Sunday's terror attack, the worst in the country.

Eight of the dead are from Karnataka, one from Hyderabad, one is still to be identified, and relatives of another Indian &nbsp;- Mr Chandrashaker - are still to contact the mission. All seven JD(S) member have been confirmed dead in the attack, and WION&nbsp;has learnt that the suicide bomber was sitting in the table next to them.&nbsp;

Many Indians have left the country and were facilitated by the Indian mission. Approximately 500 Indian expats are in the island nation.

Islamic State has taken responsibility for the attacks via the group's Amaq news agency.

Reacting to this PM Ranil said, "Security apparatus was of the view, &nbsp;there are foreign links, and some of the evidence points to that and when ISIS claimed it, we will be following it up on this claim."

State minister for defence Ruwan Wijewardene confirmed in Parliament earlier that Islamist group National Thowfeeth Jamath (NTJ) was&nbsp;responsible for the worst terror attack in the island nation.&nbsp;

Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe on Tuesday confirmed at a press conference that India had offered specific intelligence about an impending attack. India had warned Sri Lanka of jihadi threat, the PM said.

Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe on Tuesday confirmed at a press conference that India had offered specific intelligence about an impending attack. India had warned Sri Lanka of jihadi threat, the PM said. The Sri Lankan PM said, "there has always been sharing of information between our two countries with regard to terrorism. There was specific intelligence on this". × Investigation are on and a number of people have been detained in the aftermath of the terror attack. Interpol has deployed a team while FBI has been assisting the government in the probe. The Lankan PM said all the people who have been arrested are Sri Lankans. PM Ranil said, "The investigators are making good progress in identifying the culprits." Meanwhile, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena briefed foreign envoys on the situation in the country. At least ten Indians are among the more than 300 dead in Sunday's terror attack, the worst in the country. Eight of the dead are from Karnataka, one from Hyderabad, one is still to be identified, and relatives of another Indian - Mr Chandrashaker - are still to contact the mission. All seven JD(S) member have been confirmed dead in the attack, and WION has learnt that the suicide bomber was sitting in the table next to them. Many Indians have left the country and were facilitated by the Indian mission. Approximately 500 Indian expats are in the island nation. Islamic State has taken responsibility for the attacks via the group's Amaq news agency. Reacting to this PM Ranil said, "Security apparatus was of the view, there are foreign links, and some of the evidence points to that and when ISIS claimed it, we will be following it up on this claim." State minister for defence Ruwan Wijewardene confirmed in Parliament earlier that Islamist group National Thowfeeth Jamath (NTJ) was responsible for the worst terror attack in the island nation.

India had provided specific intelligence on attack: Sri Lanka PM Wickremesinghe

An Illinois man who prosecutors described as obsessed with serial killers was found guilty on Monday of the kidnapping and decapitation murder of a Chinese graduate student two years ago and could now face the death penalty.

A US District Court jury in Peoria deliberated for less than two hours before convicting Brendt Christensen, 29, of all charges in the disappearance and death of Yingying Zhang, a 26-year-old student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Zhang was reported missing on June 9, 2017, two months after coming from southeastern China to study photosynthesis and crop production at the university. Her remains have never been found, but prosecutors said her DNA was matched to the blood later found in three spots inside Christensen's bedroom.

The case has been closely watched by Chinese media, Chinese government officials and Chinese students studying in the United States. Relatives publicly appealed to US President Donald Trump for additional resources to help find Zhang two months after she vanished.

Federal prosecutors trying Christensen under US kidnapping laws have said they planned to seek the death penalty if he was found guilty.

Investigators were led to Christensen through surveillance video footage captured in Urbana, 130 miles (210 km) south of Chicago, showing Zhang getting into a black car that later was traced to the defendant.

Prosecutors said Christensen took Zhang to his apartment, where she fought for her life as he bludgeoned her with a baseball bat, raped her and stabbed her in the neck before cutting off her head.

Details of the crime, including the decapitation, were revealed by Christensen himself in conversations with his then-girlfriend secretly recorded for FBI agents investigating the case before his arrest, according to trial testimony.

Father's statement of thanks

Defence lawyers conceded during the trial that their client had killed Zhang, though they disputed particulars in prosecutors' account of events.

During closing arguments on Monday, Assistant US Attorney Eugene Miller told jurors that Christensen had spent up to six months planning the murder and had chosen Zhang because she was small of stature and appeared an easy target.

"He raped her, he murdered her, and then spent the next three weeks trying to cover up the crime," Miller said.

In their own summation on Monday, Christensen's lawyers suggested they hoped to persuade the jury to spare his life during the penalty phase of the trial, which was set to begin July 8.

"This is not the ultimate decision. You have to realize there's more," attorney Elisabeth Pollock told jurors.

Christensen, a onetime master's student at the university, sat expressionless in court as he was pronounced guilty on the charge of kidnapping resulting in death, as well as two counts of lying to federal investigators, capping an eight-day trial.

Earlier in the trial, prosecutors characterized Christensen as having a fascination with serial killers, including Ted Bundy, who murdered dozens of women during the 1970s.

The victim's father, Ronggao Zhang, read a statement outside the courthouse on Monday on behalf of the family thanking the jury for "this step towards justice."

"We have missed Yingying tremendously in the past two years," he said. "As of today, we still could not imagine how we could live the rest of our lives without her."

An Illinois man who prosecutors described as obsessed with serial killers was found guilty on Monday of the kidnapping and decapitation murder of a Chinese graduate student two years ago and could now face the death penalty.

An Illinois man who prosecutors described as obsessed with serial killers was found guilty on Monday of the kidnapping and decapitation murder of a Chinese graduate student two years ago and could now face the death penalty. A US District Court jury in Peoria deliberated for less than two hours before convicting Brendt Christensen, 29, of all charges in the disappearance and death of Yingying Zhang, a 26-year-old student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Zhang was reported missing on June 9, 2017, two months after coming from southeastern China to study photosynthesis and crop production at the university. Her remains have never been found, but prosecutors said her DNA was matched to the blood later found in three spots inside Christensen's bedroom. The case has been closely watched by Chinese media, Chinese government officials and Chinese students studying in the United States. Relatives publicly appealed to US President Donald Trump for additional resources to help find Zhang two months after she vanished. Federal prosecutors trying Christensen under US kidnapping laws have said they planned to seek the death penalty if he was found guilty. Investigators were led to Christensen through surveillance video footage captured in Urbana, 130 miles (210 km) south of Chicago, showing Zhang getting into a black car that later was traced to the defendant. Prosecutors said Christensen took Zhang to his apartment, where she fought for her life as he bludgeoned her with a baseball bat, raped her and stabbed her in the neck before cutting off her head. Details of the crime, including the decapitation, were revealed by Christensen himself in conversations with his then-girlfriend secretly recorded for FBI agents investigating the case before his arrest, according to trial testimony. Father's statement of thanks Defence lawyers conceded during the trial that their client had killed Zhang, though they disputed particulars in prosecutors' account of events. During closing arguments on Monday, Assistant US Attorney Eugene Miller told jurors that Christensen had spent up to six months planning the murder and had chosen Zhang because she was small of stature and appeared an easy target. "He raped her, he murdered her, and then spent the next three weeks trying to cover up the crime," Miller said. In their own summation on Monday, Christensen's lawyers suggested they hoped to persuade the jury to spare his life during the penalty phase of the trial, which was set to begin July 8. "This is not the ultimate decision. You have to realize there's more," attorney Elisabeth Pollock told jurors. Christensen, a onetime master's student at the university, sat expressionless in court as he was pronounced guilty on the charge of kidnapping resulting in death, as well as two counts of lying to federal investigators, capping an eight-day trial. Earlier in the trial, prosecutors characterized Christensen as having a fascination with serial killers, including Ted Bundy, who murdered dozens of women during the 1970s. The victim's father, Ronggao Zhang, read a statement outside the courthouse on Monday on behalf of the family thanking the jury for "this step towards justice." "We have missed Yingying tremendously in the past two years," he said. "As of today, we still could not imagine how we could live the rest of our lives without her."

US jury convicts man of Chinese graduate student's kidnap-murder

A <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/syrian-refugees-remain-trapped-and-marginalised-by-lebanons-power-sharing-politics-183443">Syrian refugee</a> in the US was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of planning an attack against a Pennsylvania church in the name of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/islamic-state-group-claims-melbourne-stabbing-that-killed-one-person-propaganda-agency-176428">Islamic State group</a>, the Justice Department said.

Mustafa Mousab Alowemer, 21, who arrived in the country as a refugee from Syria in August 2016, intended to target a church in the North Side neighbourhood of Pittsburgh, assistant attorney general John Demers and Pittsburgh federal prosecutor Scott Brady said in a statement.

 
"Court documents show Mustafa Alowemer planned to attack a church in the name of ISIS, which could have killed or injured many people," Michael McGarrity, of the FBI's counter-terrorism division, said in the statement.

"The FBI takes threats to churches and other religious institutions extremely seriously and will use all our resources to stop potential terrorist attacks against them," he said.

The suspect allegedly passed on documents about the construction and the use of explosives to a man he believed to be an IS group sympathizer, though he turned out to be an FBI employee.

In addition to contacting the man through social media and stating his support for the IS group, Alowemer had met with him four times since April, according to the statement.

He is alleged to have handwritten a 10-point plan about how he personally intended to bring explosives in a backpack and marked the church's access areas on maps.

Alowemer planned to meet with the agent he thought was his co-conspirator Wednesday for the last time before the would-be attack in July, the Department of Justice statement said.

He was charged with one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and two counts of distributing information relating to an explosive or weapon of mass destruction.

Eleven people were shot and killed in an anti-Semitic attack at a synagogue in Pittsburgh in October, the deadliest attack against Jewish people in the modern history of the United States.

A Syrian refugee in the US was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of planning an attack against a Pennsylvania church in the name of the Islamic State group, the Justice Department said.

A Syrian refugee in the US was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of planning an attack against a Pennsylvania church in the name of the Islamic State group, the Justice Department said. Mustafa Mousab Alowemer, 21, who arrived in the country as a refugee from Syria in August 2016, intended to target a church in the North Side neighbourhood of Pittsburgh, assistant attorney general John Demers and Pittsburgh federal prosecutor Scott Brady said in a statement. "Court documents show Mustafa Alowemer planned to attack a church in the name of ISIS, which could have killed or injured many people," Michael McGarrity, of the FBI's counter-terrorism division, said in the statement. "The FBI takes threats to churches and other religious institutions extremely seriously and will use all our resources to stop potential terrorist attacks against them," he said. The suspect allegedly passed on documents about the construction and the use of explosives to a man he believed to be an IS group sympathizer, though he turned out to be an FBI employee. In addition to contacting the man through social media and stating his support for the IS group, Alowemer had met with him four times since April, according to the statement. He is alleged to have handwritten a 10-point plan about how he personally intended to bring explosives in a backpack and marked the church's access areas on maps. Alowemer planned to meet with the agent he thought was his co-conspirator Wednesday for the last time before the would-be attack in July, the Department of Justice statement said. He was charged with one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and two counts of distributing information relating to an explosive or weapon of mass destruction. Eleven people were shot and killed in an anti-Semitic attack at a synagogue in Pittsburgh in October, the deadliest attack against Jewish people in the modern history of the United States.

Syrian refugee in United States arrested for plotting church attack

President Donald Trump on Friday sought to clarify his comments that he <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nothing-wrong-with-accepting-dirt-from-foreign-governments-on-opponents-trump-226696">would accept dirt on election rivals from a foreign power</a>, now saying he would "absolutely" report such an encounter to US authorities.

Singed by a political firestorm over his controversial remarks when he said he would only "maybe" call the Federal Bureau of Investigation if he believed there was wrongdoing, the president took to Fox News to nuance his explanation.

"Of course you give it to the FBI, or report it to the attorney general or somebody like that," Trump said.

But he maintained his controversial position revealed in a Wednesday ABC News interview that he would look at or listen to the information.

"Of course, you have to look at it, because if you don't look at it you're not going to know if it's bad," Trump said.

"Now, if I thought anything was incorrect or badly stated... I'd report it to law enforcement, absolutely."

Trump faced severe criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike after his initial remarks.

The furore follows years of debate over the Trump team's contacts with officials and operatives from Russia, which US intelligence agencies determined interfered in the 2016 presidential election.

An exhaustive 22-month special counsel investigation concluded that Trump's campaign had numerous contacts with Russians but the pattern did not amount to proof of a conspiracy with Moscow.

Despite that, Democrats say Trump's behaviour was suspicious enough to warrant further investigation in congressional committees. A loud minority of lawmakers is even pushing for impeachment.

The White House and Republicans argued that Trump was being unfairly singled out when the Democrats had been the ones to make use of a now-infamous dossier compiled by a foreigner, former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele, in 2016.

Trump told Fox he did not believe any foreign power would present him with "bad" dirt on his rivals "because they know how much I love this country."

And he stressed that as president he is in a different position than other Americans because of his constant interaction with world leaders like Queen Elizabeth II and French President Emmanuel Macron.

"We have many, many conversations," Trump said. "I'm just thinking, gee, if they say 'We don't like your opponent,' am I supposed to put the president of France, am I supposed to report him to the FBI?"

President Donald Trump on Friday sought to clarify his comments that he would accept dirt on election rivals from a foreign power, now saying he would "absolutely" report such an encounter to US authorities.

President Donald Trump on Friday sought to clarify his comments that he would accept dirt on election rivals from a foreign power, now saying he would "absolutely" report such an encounter to US authorities. Singed by a political firestorm over his controversial remarks when he said he would only "maybe" call the Federal Bureau of Investigation if he believed there was wrongdoing, the president took to Fox News to nuance his explanation. "Of course you give it to the FBI, or report it to the attorney general or somebody like that," Trump said. But he maintained his controversial position revealed in a Wednesday ABC News interview that he would look at or listen to the information. "Of course, you have to look at it, because if you don't look at it you're not going to know if it's bad," Trump said. "Now, if I thought anything was incorrect or badly stated... I'd report it to law enforcement, absolutely." Trump faced severe criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike after his initial remarks. The furore follows years of debate over the Trump team's contacts with officials and operatives from Russia, which US intelligence agencies determined interfered in the 2016 presidential election. An exhaustive 22-month special counsel investigation concluded that Trump's campaign had numerous contacts with Russians but the pattern did not amount to proof of a conspiracy with Moscow. Despite that, Democrats say Trump's behaviour was suspicious enough to warrant further investigation in congressional committees. A loud minority of lawmakers is even pushing for impeachment. The White House and Republicans argued that Trump was being unfairly singled out when the Democrats had been the ones to make use of a now-infamous dossier compiled by a foreigner, former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele, in 2016. Trump told Fox he did not believe any foreign power would present him with "bad" dirt on his rivals "because they know how much I love this country." And he stressed that as president he is in a different position than other Americans because of his constant interaction with world leaders like Queen Elizabeth II and French President Emmanuel Macron. "We have many, many conversations," Trump said. "I'm just thinking, gee, if they say 'We don't like your opponent,' am I supposed to put the president of France, am I supposed to report him to the FBI?"

Donald Trump clarifies would report foreign dirt on rivals to FBI

A 35-year-old Pakistani-American national has been arrested by the FBI on his arrival from Pakistan for being in contact with two UN-proscribed terror groups the Islamic State and JeM.

Waqar Ul-Hassan, a naturalised US citizen who moved to America at the age of 15, was arrested at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina on Tuesday.

Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar was designated as a global terrorist by the UN on May 1.

Hassan was arrested on two counts of making false statements in 2015 about his contacts with terrorist groups.

If convicted, he faces up to eight years of imprisonment.

According to court documents, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 2014 received information that he was in contact with terrorist organisations.

During an interview with the FBI, he denied having any contacts with the terrorist groups or helping them.

Later in November 2015, Hassan during another interview with the FBI admitted that he had lied and was in contact with two terrorist groups -- the Islamic State and JeM.

He acknowledged being untruthful in previous FBI interviews regarding his knowledge of persons associated with foreign terrorist organisations.

The FBI said Hassan admitted to extensive contacts with a JeM recruiter, who he identified by name. He also admitted to exchanging phone numbers with the recruiter and having several conversations about extremism with him.

Hassan further admitted he travelled to - and stayed with - JeM extremists for two or three days in 2014, travelled in Pakistan in 2013 and 2014 to collect money and food for JeM extremists and passed out recruiting newspapers for JeM in Pakistan in 2014, the FBI said.

Hassan admitted that he had not been truthful because he knew JeM was a terrorist group.

"Between 2013 and 2014 I travelled... around&nbsp;Gujrat (in Pakistan) and surrounding area collecting money and food for Jaish Mujahideen two or three times. In 2014, while staying with Jaish Mujahideen they told me about an attack on Indian soldier they conducted the previous year. They showed me a news video of the attack," Hassan said in a written statement to the FBI, according to court documents.

"I also past out a newspaper that Jaish Mujahideen uses to recruit people and collect money. I lied because I was scared of getting in trouble because I participated in collecting money, food and passing out the newspaper for Jaish Mujahadin which is a terrorist group but they also help the poor in Pakistan," he said.

Hassan was born on February 10, 1984, in Uttam Gujrat, Pakistan. He moved with his family to Brooklyn, New York in 1999 at the age of fifteen. He became a naturalised United States citizen in 2002 but retained citizenship in Pakistan.

Hassan told investigators that he was in contact with IS as well.

The complaint said because he was angry about what was happening to Muslims around the world, he was serious about sending $175 to Jihadists in Syria.

Hassan said that he did not send the money because he did not have a way to get the money there.&nbsp;

A 35-year-old Pakistani-American national has been arrested by the FBI on his arrival from Pakistan for being in contact with two UN-proscribed terror groups the Islamic State and JeM.

A 35-year-old Pakistani-American national has been arrested by the FBI on his arrival from Pakistan for being in contact with two UN-proscribed terror groups the Islamic State and JeM. Waqar Ul-Hassan, a naturalised US citizen who moved to America at the age of 15, was arrested at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina on Tuesday. Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar was designated as a global terrorist by the UN on May 1. Hassan was arrested on two counts of making false statements in 2015 about his contacts with terrorist groups. If convicted, he faces up to eight years of imprisonment. According to court documents, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 2014 received information that he was in contact with terrorist organisations. During an interview with the FBI, he denied having any contacts with the terrorist groups or helping them. Later in November 2015, Hassan during another interview with the FBI admitted that he had lied and was in contact with two terrorist groups -- the Islamic State and JeM. He acknowledged being untruthful in previous FBI interviews regarding his knowledge of persons associated with foreign terrorist organisations. The FBI said Hassan admitted to extensive contacts with a JeM recruiter, who he identified by name. He also admitted to exchanging phone numbers with the recruiter and having several conversations about extremism with him. Hassan further admitted he travelled to - and stayed with - JeM extremists for two or three days in 2014, travelled in Pakistan in 2013 and 2014 to collect money and food for JeM extremists and passed out recruiting newspapers for JeM in Pakistan in 2014, the FBI said. Hassan admitted that he had not been truthful because he knew JeM was a terrorist group. "Between 2013 and 2014 I travelled... around Gujrat (in Pakistan) and surrounding area collecting money and food for Jaish Mujahideen two or three times. In 2014, while staying with Jaish Mujahideen they told me about an attack on Indian soldier they conducted the previous year. They showed me a news video of the attack," Hassan said in a written statement to the FBI, according to court documents. "I also past out a newspaper that Jaish Mujahideen uses to recruit people and collect money. I lied because I was scared of getting in trouble because I participated in collecting money, food and passing out the newspaper for Jaish Mujahadin which is a terrorist group but they also help the poor in Pakistan," he said. Hassan was born on February 10, 1984, in Uttam Gujrat, Pakistan. He moved with his family to Brooklyn, New York in 1999 at the age of fifteen. He became a naturalised United States citizen in 2002 but retained citizenship in Pakistan. Hassan told investigators that he was in contact with IS as well. The complaint said because he was angry about what was happening to Muslims around the world, he was serious about sending $175 to Jihadists in Syria. Hassan said that he did not send the money because he did not have a way to get the money there.

FBI arrests Pakistani-American at airport for links to JeM, Islamic State

The FBI sent an undercover investigator to meet with an advisor to Donald Trump's presidential campaign to try to determine if it was working with Russia, The New York Times reported Thursday.

The investigator who met with <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/timeline-big-moments-in-mueller-investigation-of-russian-meddling-in-2016-us-election-211303&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwizyfrs3P7hAhWJqI8KHdgcAz8QFjAGegQIBBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1jJziI0gY-Oif39SAggvG2">George Papadopoulos</a> at a London bar in September 2016 -- two months before the election that brought Trump to office -- was posing as a research assistant, the Times said, citing unnamed people familiar with the operation.

The effort ultimately "yielded no fruitful information," the newspaper reported, but the revelation may provide further ammunition to Trump, who has denounced what he has termed "spying" on his presidential campaign.

Attorney General William Barr echoed that characterisation in testimony to Congress, saying that he will open an inquiry into "spying" against Trump by the FBI at the origins of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The 22-month investigation -- which Trump repeatedly dismissed as a "witch hunt" -- led to charges against 34 individuals, including Papadopoulos, and three companies.

Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and pledged to cooperate, eventually serving 12 days in prison.

The FBI sent an undercover investigator to meet with an advisor to Donald Trump's presidential campaign to try to determine if it was working with Russia, The New York Times reported Thursday.

The FBI sent an undercover investigator to meet with an advisor to Donald Trump's presidential campaign to try to determine if it was working with Russia, The New York Times reported Thursday. The investigator who met with George Papadopoulos at a London bar in September 2016 -- two months before the election that brought Trump to office -- was posing as a research assistant, the Times said, citing unnamed people familiar with the operation. The effort ultimately "yielded no fruitful information," the newspaper reported, but the revelation may provide further ammunition to Trump, who has denounced what he has termed "spying" on his presidential campaign. Attorney General William Barr echoed that characterisation in testimony to Congress, saying that he will open an inquiry into "spying" against Trump by the FBI at the origins of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election. The 22-month investigation -- which Trump repeatedly dismissed as a "witch hunt" -- led to charges against 34 individuals, including Papadopoulos, and three companies. Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and pledged to cooperate, eventually serving 12 days in prison.

FBI sent undercover investigator to meet Trump aide: Report

A former CIA officer could spend the rest of his life behind bars after pleading guilty on Wednesday to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-diplomat-pleads-guilty-in-china-spying-case-213309">spying for China</a>, the Justice Department said.

Jerry Chun Shing Lee, 54, was arrested in January 2018, suspected of having provided information on a CIA network of informants that was brought down by China between 2010 and 2012.

Lee pleaded guilty before a US District Court judge in the Eastern District of Virginia to conspiring to provide national defence information to China, the Justice Department said in a statement.

Lee, a former CIA case officer, left the Central Intelligence Agency in 2007 and moved to Hong Kong.

According to the Justice Department, he was approached by two Chinese intelligence officers in April 2010.

They offered to pay Lee $100,000 for information and to take care of him "for life" in exchange for his cooperation, it said.

The Justice Department said that in May 2010, Lee created a document on his laptop that described where the CIA assigns officers and the "particular location and timeframe of a sensitive CIA operation."

It said the FBI had also recovered handwritten notes made by Lee related to his work for the CIA.

"These notes included, among other things, intelligence provided by CIA assets, true names of assets, operational meeting locations and phone numbers and information about covert facilities," the Justice Department said.

John Brown, the FBI's assistant director for counterintelligence, said that Lee's actions had "dangerous ramifications."

"By knowingly aiding a foreign government, Mr Lee put our country's national security at serious risk and also threatened the safety and personal security of innocent people, namely his former intelligence colleagues," Brown said.

Ron Rockwell Hansen, 58, a former Defence Intelligence Agency official, faces 15 years in prison when he is sentenced later this year under a guilty plea to a charge of attempting to sell classified information to China.

Former State Department official Kevin Mallory was arrested in 2017 for spying for China.

And another US diplomat, Candace Marie Claiborne, was also arrested recently for taking money from Chinese intelligence officials, though she was not directly accused of supplying information in exchange.

FBI Director Christopher Wray said last week that China poses the most serious intelligence threat to the United States.

Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in Washington, Wray said China poses a "multi-layered" threat to US interests.

"They're doing it through Chinese intelligence services, through state-owned enterprises, through ostensibly private companies, through graduate students and researchers, through a variety of actors all working on behalf of China," he said.

Lee is to be sentenced on August 23. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

A former CIA officer could spend the rest of his life behind bars after pleading guilty on Wednesday to spying for China, the Justice Department said. Jerry Chun Shing Lee, 54, was arrested in January 2018, suspected of having provided information on a CIA network of informants that was brought down by China between 2010 and 2012.

A former CIA officer could spend the rest of his life behind bars after pleading guilty on Wednesday to spying for China, the Justice Department said. Jerry Chun Shing Lee, 54, was arrested in January 2018, suspected of having provided information on a CIA network of informants that was brought down by China between 2010 and 2012. Lee pleaded guilty before a US District Court judge in the Eastern District of Virginia to conspiring to provide national defence information to China, the Justice Department said in a statement. Lee, a former CIA case officer, left the Central Intelligence Agency in 2007 and moved to Hong Kong. According to the Justice Department, he was approached by two Chinese intelligence officers in April 2010. They offered to pay Lee $100,000 for information and to take care of him "for life" in exchange for his cooperation, it said. The Justice Department said that in May 2010, Lee created a document on his laptop that described where the CIA assigns officers and the "particular location and timeframe of a sensitive CIA operation." It said the FBI had also recovered handwritten notes made by Lee related to his work for the CIA. "These notes included, among other things, intelligence provided by CIA assets, true names of assets, operational meeting locations and phone numbers and information about covert facilities," the Justice Department said. John Brown, the FBI's assistant director for counterintelligence, said that Lee's actions had "dangerous ramifications." "By knowingly aiding a foreign government, Mr Lee put our country's national security at serious risk and also threatened the safety and personal security of innocent people, namely his former intelligence colleagues," Brown said. Ron Rockwell Hansen, 58, a former Defence Intelligence Agency official, faces 15 years in prison when he is sentenced later this year under a guilty plea to a charge of attempting to sell classified information to China. Former State Department official Kevin Mallory was arrested in 2017 for spying for China. And another US diplomat, Candace Marie Claiborne, was also arrested recently for taking money from Chinese intelligence officials, though she was not directly accused of supplying information in exchange. FBI Director Christopher Wray said last week that China poses the most serious intelligence threat to the United States. Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in Washington, Wray said China poses a "multi-layered" threat to US interests. "They're doing it through Chinese intelligence services, through state-owned enterprises, through ostensibly private companies, through graduate students and researchers, through a variety of actors all working on behalf of China," he said. Lee is to be sentenced on August 23. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Former CIA officer Jerry Chun Shing Lee pleads guilty to spying for China

A <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/about-200-us-companies-seeking-to-move-manufacturing-base-from-china-to-india-usispf-213845&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj0sYOSkvfhAhVz6XMBHfnxD4YQFjABegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3r0_1uAhbyPzb0s4HFlgmy">US</a>&nbsp;combat veteran of the war in Afghanistan who prosecutors say plotted to detonate multiple nail bombs at a Los Angeles-area white nationalist rally, seeking to cause mass casualties, was arrested in an FBI sting operation, federal prosecutors said on Monday.

Mark Steven Domingo, 26, a <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/us-places-india-china-among-others-on-priority-watch-list-for-ip-rights-violations-213493&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj0sYOSkvfhAhVz6XMBHfnxD4YQFjAHegQIBBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2UlTtNJHwiMwIGDO_4mIuC">US&nbsp;</a>Army infantryman who recently converted to Islam, was taken into custody on Friday after undercover FBI operatives furnished him with what he thought were live bombs to be used in the attack, law enforcement officials said.

Authorities said Domingo, who had no prior criminal record, came to their attention because of a series of violent extremist messages he posted in online chat rooms, one of which called for "retribution" for the massacre of 50 people at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, by a gunman in March.

"Often we are asked what keeps us up at night. This is a case that keeps us up at night," Ryan Young, special agent in charge of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, told a news conference in Los Angeles.

Domingo, who had purchased several hundred long nails to serve as shrapnel in the homemade pressure-cooker bombs, had also suggested attacks on Jews, police officers, churches, a military facility, Southern California freeways and the Santa Monica Pier during internet conversations with the FBI operatives, Young said.

He was charged in a federal criminal complaint with providing material support to terrorists and was ordered held without bond during a brief initial appearance in US&nbsp;District Court in Los Angeles on Monday.

“This investigation successfully disrupted a very real threat posed by a trained combat soldier who repeatedly stated he wanted to cause the maximum number of casualties,” US Attorney Nick Hanna said in a statement.

According to the criminal complaint, an FBI operative established contact with Domingo in a private online chat room in March, leading to discussions in which Domingo expressed support for Islamic militants and the desire to seek revenge for attacks on Muslims.

'VIOLENT JIHAD'

In one of his earliest posts, he suggested that "America needs another Vegas event," an apparent reference to the 2017 mass shooting at a country music concert in Las Vegas where a lone gunman perched in a nearby hotel killed 58 people and wounded hundreds, the complaint alleged.

Domingo, who said he wanted to become a martyr, also made reference to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, according to the complaint.

During one meeting in person with an FBI operative, he arrived carrying an AK 47-style assault rifle, telling the informant: "I just wanted to show you that I'm serious."

According to a law enforcement database, Domingo is the registered owner of three semi-automatic rifles.

An FBI spokeswoman said received a less-than-honourable discharge from the Army.

Prosecutors say Domingo contemplated drive-by shootings and detonating a bomb at the Santa Monica pier before deciding to bomb a rally scheduled for Sunday, April 28, in the Los Angeles suburb of Long Beach that he believed was organized by white nationalists.

Domingo and two FBI informants visited the planned site of the rally to scout the best location to place explosives to cause the greatest casualties, authorities said, agreeing that they would leave the scene separately to throw off suspicion.

He was arrested shortly after placing one of the mock bombs into the vehicle of an informant.

The white nationalist rally ended up not happening, although a number of counterdemonstrators assembled at the site, the Los Angeles City News Service said.

The announcement of Domingo's arrest came two days after a gunman opened fire in a San Diego-area synagogue, killing one woman and wounding three others, including the rabbi. John Earnest, 19, was arrested.

There was no indication the two incidents were connected.

A US combat veteran of the war in Afghanistan who prosecutors say plotted to detonate multiple nail bombs at a Los Angeles-area white nationalist rally, seeking to cause mass casualties, was arrested in an FBI sting operation, federal prosecutors said on Monday.

A US combat veteran of the war in Afghanistan who prosecutors say plotted to detonate multiple nail bombs at a Los Angeles-area white nationalist rally, seeking to cause mass casualties, was arrested in an FBI sting operation, federal prosecutors said on Monday. Mark Steven Domingo, 26, a US Army infantryman who recently converted to Islam, was taken into custody on Friday after undercover FBI operatives furnished him with what he thought were live bombs to be used in the attack, law enforcement officials said. Authorities said Domingo, who had no prior criminal record, came to their attention because of a series of violent extremist messages he posted in online chat rooms, one of which called for "retribution" for the massacre of 50 people at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, by a gunman in March. "Often we are asked what keeps us up at night. This is a case that keeps us up at night," Ryan Young, special agent in charge of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, told a news conference in Los Angeles. Domingo, who had purchased several hundred long nails to serve as shrapnel in the homemade pressure-cooker bombs, had also suggested attacks on Jews, police officers, churches, a military facility, Southern California freeways and the Santa Monica Pier during internet conversations with the FBI operatives, Young said. He was charged in a federal criminal complaint with providing material support to terrorists and was ordered held without bond during a brief initial appearance in US District Court in Los Angeles on Monday. “This investigation successfully disrupted a very real threat posed by a trained combat soldier who repeatedly stated he wanted to cause the maximum number of casualties,” US Attorney Nick Hanna said in a statement. According to the criminal complaint, an FBI operative established contact with Domingo in a private online chat room in March, leading to discussions in which Domingo expressed support for Islamic militants and the desire to seek revenge for attacks on Muslims. 'VIOLENT JIHAD' In one of his earliest posts, he suggested that "America needs another Vegas event," an apparent reference to the 2017 mass shooting at a country music concert in Las Vegas where a lone gunman perched in a nearby hotel killed 58 people and wounded hundreds, the complaint alleged. Domingo, who said he wanted to become a martyr, also made reference to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, according to the complaint. During one meeting in person with an FBI operative, he arrived carrying an AK 47-style assault rifle, telling the informant: "I just wanted to show you that I'm serious." According to a law enforcement database, Domingo is the registered owner of three semi-automatic rifles. An FBI spokeswoman said received a less-than-honourable discharge from the Army. Prosecutors say Domingo contemplated drive-by shootings and detonating a bomb at the Santa Monica pier before deciding to bomb a rally scheduled for Sunday, April 28, in the Los Angeles suburb of Long Beach that he believed was organized by white nationalists. Domingo and two FBI informants visited the planned site of the rally to scout the best location to place explosives to cause the greatest casualties, authorities said, agreeing that they would leave the scene separately to throw off suspicion. He was arrested shortly after placing one of the mock bombs into the vehicle of an informant. The white nationalist rally ended up not happening, although a number of counterdemonstrators assembled at the site, the Los Angeles City News Service said. The announcement of Domingo's arrest came two days after a gunman opened fire in a San Diego-area synagogue, killing one woman and wounding three others, including the rabbi. John Earnest, 19, was arrested. There was no indication the two incidents were connected.

US Army veteran charged with plotting to bomb white nationalist rally

The US attorney general said Friday that he will release a redacted version by mid-April of the report on the two-year Russia election meddling probe, which had cast a cloud over Donald Trump's presidency.

Attorney General Bill Barr, in a letter to the chairmen of the House and Senate judiciary committees, said he was currently redacting sensitive material from the eagerly awaited report, which Trump has hailed as completely clearing him of allegations of collusion with Russia and obstruction of justice.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller, a former FBI director who headed the probe, was assisting with the task, he said.

"Our progress is such that I anticipate that we will be in a position to release the report by mid-April, if not sooner," Barr said.

The attorney general said the report was nearly 400 pages long excluding tables and appendices and "sets forth the Special Counsel's findings, his analysis and the reasons for his conclusions."

Barr, who released the "principal conclusions" of the report last week, has been under heavy pressure from Democrats to release the full report.

"I share your desire to ensure that Congress and the public have the opportunity to read the Special Counsel's report," the attorney general told the Senate and House judiciary committee, chairmen.

"Everyone will soon be able to read it on their own," Barr said. "I do not believe it would be in the public's interest for me to attempt to summarize the full report or to release it in a serial or piecemeal fashion."

Representative Jerry Nadler, a Democrat who heads the House Judiciary Committee, responded to Barr's letter by saying he wanted the "full and complete Mueller report, without redactions" by April 2.

Redactions

Barr said the redactions underway included material "the intelligence community identifies as potentially compromising sensitive sources and methods."

Redactions also concern matters that the special counsel has referred to other Justice Department offices for investigation and information that would compromise the privacy of "peripheral third parties."

Barr said the report would not be submitted to the White House for review and Trump had deferred to him to deal with any parts over which he could invoke executive privilege.

Barr, citing the "principal conclusions" of the report last week, said the special counsel did not find that the Trump presidential campaign had conspired with the Russian government to win the 2016 election.

The "investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities," Barr quoted the report as saying.

Mueller also left the decision on whether Trump obstructed justice up to the attorney general, who determined that he had not "committed an obstruction-of-justice offence."

Regarding obstruction, Mueller stated that "while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him."

Trump has welcomed the Mueller report as a "total exoneration" and blamed the media for pushing what he called the "Russian Collusion Delusion."

In his letter, Barr said he would be prepared to testify before the Senate and House judiciary committees on May 1 and May 2 respectively.

The US attorney general said Friday that he will release a redacted version by mid-April of the report on the two-year Russia election meddling probe, which had cast a cloud over Donald Trump's presidency.

The US attorney general said Friday that he will release a redacted version by mid-April of the report on the two-year Russia election meddling probe, which had cast a cloud over Donald Trump's presidency. Attorney General Bill Barr, in a letter to the chairmen of the House and Senate judiciary committees, said he was currently redacting sensitive material from the eagerly awaited report, which Trump has hailed as completely clearing him of allegations of collusion with Russia and obstruction of justice. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, a former FBI director who headed the probe, was assisting with the task, he said. "Our progress is such that I anticipate that we will be in a position to release the report by mid-April, if not sooner," Barr said. The attorney general said the report was nearly 400 pages long excluding tables and appendices and "sets forth the Special Counsel's findings, his analysis and the reasons for his conclusions." Barr, who released the "principal conclusions" of the report last week, has been under heavy pressure from Democrats to release the full report. "I share your desire to ensure that Congress and the public have the opportunity to read the Special Counsel's report," the attorney general told the Senate and House judiciary committee, chairmen. "Everyone will soon be able to read it on their own," Barr said. "I do not believe it would be in the public's interest for me to attempt to summarize the full report or to release it in a serial or piecemeal fashion." Representative Jerry Nadler, a Democrat who heads the House Judiciary Committee, responded to Barr's letter by saying he wanted the "full and complete Mueller report, without redactions" by April 2. Redactions Barr said the redactions underway included material "the intelligence community identifies as potentially compromising sensitive sources and methods." Redactions also concern matters that the special counsel has referred to other Justice Department offices for investigation and information that would compromise the privacy of "peripheral third parties." Barr said the report would not be submitted to the White House for review and Trump had deferred to him to deal with any parts over which he could invoke executive privilege. Barr, citing the "principal conclusions" of the report last week, said the special counsel did not find that the Trump presidential campaign had conspired with the Russian government to win the 2016 election. The "investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities," Barr quoted the report as saying. Mueller also left the decision on whether Trump obstructed justice up to the attorney general, who determined that he had not "committed an obstruction-of-justice offence." Regarding obstruction, Mueller stated that "while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him." Trump has welcomed the Mueller report as a "total exoneration" and blamed the media for pushing what he called the "Russian Collusion Delusion." In his letter, Barr said he would be prepared to testify before the Senate and House judiciary committees on May 1 and May 2 respectively.

Robert Mueller report to be released by mid-April: Attorney general

US investigators sought warrants to read<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-ex-lawyer-cohen-says-testimony-could-have-been-clearer-lawyer-203200"> Michael Cohen's emails </a>in July 2017, nine months before the FBI raided the home and office of President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, according to documents made public on Tuesday.

The requests were made six months into Trump's presidency. Emails were sought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office as well as by the FBI, dating back as far as June 2015, according to the documents.

Mueller is investigating Russia's role in the 2016 US election and possible coordination with Trump campaign members.

The nearly 900 pages of documents released by a federal judge in New York provide more detailed accounts of Cohen's financial relationships than previously known.

Cohen had been Trump's personal lawyer and self-described fixer for more than a decade, but began cooperating with federal investigators soon after the April 2018 raids on his home, office and hotel room.

He later pleaded guilty in separate prosecutions to lying to Congress, bank fraud and campaign finance violations. The latter included paying hush money to silence two women who said they had sexual encounters with Trump.

Cohen is scheduled to begin a three-year prison term on May 6.

Trump has denied having had sexual relationships with the two women: Stormy Daniels, the porn actress whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, and former Playboy model Karen McDougal.

Much of the discussion about campaign finance issues in the released documents was redacted.

They were released after US District Judge William Pauley on Monday ordered prosecutors to make redacted versions public, in response to requests by news media organizations.

Lanny Davis, a lawyer for Cohen, said in a statement on Monday night that the document release "only furthers his interest in continuing to cooperate and providing information and the truth about Donald Trump and the Trump organization to law enforcement and Congress."

Since pleading guilty, Cohen has publicly turned on Trump, telling the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on Feb. 27 that his former boss was a "racist," "con man" and "cheat."

In his congressional testimony, Cohen said he was "ashamed of my weakness and misplaced loyalty, of the things I did for Mr. Trump in an effort to protect and promote him."

Cohen began working for Trump in 2007. The Republican president in December called his former lawyer "a rat" and in January said Cohen was "lying to reduce his jail time."

Moscow has denied meddling in the 2016 election, though US intelligence agencies have concluded that it interfered to help Trump win.

Trump has denied that his campaign colluded with Russia, and described the Mueller probe as a political witch hunt.

The newly released documents showed how the FBI made extensive use of its access to Cohen's Apple iCloud account, which allowed him to coordinate his work across such devices as an iPhone, iPad Mini and laptop.

FBI agents said they located a hotel room in New York's Loews Regency Hotel where Cohen was staying by using a device known as a Triggerfish that mimics cell phone towers to find a specific device.

The bank fraud case stemmed from Cohen dealings unrelated to Trump, and suggest that his financial situation was dire.

According to the documents, Cohen was in default by December 2017 on more than $20 million in loans backed by New York taxicab medallions he owned.

The FBI believed Cohen misrepresented his finances to banks he owed money to.

According to the documents, Cohen concealed fees being paid to Essential Consultants, a firm he controlled, for political consulting, including from international clients with issues pending before the Trump administration.

Among the payments Cohen was believed to have received was $600,000 from AT&amp;T Inc for consulting about "political issues, including net neutrality, the merger between AT&amp;T and Time Warner and tax reform."

Another $583,333 came from an investment firm controlled by Russian businessman Viktor Vekselberg, the documents showed.

Republicans in Congress have criticized Cohen's consulting work, arguing he should have made his contracts public through disclosures. The warrant does not appear to detail any violations to lobbying disclosure laws.

Cohen also used Essential Consultants to pay hush money to Daniels.

US investigators sought warrants to read Michael Cohen's emails in July 2017, nine months before the FBI raided the home and office of President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, according to documents made public on Tuesday.

US investigators sought warrants to read Michael Cohen's emails in July 2017, nine months before the FBI raided the home and office of President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, according to documents made public on Tuesday. The requests were made six months into Trump's presidency. Emails were sought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office as well as by the FBI, dating back as far as June 2015, according to the documents. Mueller is investigating Russia's role in the 2016 US election and possible coordination with Trump campaign members. The nearly 900 pages of documents released by a federal judge in New York provide more detailed accounts of Cohen's financial relationships than previously known. Cohen had been Trump's personal lawyer and self-described fixer for more than a decade, but began cooperating with federal investigators soon after the April 2018 raids on his home, office and hotel room. He later pleaded guilty in separate prosecutions to lying to Congress, bank fraud and campaign finance violations. The latter included paying hush money to silence two women who said they had sexual encounters with Trump. Cohen is scheduled to begin a three-year prison term on May 6. Trump has denied having had sexual relationships with the two women: Stormy Daniels, the porn actress whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, and former Playboy model Karen McDougal. Much of the discussion about campaign finance issues in the released documents was redacted. They were released after US District Judge William Pauley on Monday ordered prosecutors to make redacted versions public, in response to requests by news media organizations. Lanny Davis, a lawyer for Cohen, said in a statement on Monday night that the document release "only furthers his interest in continuing to cooperate and providing information and the truth about Donald Trump and the Trump organization to law enforcement and Congress." Since pleading guilty, Cohen has publicly turned on Trump, telling the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on Feb. 27 that his former boss was a "racist," "con man" and "cheat." In his congressional testimony, Cohen said he was "ashamed of my weakness and misplaced loyalty, of the things I did for Mr. Trump in an effort to protect and promote him." Cohen began working for Trump in 2007. The Republican president in December called his former lawyer "a rat" and in January said Cohen was "lying to reduce his jail time." Moscow has denied meddling in the 2016 election, though US intelligence agencies have concluded that it interfered to help Trump win. Trump has denied that his campaign colluded with Russia, and described the Mueller probe as a political witch hunt. The newly released documents showed how the FBI made extensive use of its access to Cohen's Apple iCloud account, which allowed him to coordinate his work across such devices as an iPhone, iPad Mini and laptop. FBI agents said they located a hotel room in New York's Loews Regency Hotel where Cohen was staying by using a device known as a Triggerfish that mimics cell phone towers to find a specific device. The bank fraud case stemmed from Cohen dealings unrelated to Trump, and suggest that his financial situation was dire. According to the documents, Cohen was in default by December 2017 on more than $20 million in loans backed by New York taxicab medallions he owned. The FBI believed Cohen misrepresented his finances to banks he owed money to. According to the documents, Cohen concealed fees being paid to Essential Consultants, a firm he controlled, for political consulting, including from international clients with issues pending before the Trump administration. Among the payments Cohen was believed to have received was $600,000 from AT&T Inc for consulting about "political issues, including net neutrality, the merger between AT&T and Time Warner and tax reform." Another $583,333 came from an investment firm controlled by Russian businessman Viktor Vekselberg, the documents showed. Republicans in Congress have criticized Cohen's consulting work, arguing he should have made his contracts public through disclosures. The warrant does not appear to detail any violations to lobbying disclosure laws. Cohen also used Essential Consultants to pay hush money to Daniels.

US investigators sought ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen's emails months before raids

US Democratic lawmakers launched Monday their most ambitious investigation yet into alleged obstruction of justice and abuse of office by Donald Trump, targeting dozens of individuals in the president's inner circle.

With controversies swirling around Trump, the powerful House Judiciary Committee's chairman sent strongly worded letters to family members of the president -- including sons Don Jr and Eric -- as well as political confidantes and related entities.

The letters demanded documents that could shed light on possible wrongdoing by the administration and Trump himself.

Son-in-law Jared Kushner and the Trump Organisation's longtime chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, were among the 81 people and organisations -- such as the National Rifle Association -- receiving letters from the panel's Democratic chairman Jerry Nadler.

They also include White House ex-aides Steve Bannon and Hope Hicks, current Trump personal lawyer Jay Sekulow, former attorney general Jeff Sessions, and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

The request is the most serious overt ramp-up of investigations into Trump since Democrats took control of the House of Representatives in early January, and seeks to uncover whether Trump or his administration participated in the obstruction of justice or public corruption -- potentially impeachable offences.&nbsp;

"This is a critical time for our nation, and we have a responsibility to investigate these matters and hold hearings for the public to have all the facts," Nadler said in a statement.

"Over the last several years, President Trump has evaded accountability for his near-daily attacks on our basic legal, ethical, and constitutional rules and norms," he added.

"Investigating these threats to the rule of law is an obligation of Congress."

'Political hoax'?

Trump himself swatted away the probe as a "political hoax," but said he would cooperate.

He later hardened his reaction, tweeting that any effort by the Democrats to probe new avenues of possible wrongdoing "will never work."

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders lambasted the probe as "disgraceful and abusive."

"Chairman Nadler and his fellow Democrats have embarked on this fishing expedition because they are terrified that their two-year false narrative of 'Russia collusion' is crumbling," she added.

"Their intimidation and abuse of American citisens are shameful. Democrats are harassing the president to distract from their radical agenda of making America a socialist country, killing babies after they're born, and pushing a 'green new deal' that would destroy jobs and bankrupt America."

The unusually strong statement further claimed that "the Democrats are not after the truth, they are after the president."

Conspicuously absent from the list of Nadler's targets -- who have two weeks to respond -- is the president's eldest daughter Ivanka Trump, a senior White House advisor married to Kushner.

The chairmen of three other House panels also joined the fray, demanding the White House produce details of communications between Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, after reports that such information was destroyed or hidden in the aftermath of their 2017 Helsinki summit.

The US intelligence community has concluded that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election and that Putin ordered the influence campaign as a way to help elect Trump. The US president has repeatedly cast doubt on the findings.

Nadler's broad investigation focuses on Trump's business dealings and obstruction of justice allegations, along with possible Russian collusion.

It also will address accusations of campaign finance law violations and potential violations of the US Constitution's ban on foreign emoluments.

Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen, in explosive congressional testimony last week, implicated the president in illegal activities, including a scheme shortly before the 2016 election to pay hush money to two women who say they had affairs with Trump.

One of the women reportedly received the payoffs through American Media Inc, a company run by longtime Trump ally David Pecker.

Nadler demanded information from both Pecker and AMI about their involvement.

Letters to other key players include requests for information on the June 2016 meeting in Trump Tower attended by Kushner, Trump Jr, now-jailed former campaign manager Paul Manafort and a Russian lawyer reportedly close to the Kremlin, and documents surrounding the termination of FBI director James Comey.

The expansive new probe could pave the way toward possible impeachment proceedings against Trump.

But Democratic congressional leaders, including Nadler and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have been reticent about pushing for the president's impeachment.&nbsp;

Nadler told ABC television's "This Week" that such action would be "a long way down the road."

However, he added, "it's very clear that the president obstructed justice."

In addition to the NRA, Nadler also sought documents from the White House, the Trump Organisation, Trump's charity, the FBI and Cambridge Analytica -- a data company that worked with the Trump campaign and has been investigated by Congress in connection with Russia's election interference efforts.

US Democratic lawmakers launched Monday their most ambitious investigation yet into alleged obstruction of justice and abuse of office by Donald Trump, targeting dozens of individuals in the president's inner circle.

US Democratic lawmakers launched Monday their most ambitious investigation yet into alleged obstruction of justice and abuse of office by Donald Trump, targeting dozens of individuals in the president's inner circle. With controversies swirling around Trump, the powerful House Judiciary Committee's chairman sent strongly worded letters to family members of the president -- including sons Don Jr and Eric -- as well as political confidantes and related entities. The letters demanded documents that could shed light on possible wrongdoing by the administration and Trump himself. Son-in-law Jared Kushner and the Trump Organisation's longtime chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, were among the 81 people and organisations -- such as the National Rifle Association -- receiving letters from the panel's Democratic chairman Jerry Nadler. They also include White House ex-aides Steve Bannon and Hope Hicks, current Trump personal lawyer Jay Sekulow, former attorney general Jeff Sessions, and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The request is the most serious overt ramp-up of investigations into Trump since Democrats took control of the House of Representatives in early January, and seeks to uncover whether Trump or his administration participated in the obstruction of justice or public corruption -- potentially impeachable offences. "This is a critical time for our nation, and we have a responsibility to investigate these matters and hold hearings for the public to have all the facts," Nadler said in a statement. "Over the last several years, President Trump has evaded accountability for his near-daily attacks on our basic legal, ethical, and constitutional rules and norms," he added. "Investigating these threats to the rule of law is an obligation of Congress." 'Political hoax'? Trump himself swatted away the probe as a "political hoax," but said he would cooperate. He later hardened his reaction, tweeting that any effort by the Democrats to probe new avenues of possible wrongdoing "will never work." White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders lambasted the probe as "disgraceful and abusive." "Chairman Nadler and his fellow Democrats have embarked on this fishing expedition because they are terrified that their two-year false narrative of 'Russia collusion' is crumbling," she added. "Their intimidation and abuse of American citisens are shameful. Democrats are harassing the president to distract from their radical agenda of making America a socialist country, killing babies after they're born, and pushing a 'green new deal' that would destroy jobs and bankrupt America." The unusually strong statement further claimed that "the Democrats are not after the truth, they are after the president." Conspicuously absent from the list of Nadler's targets -- who have two weeks to respond -- is the president's eldest daughter Ivanka Trump, a senior White House advisor married to Kushner. The chairmen of three other House panels also joined the fray, demanding the White House produce details of communications between Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, after reports that such information was destroyed or hidden in the aftermath of their 2017 Helsinki summit. The US intelligence community has concluded that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election and that Putin ordered the influence campaign as a way to help elect Trump. The US president has repeatedly cast doubt on the findings. Nadler's broad investigation focuses on Trump's business dealings and obstruction of justice allegations, along with possible Russian collusion. It also will address accusations of campaign finance law violations and potential violations of the US Constitution's ban on foreign emoluments. Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen, in explosive congressional testimony last week, implicated the president in illegal activities, including a scheme shortly before the 2016 election to pay hush money to two women who say they had affairs with Trump. One of the women reportedly received the payoffs through American Media Inc, a company run by longtime Trump ally David Pecker. Nadler demanded information from both Pecker and AMI about their involvement. Letters to other key players include requests for information on the June 2016 meeting in Trump Tower attended by Kushner, Trump Jr, now-jailed former campaign manager Paul Manafort and a Russian lawyer reportedly close to the Kremlin, and documents surrounding the termination of FBI director James Comey. The expansive new probe could pave the way toward possible impeachment proceedings against Trump. But Democratic congressional leaders, including Nadler and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have been reticent about pushing for the president's impeachment. Nadler told ABC television's "This Week" that such action would be "a long way down the road." However, he added, "it's very clear that the president obstructed justice." In addition to the NRA, Nadler also sought documents from the White House, the Trump Organisation, Trump's charity, the FBI and Cambridge Analytica -- a data company that worked with the Trump campaign and has been investigated by Congress in connection with Russia's election interference efforts.

Democrats launch sweeping probe targeting dozens in Trump orbit

Lawyers for President Donald Trump's former campaign chief Paul Manafort urged a judge on Friday to impose a sentence "substantially below" the potential 19 to 24 years in prison he is facing for tax crimes and bank fraud.

Manafort, 69, is to be sentenced on March 7 by Judge TS&nbsp;Ellis of the Eastern District of Virginia after being convicted of five counts of filing false income tax returns, two counts of bank fraud and one count of failing to report a foreign bank account.

Manafort's attorneys, in a filing with the judge, said the sentencing guidelines -- which call for a prison term of 235 to 293 months -- are "clearly disproportionate to the offence conduct for which Mr Manafort was convicted."

"Mr Manafort acknowledges that he received a fair trial before this Court, he accepts the jury's verdict, and is truly remorseful for his conduct," they said.

His attorneys suggested a "sentence substantially below the range," arguing that Manafort is a first-time offender and is in poor health after spending the past nine months in prison.

Manafort is one of seven former Trump associates and senior aides who have been charged by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team, which is believed to be nearing the end of its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign.

Mueller's office said in their own sentencing memo that Manafort was a "bold" criminal who "repeatedly and brazenly" broke the law but did not recommend a specific sentence.

Mueller's office said that Manafort violated the law for years and his sentence "must take into account the gravity of this conduct," to deter both Manafort and anyone else who would commit similar crimes.

"His criminal actions were bold," Mueller's office said, and included attempting to tamper with witnesses and lying to the FBI, government agencies and even his own lawyers.

Manafort's attorneys took issue with that characterization.

"The Special Counsel's attempt to vilify Mr Manafort as a lifelong and irredeemable felon is beyond the pale and grossly overstates the facts before this Court," they said.

"The cases that Special Counsel have brought against Mr Manafort have devastated him personally, professionally and financially," they said.

The charges against Manafort were not connected to his role in the Trump campaign but were for work he did for Russian-backed political parties in Ukraine between 2004 and 2014.

Manafort was also charged in Washington with money laundering, witness tampering and other offences and faces separate sentencing in that case.

Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion with Moscow and denounced the probe by Mueller, a former FBI director, as a "political witch hunt."

Lawyers for President Donald Trump's former campaign chief Paul Manafort urged a judge on Friday to impose a sentence "substantially below" the potential 19 to 24 years in prison he is facing for tax crimes and bank fraud.

Lawyers for President Donald Trump's former campaign chief Paul Manafort urged a judge on Friday to impose a sentence "substantially below" the potential 19 to 24 years in prison he is facing for tax crimes and bank fraud. Manafort, 69, is to be sentenced on March 7 by Judge TS Ellis of the Eastern District of Virginia after being convicted of five counts of filing false income tax returns, two counts of bank fraud and one count of failing to report a foreign bank account. Manafort's attorneys, in a filing with the judge, said the sentencing guidelines -- which call for a prison term of 235 to 293 months -- are "clearly disproportionate to the offence conduct for which Mr Manafort was convicted." "Mr Manafort acknowledges that he received a fair trial before this Court, he accepts the jury's verdict, and is truly remorseful for his conduct," they said. His attorneys suggested a "sentence substantially below the range," arguing that Manafort is a first-time offender and is in poor health after spending the past nine months in prison. Manafort is one of seven former Trump associates and senior aides who have been charged by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team, which is believed to be nearing the end of its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign. Mueller's office said in their own sentencing memo that Manafort was a "bold" criminal who "repeatedly and brazenly" broke the law but did not recommend a specific sentence. Mueller's office said that Manafort violated the law for years and his sentence "must take into account the gravity of this conduct," to deter both Manafort and anyone else who would commit similar crimes. "His criminal actions were bold," Mueller's office said, and included attempting to tamper with witnesses and lying to the FBI, government agencies and even his own lawyers. Manafort's attorneys took issue with that characterization. "The Special Counsel's attempt to vilify Mr Manafort as a lifelong and irredeemable felon is beyond the pale and grossly overstates the facts before this Court," they said. "The cases that Special Counsel have brought against Mr Manafort have devastated him personally, professionally and financially," they said. The charges against Manafort were not connected to his role in the Trump campaign but were for work he did for Russian-backed political parties in Ukraine between 2004 and 2014. Manafort was also charged in Washington with money laundering, witness tampering and other offences and faces separate sentencing in that case. Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion with Moscow and denounced the probe by Mueller, a former FBI director, as a "political witch hunt."

Lawyers for former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort, argue for leniency

The US deputy attorney general discussed how many cabinet members would support removing US President Donald Trump from office in 2017, the FBI's former acting director said in an interview airing Sunday.

Andrew McCabe said invoking the 25th Amendment of the US Constitution was raised by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein after Trump fired FBI director James Comey on May 9, 2017.

"Rod raised the issue and discussed it with me in the context of thinking about how many other cabinet officials might support such an effort," McCabe told CBS's "60 Minutes" news show.

A clip of that part of the interview was run early Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation" show, the first time McCabe's actual comments on the explosive subject have been aired.

Rosenstein has dismissed reports that he discussed removing Trump from office -- and even pondered wearing a wire to secretly record his conversations with the president -- as a "joke," if indeed he made the comments.&nbsp;

In the interview, McCabe was asked whether Rosenstein seemed intent on "getting rid of the president of the United States one way or another."

"I can't confirm that," he said. "But what I can say is the deputy attorney general was definitely very concerned about the president, about his capacity and about his intent at that point in time."

The president abruptly fired Comey amid tensions over the FBI's investigation into possible links between Trump's 2016 campaign and a covert Russian effort to sway the US election in his favour.

Comey has said that Trump had been pressuring him to publicly declare that he was not a subject of the investigation.

The firing set off alarm bells at the FBI, and McCabe told CBS he scrambled to ensure that the Russia probe was on "absolutely solid ground" so it could not easily be shelved.

He told CBS he did not remember how the 25th Amendment came up in the discussion with Rosenstein.

"It was just another kind of topic that he jumped to in the midst of a wide-ranging conversation," he said.

The 25th Amendment sets out a process for the replacement of the president in the event of death, removal, resignation or incapacitation.

McCabe himself was fired in March 2018 for "lack of candor" in an internal investigation into the FBI's handling of a 2016 probe into Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. 
&nbsp;

The US deputy attorney general discussed how many cabinet members would support removing US President Donald Trump from office in 2017, the FBI's former acting director said in an interview airing Sunday.

The US deputy attorney general discussed how many cabinet members would support removing US President Donald Trump from office in 2017, the FBI's former acting director said in an interview airing Sunday. Andrew McCabe said invoking the 25th Amendment of the US Constitution was raised by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein after Trump fired FBI director James Comey on May 9, 2017. "Rod raised the issue and discussed it with me in the context of thinking about how many other cabinet officials might support such an effort," McCabe told CBS's "60 Minutes" news show. A clip of that part of the interview was run early Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation" show, the first time McCabe's actual comments on the explosive subject have been aired. Rosenstein has dismissed reports that he discussed removing Trump from office -- and even pondered wearing a wire to secretly record his conversations with the president -- as a "joke," if indeed he made the comments. In the interview, McCabe was asked whether Rosenstein seemed intent on "getting rid of the president of the United States one way or another." "I can't confirm that," he said. "But what I can say is the deputy attorney general was definitely very concerned about the president, about his capacity and about his intent at that point in time." The president abruptly fired Comey amid tensions over the FBI's investigation into possible links between Trump's 2016 campaign and a covert Russian effort to sway the US election in his favour. Comey has said that Trump had been pressuring him to publicly declare that he was not a subject of the investigation. The firing set off alarm bells at the FBI, and McCabe told CBS he scrambled to ensure that the Russia probe was on "absolutely solid ground" so it could not easily be shelved. He told CBS he did not remember how the 25th Amendment came up in the discussion with Rosenstein. "It was just another kind of topic that he jumped to in the midst of a wide-ranging conversation," he said. The 25th Amendment sets out a process for the replacement of the president in the event of death, removal, resignation or incapacitation. McCabe himself was fired in March 2018 for "lack of candor" in an internal investigation into the FBI's handling of a 2016 probe into Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

Top US official discussed Trump removal in 2017: Ex-FBI chief

The US Justice Department charged a former Air Force intelligence official Wednesday with spying for Iran, saying she exposed a fellow US agent and helped the Revolutionary Guard target her former colleagues for cyber attacks.&nbsp;

US officials said Monica Witt, who worked for years in US Air Force counterintelligence, had an "ideological" turn against her country and defected in 2013, turning over information on US intelligence operations against Tehran.

"It is a sad day for America when one of its citizens betrays our country," said Assistant Attorney General John Demers, announcing the indictment.

"This case underscores the dangers to our intelligence professionals and the lengths our adversaries will go to identify them, expose them, target them, and, in a few rare cases, ultimately turn them against the nation they swore to protect," he said.

The US also indicted four Iranians working for the Revolutionary Guard who, using information Witt provided them, targeted her former colleagues in US intelligence with malware and other hacking tools in hopes of accessing their computer networks.

The Justice Department has issued arrest warrants for Witt and the four Iranians, who all remain at large.&nbsp;

Witt served in the US Air Force from 1997 to 2008, becoming a special agent in the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, its counterintelligence unit.

After leaving the Air Force, she worked as a defence and intelligence contractor, but by 2012 her politics had begun to turn.

That year she travelled to Iran to attend an anti-America conference sponsored by the Revolutionary Guard-related New Horizon Organization.

She returned to Iran the next year and began disclosing classified information to Iranian officials, including on her former colleagues in the US intelligence community.

She revealed to the Iranians a "highly classified intelligence collection program" as well as the true identity of a US intelligence officer, Demers said.

According to an undated FBI missing persons declaration regarding Witt, she had not been in contact with anyone since 2013.

The announcement, which also included sanctions on the New Horizon Organization, organization officials, and a company tied to the hacking effort, came on the opening day of a US-led international conference in Warsaw, Poland aimed at boosting pressure on Tehran.

The US Justice Department charged a former Air Force intelligence official Wednesday with spying for Iran, saying she exposed a fellow US agent and helped the Revolutionary Guard target her former colleagues for cyber attacks.

The US Justice Department charged a former Air Force intelligence official Wednesday with spying for Iran, saying she exposed a fellow US agent and helped the Revolutionary Guard target her former colleagues for cyber attacks. US officials said Monica Witt, who worked for years in US Air Force counterintelligence, had an "ideological" turn against her country and defected in 2013, turning over information on US intelligence operations against Tehran. "It is a sad day for America when one of its citizens betrays our country," said Assistant Attorney General John Demers, announcing the indictment. "This case underscores the dangers to our intelligence professionals and the lengths our adversaries will go to identify them, expose them, target them, and, in a few rare cases, ultimately turn them against the nation they swore to protect," he said. The US also indicted four Iranians working for the Revolutionary Guard who, using information Witt provided them, targeted her former colleagues in US intelligence with malware and other hacking tools in hopes of accessing their computer networks. The Justice Department has issued arrest warrants for Witt and the four Iranians, who all remain at large. Witt served in the US Air Force from 1997 to 2008, becoming a special agent in the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, its counterintelligence unit. After leaving the Air Force, she worked as a defence and intelligence contractor, but by 2012 her politics had begun to turn. That year she travelled to Iran to attend an anti-America conference sponsored by the Revolutionary Guard-related New Horizon Organization. She returned to Iran the next year and began disclosing classified information to Iranian officials, including on her former colleagues in the US intelligence community. She revealed to the Iranians a "highly classified intelligence collection program" as well as the true identity of a US intelligence officer, Demers said. According to an undated FBI missing persons declaration regarding Witt, she had not been in contact with anyone since 2013. The announcement, which also included sanctions on the New Horizon Organization, organization officials, and a company tied to the hacking effort, came on the opening day of a US-led international conference in Warsaw, Poland aimed at boosting pressure on Tehran.

US charges former Air Force intel agent with spying for Iran

A Sikh man has been brutally assaulted in an alleged hate crime by a white man who pulled his beard, kicked and punched him in the face at a store in the US, the latest such incident in the country.

Harwinder Singh Dodd, who was working at a convenience store in the US State of Oregon, was racially targeted on Monday by a 24-year-old Andrew Ramsey.

Ramsey targeted Dodd because of his perception of the employee's religion, FOX 12 TV news reported, citing a court document.&nbsp;

Ramsey wanted rolling papers for cigarettes but did not have an ID and the clerk would not sell them to him, Justin Brecht, a legislative policy adviser in the Oregon State Capitol and a former combat Marine, was quoted as saying by the report.

When Dodd asked Ramsey to leave, he attacked him by pulling his beard, punching him in the face, pulling him to the ground and kicking him, Brecht said, adding that they held Ramsey down until officers got there, the report said.

"He was bleeding, he had gotten punched quite a bit in the face, and kicked on the ground and thrown to the ground very brutally. It was very serious." 
Ramsey has been charged with a hate crime, assault, police said, adding that he threw his shoe at Dodd and tried to steal his head covering.&nbsp;

He was also charged with assault in the fourth degree, disorderly conduct, and criminal trespass.

Hate crimes increased by 40 per cent in Oregon from 2016 to 2017, according to the FBI.

In August 2018, in about a week, two Sikh men were brutally assaulted in the US State of California that raised concerns over increasing incidents of hate crimes in the country.

Last year, the South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) published a report documenting a 45 per cent increase in hate violence and rhetoric against Indians, Sikhs, and South Asian Americans from the year prior.

Harwinder Singh Dodd, who was working at a convenience store in the US State of Oregon, was racially targeted on Monday by a 24-year-old Andrew Ramsey.

A Sikh man has been brutally assaulted in an alleged hate crime by a white man who pulled his beard, kicked and punched him in the face at a store in the US, the latest such incident in the country. Harwinder Singh Dodd, who was working at a convenience store in the US State of Oregon, was racially targeted on Monday by a 24-year-old Andrew Ramsey. Ramsey targeted Dodd because of his perception of the employee's religion, FOX 12 TV news reported, citing a court document. Ramsey wanted rolling papers for cigarettes but did not have an ID and the clerk would not sell them to him, Justin Brecht, a legislative policy adviser in the Oregon State Capitol and a former combat Marine, was quoted as saying by the report. When Dodd asked Ramsey to leave, he attacked him by pulling his beard, punching him in the face, pulling him to the ground and kicking him, Brecht said, adding that they held Ramsey down until officers got there, the report said. "He was bleeding, he had gotten punched quite a bit in the face, and kicked on the ground and thrown to the ground very brutally. It was very serious." Ramsey has been charged with a hate crime, assault, police said, adding that he threw his shoe at Dodd and tried to steal his head covering. He was also charged with assault in the fourth degree, disorderly conduct, and criminal trespass. Hate crimes increased by 40 per cent in Oregon from 2016 to 2017, according to the FBI. In August 2018, in about a week, two Sikh men were brutally assaulted in the US State of California that raised concerns over increasing incidents of hate crimes in the country. Last year, the South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) published a report documenting a 45 per cent increase in hate violence and rhetoric against Indians, Sikhs, and South Asian Americans from the year prior.

Sikh man attacked in hate crime in US

President Donald Trump blasted the FBI Saturday, insisting it acted "for no reason &amp; with no proof" when <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/fbi-opened-probe-into-whether-trump-working-for-russians-report-189750">it opened an investigation into whether he was acting on Russia's behalf</a> after he fired the agency's director, James Comey, in May 2017.

The New York Times reported that the FBI launched the previously undisclosed counterintelligence investigation to determine whether Trump posed a national security threat, at the same time that it opened a criminal probe into possible obstruction of justice by the president.

The FBI investigation was subsequently folded into the broader probe by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election and possible collaboration by the Trump campaign.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-us-share-strategic-interests-fundamental-democratic-values-trump-to-indian-high-commissioner-189855">Trump says India &amp; US share 'strategic interests', 'fundamental democratic values'</a>

No evidence has publicly emerged that Trump was secretly in contact with or took direction from Russian officials, the Times said.

Trump reacts 
"Wow, just learned in the Failing New York Times that the corrupt former leaders of the FBI, almost all fired or forced to leave the agency for some very bad reasons, opened up an investigation on me, for no reason &amp; with no proof, after I fired Lyin' James Comey, a total sleaze!" Trump tweeted.

According to Trump, "the FBI was in complete turmoil ... because of Comey's poor leadership" and the way he handled the investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private server to send some government emails.

"My firing of James Comey was a great day for America," Trump claimed, describing the former FBI director as "a Crooked Cop who is being totally protected by his best friend, Bob Mueller."

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I have been FAR tougher on Russia than Obama, Bush or Clinton. Maybe tougher than any other President. At the same time, &amp; as I have often said, getting along with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. I fully expect that someday we will have good relations with Russia again!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1084074865496334336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The Times said that the FBI had been suspicious of Trump's ties to Russia during the 2016 campaign.

But it held off on opening an investigation until the president sacked Comey, who refused to pledge allegiance to Trump and roll back the nascent Russia investigation.

A 'witch hunt'? 
Trump has repeatedly criticized the Mueller investigation as a "witch hunt" and views it as an attempt to besmirch the legitimacy of his presidency.

His press secretary, Sarah Sanders, said in a statement Saturday that the latest charges are "absurd," adding, "James Comey was fired because he's a disgraced partisan hack... (and) President Trump has actually been tough on Russia."&nbsp;

Mueller, meanwhile, has issued dozens of indictments and steadily chalked up convictions of some of the president's close associates -- including his former national security advisor, his former personal lawyer, and his ex-campaign chief.

The ex-national security advisor, Michael Flynn, pleaded guilty to lying to investigators about his Moscow ties.

The lawyer, Michael Cohen, has been sentenced to three years in prison for multiple crimes, including felony violations of campaign finance laws that prosecutors allege were carried out under Trump's direction.

And Trump's former presidential campaign chair, Paul Manafort, has been convicted in one case brought by Mueller and pleaded guilty in another, over financial crimes related to his work in Ukraine before the 2016 campaign, and for witness tampering.

Cell phone records show that Cohen was near Prague during the summer of 2016, supporting claims that he met there with Russian officials during the presidential election campaign, McClatchy news service has reported.

Cohen, who will testify in Congress on February 7, insists that he has never been to Prague, but added in a tweet: "#Mueller knows everything!"

Manafort, meanwhile, has admitted to sharing polling data with a Russian during the 2016 presidential race, according to a court filing inadvertently made public by his lawyers. CNN reported that the intended recipients were two pro-Russia Ukrainian oligarchs.

Manafort has denied lying to investigators about his dealings with the Russian, Konstantin Kilimnik, a political consultant with alleged intelligence ties, claiming he merely forgot details during the hectic campaign.

The specifics of the Mueller allegations were not previously known publicly, having been blacked out in a heavily redacted December 7 filing by the prosecutor's team.

But in Manafort's response, the electronic formatting for the redaction could easily be bypassed, revealing exactly what he was accused of lying about.

Mueller's grand jury investigation, meanwhile, has been extended by a judge beyond its original 18-month mandate.

President Donald Trump blasted the FBI Saturday, insisting it acted "for no reason & with no proof" when it opened an investigation into whether he was acting on Russia's behalf after he fired the agency's director, James Comey, in May 2017.

President Donald Trump blasted the FBI Saturday, insisting it acted "for no reason & with no proof" when it opened an investigation into whether he was acting on Russia's behalf after he fired the agency's director, James Comey, in May 2017. The New York Times reported that the FBI launched the previously undisclosed counterintelligence investigation to determine whether Trump posed a national security threat, at the same time that it opened a criminal probe into possible obstruction of justice by the president. The FBI investigation was subsequently folded into the broader probe by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election and possible collaboration by the Trump campaign. Also read: Trump says India & US share 'strategic interests', 'fundamental democratic values' No evidence has publicly emerged that Trump was secretly in contact with or took direction from Russian officials, the Times said. Trump reacts "Wow, just learned in the Failing New York Times that the corrupt former leaders of the FBI, almost all fired or forced to leave the agency for some very bad reasons, opened up an investigation on me, for no reason & with no proof, after I fired Lyin' James Comey, a total sleaze!" Trump tweeted. According to Trump, "the FBI was in complete turmoil ... because of Comey's poor leadership" and the way he handled the investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private server to send some government emails. "My firing of James Comey was a great day for America," Trump claimed, describing the former FBI director as "a Crooked Cop who is being totally protected by his best friend, Bob Mueller." I have been FAR tougher on Russia than Obama, Bush or Clinton. Maybe tougher than any other President. At the same time, & as I have often said, getting along with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. I fully expect that someday we will have good relations with Russia again! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2019 × The Times said that the FBI had been suspicious of Trump's ties to Russia during the 2016 campaign. But it held off on opening an investigation until the president sacked Comey, who refused to pledge allegiance to Trump and roll back the nascent Russia investigation. A 'witch hunt'? Trump has repeatedly criticized the Mueller investigation as a "witch hunt" and views it as an attempt to besmirch the legitimacy of his presidency. His press secretary, Sarah Sanders, said in a statement Saturday that the latest charges are "absurd," adding, "James Comey was fired because he's a disgraced partisan hack... (and) President Trump has actually been tough on Russia." Mueller, meanwhile, has issued dozens of indictments and steadily chalked up convictions of some of the president's close associates -- including his former national security advisor, his former personal lawyer, and his ex-campaign chief. The ex-national security advisor, Michael Flynn, pleaded guilty to lying to investigators about his Moscow ties. The lawyer, Michael Cohen, has been sentenced to three years in prison for multiple crimes, including felony violations of campaign finance laws that prosecutors allege were carried out under Trump's direction. And Trump's former presidential campaign chair, Paul Manafort, has been convicted in one case brought by Mueller and pleaded guilty in another, over financial crimes related to his work in Ukraine before the 2016 campaign, and for witness tampering. Cell phone records show that Cohen was near Prague during the summer of 2016, supporting claims that he met there with Russian officials during the presidential election campaign, McClatchy news service has reported. Cohen, who will testify in Congress on February 7, insists that he has never been to Prague, but added in a tweet: "#Mueller knows everything!" Manafort, meanwhile, has admitted to sharing polling data with a Russian during the 2016 presidential race, according to a court filing inadvertently made public by his lawyers. CNN reported that the intended recipients were two pro-Russia Ukrainian oligarchs. Manafort has denied lying to investigators about his dealings with the Russian, Konstantin Kilimnik, a political consultant with alleged intelligence ties, claiming he merely forgot details during the hectic campaign. The specifics of the Mueller allegations were not previously known publicly, having been blacked out in a heavily redacted December 7 filing by the prosecutor's team. But in Manafort's response, the electronic formatting for the redaction could easily be bypassed, revealing exactly what he was accused of lying about. Mueller's grand jury investigation, meanwhile, has been extended by a judge beyond its original 18-month mandate.

Was Trump working for Russia? US President blasts FBI for opening probe

Federal law enforcement agencies that keep Americans safe are starting to feel the strain of the US&nbsp;government shutdown, in its 21st day, with agents working for no pay and investigations delayed, law enforcement officials said.

Training events have been cancelled and travel cut back, with President Donald Trump and Congress unable to end the partial shutdown affecting a quarter of the government in a funding standoff over Trump's proposed US-Mexico border wall.

"We still have a responsibility for going after those who might be using this time to flood the streets" with drugs, a US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) field agent told Reuters, asking not to be identified by name.

"For us, it's even a more important time to try to target as much as we can. We still have a safety obligation to the public ... with the limited resources," the agent said.

Most employees at federal law enforcement agencies - from the FBI and DEA to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Transportation Security Administration - have kept working since Trump's demands on the wall triggered the shutdown on December 22.

"Non-essential" personnel across the government have been staying home on furlough, while "essential" personnel, which includes many in law enforcement, have been working for no pay.

On Friday, many of roughly 800,000 shutdown-affected federal workers will miss their first paychecks. The shutdown began after Trump insisted that $5.7 billion for his wall be made a part of any legislation to restore funding for many agencies that expired for unrelated reasons, a demand Democrats oppose.

As much as 85 per cent of the Justice Department's employees are working, as are nearly 90 per cent of the Department of Homeland Security's employees, said department spokesmen.

"It really wears on our members," said Nathan Catura, the national president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, which represents some 27,000 federal agents.

"You feel like a pawn in this big political windstorm. You feel like you're not worth anything," he said.

In a memo to US Secret Service agents that was seen by Reuters, service Director RD "Tex" Alles urged employees to "keep an eye out for warning signs of trouble."

He wrote, "A quick internet search will validate that financial stress is often the precursor to greater issues, including depression, anxiety and worse."

While the lack of a paycheck is stressing out some agents, the shutdown has had a limited operational impact so far, several law enforcement officials said.

Drug seizures are still occurring. Corrections officers are still reporting to work each day and air passengers are not yet facing overly long security lines in airports.

But funding that law enforcement agencies draw on for investigations and some other operations is starting to dwindle.

Interviews with witnesses in some DEA investigations have been postponed. Furloughs of some FBI analysts has forced agents to pick up the slack by doing their own background checks - a process that may slow them down, officials told Reuters.

That means FBI agents doing anti-terrorism or white-collar crime investigations must pull together criminal records and other background materials on their own, without the help of analysts who specialize in such work, Catura said.

“That slows everything down,” he said.

FBI headquarters "is doing all they can" to ensure major investigations continue, said Tom O'Connor, president of the FBI Agents Association. The group on Thursday sent a petition to the White House and Congress urging them to end the shutdown.

“FBI operations need funding. We’re beginning to raise concerns regarding field operations. Support operations are understaffed,” O'Connor said.

Federal prison workers are also growing frustrated. Prior to the government shutdown, the Bureau of Prisons had to deal with a hiring freeze, followed by 6,000 job cuts.

"The great majority of our federal law enforcement officers work in middle America," said Eric Young, national president for the Council of Prison Locals for the American Federation of Government Employees union.

"They are very conservative, and they were supportive of Trump. Some still are, but the great majority of them have been totally disenchanted with what they have seen from this administration," Young said.

Federal law enforcement agencies that keep Americans safe are starting to feel the strain of the US government shutdown, in its 21st day, with agents working for no pay and investigations delayed, law enforcement officials said.

Federal law enforcement agencies that keep Americans safe are starting to feel the strain of the US government shutdown, in its 21st day, with agents working for no pay and investigations delayed, law enforcement officials said. Training events have been cancelled and travel cut back, with President Donald Trump and Congress unable to end the partial shutdown affecting a quarter of the government in a funding standoff over Trump's proposed US-Mexico border wall. "We still have a responsibility for going after those who might be using this time to flood the streets" with drugs, a US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) field agent told Reuters, asking not to be identified by name. "For us, it's even a more important time to try to target as much as we can. We still have a safety obligation to the public ... with the limited resources," the agent said. Most employees at federal law enforcement agencies - from the FBI and DEA to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Transportation Security Administration - have kept working since Trump's demands on the wall triggered the shutdown on December 22. "Non-essential" personnel across the government have been staying home on furlough, while "essential" personnel, which includes many in law enforcement, have been working for no pay. On Friday, many of roughly 800,000 shutdown-affected federal workers will miss their first paychecks. The shutdown began after Trump insisted that $5.7 billion for his wall be made a part of any legislation to restore funding for many agencies that expired for unrelated reasons, a demand Democrats oppose. As much as 85 per cent of the Justice Department's employees are working, as are nearly 90 per cent of the Department of Homeland Security's employees, said department spokesmen. "It really wears on our members," said Nathan Catura, the national president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, which represents some 27,000 federal agents. "You feel like a pawn in this big political windstorm. You feel like you're not worth anything," he said. In a memo to US Secret Service agents that was seen by Reuters, service Director RD "Tex" Alles urged employees to "keep an eye out for warning signs of trouble." He wrote, "A quick internet search will validate that financial stress is often the precursor to greater issues, including depression, anxiety and worse." While the lack of a paycheck is stressing out some agents, the shutdown has had a limited operational impact so far, several law enforcement officials said. Drug seizures are still occurring. Corrections officers are still reporting to work each day and air passengers are not yet facing overly long security lines in airports. But funding that law enforcement agencies draw on for investigations and some other operations is starting to dwindle. Interviews with witnesses in some DEA investigations have been postponed. Furloughs of some FBI analysts has forced agents to pick up the slack by doing their own background checks - a process that may slow them down, officials told Reuters. That means FBI agents doing anti-terrorism or white-collar crime investigations must pull together criminal records and other background materials on their own, without the help of analysts who specialize in such work, Catura said. “That slows everything down,” he said. FBI headquarters "is doing all they can" to ensure major investigations continue, said Tom O'Connor, president of the FBI Agents Association. The group on Thursday sent a petition to the White House and Congress urging them to end the shutdown. “FBI operations need funding. We’re beginning to raise concerns regarding field operations. Support operations are understaffed,” O'Connor said. Federal prison workers are also growing frustrated. Prior to the government shutdown, the Bureau of Prisons had to deal with a hiring freeze, followed by 6,000 job cuts. "The great majority of our federal law enforcement officers work in middle America," said Eric Young, national president for the Council of Prison Locals for the American Federation of Government Employees union. "They are very conservative, and they were supportive of Trump. Some still are, but the great majority of them have been totally disenchanted with what they have seen from this administration," Young said.

Law enforcement agencies squeezed by US government shutdown

President Donald Trump on Sunday called his <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-knew-hush-money-payments-were-wrong-ex-lawyer-cohen-184068">former personal lawyer</a>&nbsp;Michael Cohen - who was sentenced to three years in prison after cooperating with prosecutors in several investigations, including the so-called "Russia probe" - a "rat" on Twitter.

"Remember, Michael Cohen only became a 'Rat' after the FBI did something which was absolutely unthinkable &amp; unheard of until the witch hunt was illegally started," tweeted Trump.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Remember, Michael Cohen only became a “Rat” after the FBI did something which was absolutely unthinkable &amp; unheard of until the Witch Hunt was illegally started. They BROKE INTO AN ATTORNEY’S OFFICE! Why didn’t they break into the DNC to get the Server, or Crooked’s office?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1074313153679450113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The term "rat" is traditionally used in organised crime to refer to a "turncoat" or "informer" who has confessed to authorities and given law enforcement authorities inside information about the organisation.

Trump went on to say in the same Twitter post: "They BROKE INTO AN ATTORNEY'S OFFICE! Why didn't they break into the DNC to get the Server, or Crooked's office?"

The initials DNC refers to the Democratic National Committee and "Crooked" is one of Trump's favorite expressions for former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, whom he defeated in the 2016 election and whose use of a private email server to send certain official emails while she was secretary of state - deemed by the FBI to have been reckless but not harmful to national security - he continually mentions.

Cohen, who at one time had publicly said that he would "take a bullet" for Trump, was sentenced this past week to three years in prison for assorted crimes, including violating campaign finance laws in deeds which he testified under oath that the president directed him to undertake.

Cohen was sentenced by a New York court for, among other things, paying hush money to two women who claimed to have had sexual encounters with Trump, but he was also handed prison time for matters linked to the Russia probe, including his involvement in a project to build a "Trump Tower" in Moscow.

The president reacted this past week to the accusations against his former personal lawyer, tweeting "I never directed Michael Cohen to break the law. He was a lawyer and he is supposed to know the law."

Since May 2017, Special Counsel Robert Mueller has been heading an investigation - independent of government - into possible links between members of Trump's election campaign and the Kremlin, which US intelligence agencies accuse of interfering in the 2016 elections, but he has also been examining potential obstruction of justice by Trump himself.

President Donald Trump on Sunday called his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen - who was sentenced to three years in prison after cooperating with prosecutors in several investigations, including the so-called "Russia probe" - a "rat" on Twitter.

President Donald Trump on Sunday called his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen - who was sentenced to three years in prison after cooperating with prosecutors in several investigations, including the so-called "Russia probe" - a "rat" on Twitter. "Remember, Michael Cohen only became a 'Rat' after the FBI did something which was absolutely unthinkable & unheard of until the witch hunt was illegally started," tweeted Trump. Remember, Michael Cohen only became a “Rat” after the FBI did something which was absolutely unthinkable & unheard of until the Witch Hunt was illegally started. They BROKE INTO AN ATTORNEY’S OFFICE! Why didn’t they break into the DNC to get the Server, or Crooked’s office? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 16, 2018 × The term "rat" is traditionally used in organised crime to refer to a "turncoat" or "informer" who has confessed to authorities and given law enforcement authorities inside information about the organisation. Trump went on to say in the same Twitter post: "They BROKE INTO AN ATTORNEY'S OFFICE! Why didn't they break into the DNC to get the Server, or Crooked's office?" The initials DNC refers to the Democratic National Committee and "Crooked" is one of Trump's favorite expressions for former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, whom he defeated in the 2016 election and whose use of a private email server to send certain official emails while she was secretary of state - deemed by the FBI to have been reckless but not harmful to national security - he continually mentions. Cohen, who at one time had publicly said that he would "take a bullet" for Trump, was sentenced this past week to three years in prison for assorted crimes, including violating campaign finance laws in deeds which he testified under oath that the president directed him to undertake. Cohen was sentenced by a New York court for, among other things, paying hush money to two women who claimed to have had sexual encounters with Trump, but he was also handed prison time for matters linked to the Russia probe, including his involvement in a project to build a "Trump Tower" in Moscow. The president reacted this past week to the accusations against his former personal lawyer, tweeting "I never directed Michael Cohen to break the law. He was a lawyer and he is supposed to know the law." Since May 2017, Special Counsel Robert Mueller has been heading an investigation - independent of government - into possible links between members of Trump's election campaign and the Kremlin, which US intelligence agencies accuse of interfering in the 2016 elections, but he has also been examining potential obstruction of justice by Trump himself.

President Trump calls ex-attorney Cohen a 'rat'

A former head of the US&nbsp;Olympic Committee made "materially false statements" to a US Senate subcommittee investigating sexual abuse in gymnastics, the panel said on Friday, and it said it would refer the matter to the FBI.

In a joint statement, Republican Senator Jerry Moran, chairman of the Senate subcommittee on commerce, and Senator Richard Blumenthal, its Democratic ranking member, said they made the referral detailing potential violations of the law against Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun.

Blackmun did not respond to a request for comment.

The move comes after a report released on Monday said the United States Olympics Committee (USOC) failed to protect athletes from the threat of sexual abuse, with some executives taking no actions following allegations of sexual abuse against Larry Nassar, a team doctor for USA Gymnastics.

Nassar was sentenced to up to 300 years in prison in two different trials last winter after more than 350 women testified about abuse at his hands. The witnesses included Olympic champions Aly Raisman and Jordyn Wieber.

"It appears Mr. Blackmun has made false claims and misled our subcommittee – harming the investigation and our ability to develop policy," Moran and Blumenthal said in the statement.

"Survivors of abuse have had to wait longer for the truth and longer for systemic changes to help prevent others from similar injury."

In a June 5 statement to the subcommittee, which oversees the USOC, Blackmun wrote that when he heard of allegations against Nassar through a July 2015 phone call from then-USA Gymnastics CEO Steve Penny, he spoke to the USOC’s "SafeSport staff," the statement said. SafeSport oversees abuse claims in Olympic sports.

But the Monday report by law firm Ropes &amp; Gray found that after hearing about the allegations against Nassar, Blackmun did not inform anyone else at the USOC of the allegations.

The report said dozens of girls and young women were abused during the yearlong period between the allegations surfacing in mid-2015 and September 2016 when the Nassar story broke. Nassar was arrested two months later.

A former head of the US Olympic Committee made "materially false statements" to a US Senate subcommittee investigating sexual abuse in gymnastics, the panel said on Friday, and it said it would refer the matter to the FBI.

A former head of the US Olympic Committee made "materially false statements" to a US Senate subcommittee investigating sexual abuse in gymnastics, the panel said on Friday, and it said it would refer the matter to the FBI. In a joint statement, Republican Senator Jerry Moran, chairman of the Senate subcommittee on commerce, and Senator Richard Blumenthal, its Democratic ranking member, said they made the referral detailing potential violations of the law against Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun. Blackmun did not respond to a request for comment. The move comes after a report released on Monday said the United States Olympics Committee (USOC) failed to protect athletes from the threat of sexual abuse, with some executives taking no actions following allegations of sexual abuse against Larry Nassar, a team doctor for USA Gymnastics. Nassar was sentenced to up to 300 years in prison in two different trials last winter after more than 350 women testified about abuse at his hands. The witnesses included Olympic champions Aly Raisman and Jordyn Wieber. "It appears Mr. Blackmun has made false claims and misled our subcommittee – harming the investigation and our ability to develop policy," Moran and Blumenthal said in the statement. "Survivors of abuse have had to wait longer for the truth and longer for systemic changes to help prevent others from similar injury." In a June 5 statement to the subcommittee, which oversees the USOC, Blackmun wrote that when he heard of allegations against Nassar through a July 2015 phone call from then-USA Gymnastics CEO Steve Penny, he spoke to the USOC’s "SafeSport staff," the statement said. SafeSport oversees abuse claims in Olympic sports. But the Monday report by law firm Ropes & Gray found that after hearing about the allegations against Nassar, Blackmun did not inform anyone else at the USOC of the allegations. The report said dozens of girls and young women were abused during the yearlong period between the allegations surfacing in mid-2015 and September 2016 when the Nassar story broke. Nassar was arrested two months later.

US Senate panel asks FBI to probe US Olympic chief over Nassar scandal

An Indian IT professional was sentenced to nine years of imprisonment on Thursday on charges of a "brazen sexual assault" against a fellow female passenger inside a commercial airplane early this year.

Prabhu Ramamoorthy, 35, who came to the US on a H-1B visa in 2015, will be deported after he serves his sentence, a federal court in Detroit said as it sentenced the Indian national to nine years of imprisonment.

Judge Terrence Berge hoped it would be grave enough to deter others from committing similar crimes. Federal prosecutors had sought 11 years of imprisonment for Ramamoorthy.

"Everyone has the right to be secure and safe when they travel on airplanes. We will not tolerate the behaviour of anyone, who takes advantage of victims who are in a vulnerable position. We appreciate the victim in this case for her courage to speak out," US Attorney Matthew Schneider said after the sentencing was announced.

Ramamoorthy was convicted in August after a five-day trial that was conducted before United States District Judge Terrence Berg. The jury deliberated approximately three-and-a-half hours before returning the guilty verdict.

According to the evidence presented at the trial, on January 3, Ramamoorthy had engaged in a sexual act with a female, while she was sleeping on a flight from Las Vegas to Detroit. Ramamoorthy was seated along with his wife, when he sexually assaulted his co-passenger.

During the trial, the government admitted evidence demonstrating that Ramamoorthy had digitally penetrated the woman sleeping next to him during the overnight flight. The sexual assault woke her up, she found her pants unbuttoned and unzipped, and sought help from the flight attendants.

The sentence was proof that the safety and security of all aircraft passengers was a priority for the FBI, said Timothy R Slater, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Division of the FBI.

In recent years, a number of Indian nationals have been arrested or charged with sexual assaults inside a plane. The FBI says airplane sexual assault is a serious offence that is on the rise. FBI statistics indicate that investigations of mid-air sexual assaults increased by 66 per cent from 2014 to 2017.

That was in part due to increasingly "cramped, confined spaces; alcohol and drugs; fewer flight attendants; and dark cabins on night flights" -- factors that "likely embolden offenders" -- the FBI said in a recent report.

The cramped style of airplane seating can exacerbate trauma for victims. According to mental health professionals, victims who are violated in confined spaces feel even more helpless, vulnerable and powerless. Victims may also feel intimidated by the person sitting next to them since the seating arrangement means that the perpetrator is effectively blocking the victim from getting up, according to the FBI.

According to court papers, Ramamoorthy is from Tamil Nadu, where he grew up. His parents are farmers. He came to the US in July, 2015 after his graduation to work as an IT professional.

During his trial, Ramamoorthy presented himself to the court as a confused man stranded in America without English language skills despite his sophisticated technological job, federal prosecutors alleged. "His lack of empathy and remorse should not go unnoticed by this court," they argued, seeking nearly 11 years of imprisonment for him.

An Indian IT professional was sentenced to nine years of imprisonment on Thursday on charges of a "brazen sexual assault" against a fellow female passenger inside a commercial airplane early this year.

An Indian IT professional was sentenced to nine years of imprisonment on Thursday on charges of a "brazen sexual assault" against a fellow female passenger inside a commercial airplane early this year. Prabhu Ramamoorthy, 35, who came to the US on a H-1B visa in 2015, will be deported after he serves his sentence, a federal court in Detroit said as it sentenced the Indian national to nine years of imprisonment. Judge Terrence Berge hoped it would be grave enough to deter others from committing similar crimes. Federal prosecutors had sought 11 years of imprisonment for Ramamoorthy. "Everyone has the right to be secure and safe when they travel on airplanes. We will not tolerate the behaviour of anyone, who takes advantage of victims who are in a vulnerable position. We appreciate the victim in this case for her courage to speak out," US Attorney Matthew Schneider said after the sentencing was announced. Ramamoorthy was convicted in August after a five-day trial that was conducted before United States District Judge Terrence Berg. The jury deliberated approximately three-and-a-half hours before returning the guilty verdict. According to the evidence presented at the trial, on January 3, Ramamoorthy had engaged in a sexual act with a female, while she was sleeping on a flight from Las Vegas to Detroit. Ramamoorthy was seated along with his wife, when he sexually assaulted his co-passenger. During the trial, the government admitted evidence demonstrating that Ramamoorthy had digitally penetrated the woman sleeping next to him during the overnight flight. The sexual assault woke her up, she found her pants unbuttoned and unzipped, and sought help from the flight attendants. The sentence was proof that the safety and security of all aircraft passengers was a priority for the FBI, said Timothy R Slater, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Division of the FBI. In recent years, a number of Indian nationals have been arrested or charged with sexual assaults inside a plane. The FBI says airplane sexual assault is a serious offence that is on the rise. FBI statistics indicate that investigations of mid-air sexual assaults increased by 66 per cent from 2014 to 2017. That was in part due to increasingly "cramped, confined spaces; alcohol and drugs; fewer flight attendants; and dark cabins on night flights" -- factors that "likely embolden offenders" -- the FBI said in a recent report. The cramped style of airplane seating can exacerbate trauma for victims. According to mental health professionals, victims who are violated in confined spaces feel even more helpless, vulnerable and powerless. Victims may also feel intimidated by the person sitting next to them since the seating arrangement means that the perpetrator is effectively blocking the victim from getting up, according to the FBI. According to court papers, Ramamoorthy is from Tamil Nadu, where he grew up. His parents are farmers. He came to the US in July, 2015 after his graduation to work as an IT professional. During his trial, Ramamoorthy presented himself to the court as a confused man stranded in America without English language skills despite his sophisticated technological job, federal prosecutors alleged. "His lack of empathy and remorse should not go unnoticed by this court," they argued, seeking nearly 11 years of imprisonment for him.

US-based Indian techie sentenced to nine years for sexual assault inside plane

The FBI launched investigations of four Americans in July 2016 into whether they helped Russia's alleged efforts to interfere in the 2016 US presidential election, former FBI Director James Comey said in remarks released on Saturday.&nbsp;

Comey also appeared to suggest the investigations were looking into ties between Russia and US President Donald Trump`s election campaign. 
He did not identify the people being investigated but said Trump was not among them.

"We opened investigations on four Americans to see if there was any connection between those four Americans and the Russian interference effort," Comey said, according to a transcript of the closed-door hearing held on Friday by the US House Judiciary Committee and the House Oversight Committee.&nbsp;

Trump fired Comey in May 2017 after taking office in January of that year. Shortly after Comey`s dismissal, the Department of Justice named a special counsel to investigate alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election and whether Trump`s campaign colluded with Moscow.&nbsp;

Russia has denied any interference. Trump denies there was any collusion and on Saturday renewed his call to end the special counsel`s investigation, calling it a "witch hunt."&nbsp;

In the hearing on Friday, Republican Congressman John Ratcliffe asked Comey whether the FBI had "any evidence" of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia when agents briefed Trump as a candidate in 2016 about foreign intelligence threats.&nbsp;

Comey said the probes into the four Americans began in late July but that he was not sure when agents briefed Trump.

"If it was after July 29th, then the answer would be, yes, we had some reason to suspect that there were Americans who might have assisted the Russians," Comey said, according to the transcript. He said the four Americans "had some connection to Mr. Trump."

The 235-page transcript also covers Comey`s responses to questions about FBI interactions with a former British spy who compiled a dossier of allegations of collusion between Trump`s campaign and Russia.&nbsp;

Most of the hearing on Friday covered lawmaker questions about Republican-led investigations into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton`s use of a private email server while she was in office. Clinton was the Democratic candidate in the 2016 presidential election.&nbsp;

The Republican-led inquiries have been lambasted by Democrats, who will take over the House of Representatives in January, as a partisan effort to undermine Special Counsel Robert Mueller`s investigation into Russian interference.

The FBI launched investigations of four Americans in July 2016 into whether they helped Russia's alleged efforts to interfere in the 2016 US presidential election, former FBI Director James Comey said in remarks released on Saturday.

The FBI launched investigations of four Americans in July 2016 into whether they helped Russia's alleged efforts to interfere in the 2016 US presidential election, former FBI Director James Comey said in remarks released on Saturday. Comey also appeared to suggest the investigations were looking into ties between Russia and US President Donald Trump`s election campaign. He did not identify the people being investigated but said Trump was not among them. "We opened investigations on four Americans to see if there was any connection between those four Americans and the Russian interference effort," Comey said, according to a transcript of the closed-door hearing held on Friday by the US House Judiciary Committee and the House Oversight Committee. Trump fired Comey in May 2017 after taking office in January of that year. Shortly after Comey`s dismissal, the Department of Justice named a special counsel to investigate alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election and whether Trump`s campaign colluded with Moscow. Russia has denied any interference. Trump denies there was any collusion and on Saturday renewed his call to end the special counsel`s investigation, calling it a "witch hunt." In the hearing on Friday, Republican Congressman John Ratcliffe asked Comey whether the FBI had "any evidence" of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia when agents briefed Trump as a candidate in 2016 about foreign intelligence threats. Comey said the probes into the four Americans began in late July but that he was not sure when agents briefed Trump. "If it was after July 29th, then the answer would be, yes, we had some reason to suspect that there were Americans who might have assisted the Russians," Comey said, according to the transcript. He said the four Americans "had some connection to Mr. Trump." The 235-page transcript also covers Comey`s responses to questions about FBI interactions with a former British spy who compiled a dossier of allegations of collusion between Trump`s campaign and Russia. Most of the hearing on Friday covered lawmaker questions about Republican-led investigations into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton`s use of a private email server while she was in office. Clinton was the Democratic candidate in the 2016 presidential election. The Republican-led inquiries have been lambasted by Democrats, who will take over the House of Representatives in January, as a partisan effort to undermine Special Counsel Robert Mueller`s investigation into Russian interference.

FBI investigated four Americans on Russia collusion suspicions: FBI Director James Comey

Former FBI director James Comey testified before US lawmakers for the first time in over a year Friday, with much of the discussions centering on Hillary Clinton's email use.

The closed-door grilling came amid mounting intrigue over Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible contacts between Donald Trump's presidential campaign and Moscow.

Comey had pleaded for a public hearing after he was subpoenaed by the outgoing Congress in November, but House Republicans including some of Trump's allies insisted on a private session before the judiciary and oversight committees.

Comey was questioned as part of a Republican-led House inquiry into possible Russian interference, and Clinton, who lost to Trump in 2016, featured prominently.

"Hillary Clinton's emails, for heaven's sake," Comey said after testifying for six hours. "I'm not sure we need to do this at all."

Clinton had set up a private email server before becoming secretary of state in 2009.&nbsp;

Republicans seized on the revelation years later, saying she broke department protocol by using a private email account while a government official in order to hide sensitive correspondence.

The issue became a flashpoint of the 2016 race.

Republicans exited Friday's session complaining that Comey lawyers shut down certain avenues of questioning.

Comey disputed that but gave a rationale for why he would not publicly discuss some elements.

"The FBI, for understandable reasons, doesn't want me talking about the details of the investigation that is still ongoing, and began when I was FBI director," he said.

In May 2017 Trump abruptly sacked Comey, who was the senior official leading a criminal investigation into possible collusion with Moscow.&nbsp;

Three months earlier the president met privately with Comey and urged him to end the investigation into former national security advisor Michael Flynn, a move that many Democrats interpreted as obstruction of justice.

Trump has repeatedly blasted Mueller's probe as a "witch hunt," and on Friday unleashed a Twitter tirade against Mueller, Comey and other current and former officials tied to the Russia probe.

"Robert Mueller and Leakin' Lyin' James Comey are Best Friends, just one of many Mueller Conflicts of Interest," Trump tweeted.

Comey said a testimony transcript will be published 24 hours after his interview. Republicans want him to return for further testimony in two weeks, a final effort to advance their probe.

House control shifts to Democrats in January, and incoming Judiciary Committee chairman Jerrold Nadler said he would shut down the probe into FBI behaviour because it was merely an effort to "cast aspersion on the real investigation, which is Mueller."

Former FBI director James Comey testified before US lawmakers for the first time in over a year Friday, with much of the discussions centering on Hillary Clinton's email use.

Former FBI director James Comey testified before US lawmakers for the first time in over a year Friday, with much of the discussions centering on Hillary Clinton's email use. The closed-door grilling came amid mounting intrigue over Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible contacts between Donald Trump's presidential campaign and Moscow. Comey had pleaded for a public hearing after he was subpoenaed by the outgoing Congress in November, but House Republicans including some of Trump's allies insisted on a private session before the judiciary and oversight committees. Comey was questioned as part of a Republican-led House inquiry into possible Russian interference, and Clinton, who lost to Trump in 2016, featured prominently. "Hillary Clinton's emails, for heaven's sake," Comey said after testifying for six hours. "I'm not sure we need to do this at all." Clinton had set up a private email server before becoming secretary of state in 2009. Republicans seized on the revelation years later, saying she broke department protocol by using a private email account while a government official in order to hide sensitive correspondence. The issue became a flashpoint of the 2016 race. Republicans exited Friday's session complaining that Comey lawyers shut down certain avenues of questioning. Comey disputed that but gave a rationale for why he would not publicly discuss some elements. "The FBI, for understandable reasons, doesn't want me talking about the details of the investigation that is still ongoing, and began when I was FBI director," he said. In May 2017 Trump abruptly sacked Comey, who was the senior official leading a criminal investigation into possible collusion with Moscow. Three months earlier the president met privately with Comey and urged him to end the investigation into former national security advisor Michael Flynn, a move that many Democrats interpreted as obstruction of justice. Trump has repeatedly blasted Mueller's probe as a "witch hunt," and on Friday unleashed a Twitter tirade against Mueller, Comey and other current and former officials tied to the Russia probe. "Robert Mueller and Leakin' Lyin' James Comey are Best Friends, just one of many Mueller Conflicts of Interest," Trump tweeted. Comey said a testimony transcript will be published 24 hours after his interview. Republicans want him to return for further testimony in two weeks, a final effort to advance their probe. House control shifts to Democrats in January, and incoming Judiciary Committee chairman Jerrold Nadler said he would shut down the probe into FBI behaviour because it was merely an effort to "cast aspersion on the real investigation, which is Mueller."

Ex-FBI director Comey grilled again in US Congress with discussions centering on Clinton's email

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