Three people have <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/maryland-at-least-1-wounded-after-shooting-near-nsa-headquarters-in-us-32879">been arrested after a car crashed </a>through the entrance of National Security Agency(NSA) building in Washinton.

The FBI said there is no terror link in the case.

&quot;There is no indication that this has a nexus to terrorism,&quot; FBI Special Agent in Charge Gordon Johnson.

&quot;We believe that this was an isolated incident,&quot; Johnson added.

Three people were injured in the crash including the driver as security personnel opened fire. The injured didn&#39;t have any gunshots wounds, FBI said.

FBI is still investigating the incident with the three men who were in the vehicle being taken into custody.

Three people were injured in the crash including the driver as security personnel opened fire.

Three people have been arrested after a car crashed through the entrance of National Security Agency(NSA) building in Washinton. The FBI said there is no terror link in the case. "There is no indication that this has a nexus to terrorism," FBI Special Agent in Charge Gordon Johnson. "We believe that this was an isolated incident," Johnson added. Three people were injured in the crash including the driver as security personnel opened fire. The injured didn't have any gunshots wounds, FBI said. FBI is still investigating the incident with the three men who were in the vehicle being taken into custody.

No terror link in car crash in NSA building: FBI

Contradicting the White House, the FBI has said it gave the Trump administration information on multiple occasions last year about a top aide accused of domestic abuse by his two ex-wives, and the investigation wrapped up in January.

That account by FBI Director Christopher Wray challenged the White House assertion that Rob Porter&#39;s background &quot;investigation was ongoing&quot; and officials first learned the extent of accusations against him only last week, just before he abruptly resigned.

Wray&#39;s testimony marked the latest development in a scandal that has called into question the judgement of senior members of the White House staff, put new stress on the administration&#39;s already strained credibility with the public, and drawn accusations of tone-deaf handling of abuse allegations.

The week-long fallout from the allegations against Porter, President Donald Trump&#39;s staff secretary, has thrown the West Wing into chaos not seen since the earliest months of the administration and has sparked new rounds of recriminations inside the White House.

Privately, officials acknowledge that the public timeline offered last week -- that the administration first learned of the ex-wives&#39; charges against Porter last Tuesday -- was flawed at best.

Several senior officials, including chief of staff John Kelly and White House counsel Don McGahn, were aware of the broad allegations against Porter for months, officials said.

Kelly found out after requesting an update on the large number of senior staffers operating without full security clearances, according to a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal discussions.

McGahn told Kelly last fall there was concern about information in the background investigation involving Porter&#39;s ex-wives, the official said, and Kelly expressed surprise that Porter had previously been married.

Despite that, Porter took on an increasingly central role in the West Wing and was under consideration to serve as Trump&#39;s deputy chief of staff, two officials said.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters on Monday, &quot;The White House had not received any specific papers regarding the completion of that background check.&quot; Yet Wray testified that the FBI sent the White House its preliminary report in March 2017 and its completed investigation in late July.

Soon after that, the agency received a request for a follow-up inquiry, and it provided that information in November. Porter was interviewed about the allegations in September, an official said.&nbsp;

FBI said it gave the Trump administration information on multiple occasions

Contradicting the White House, the FBI has said it gave the Trump administration information on multiple occasions last year about a top aide accused of domestic abuse by his two ex-wives, and the investigation wrapped up in January. That account by FBI Director Christopher Wray challenged the White House assertion that Rob Porter's background "investigation was ongoing" and officials first learned the extent of accusations against him only last week, just before he abruptly resigned. Wray's testimony marked the latest development in a scandal that has called into question the judgement of senior members of the White House staff, put new stress on the administration's already strained credibility with the public, and drawn accusations of tone-deaf handling of abuse allegations. The week-long fallout from the allegations against Porter, President Donald Trump's staff secretary, has thrown the West Wing into chaos not seen since the earliest months of the administration and has sparked new rounds of recriminations inside the White House. Privately, officials acknowledge that the public timeline offered last week -- that the administration first learned of the ex-wives' charges against Porter last Tuesday -- was flawed at best. Several senior officials, including chief of staff John Kelly and White House counsel Don McGahn, were aware of the broad allegations against Porter for months, officials said. Kelly found out after requesting an update on the large number of senior staffers operating without full security clearances, according to a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal discussions. McGahn told Kelly last fall there was concern about information in the background investigation involving Porter's ex-wives, the official said, and Kelly expressed surprise that Porter had previously been married. Despite that, Porter took on an increasingly central role in the West Wing and was under consideration to serve as Trump's deputy chief of staff, two officials said. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters on Monday, "The White House had not received any specific papers regarding the completion of that background check." Yet Wray testified that the FBI sent the White House its preliminary report in March 2017 and its completed investigation in late July. Soon after that, the agency received a request for a follow-up inquiry, and it provided that information in November. Porter was interviewed about the allegations in September, an official said.

FBI contradicts White House on probe of former aide Rob Porter

President Donald Trump`s administration on Monday revived its support for construction of a new FBI headquarters, saying it planned to ask Congress in 2018 for the remaining $2.175 billion needed to help pay for it.

The funding request, tucked inside the president`s larger $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan, would help cover the cost to tear down and rebuild the Federal Bureau of Investigation`s aging 1970s-era headquarters building in downtown Washington, which has nets rigged to catch falling stones.

The move marks a reversal from July, when the administration cancelled a years-long search to find a new home for the crime-fighting agency.&nbsp;

The FBI had previously searched for possible new spots in either Maryland or Virginia.

The total estimated cost for a new FBI headquarters is $3.3 billion, Assistant Attorney General Lee Lofthus told reporters in a briefing on Monday at the Justice Department.&nbsp;

The FBI has already set aside $1.125 billion toward the construction project.

&quot;The idea is to build a modern and secure headquarters building across the street on the side of the (J. Edgar) Hoover building,&quot; Lofthus said.&nbsp;

&quot;This is an important part of the president`s infrastructure program.&quot;

Lofthus added that the projected $3.3 billion would also cover the cost of &quot;swing space,&quot; or space that FBI employees will use on a temporary basis during construction.

The agency endorsed the plan, saying in a statement: &quot;The FBI believes this proposed consolidation strategy enhances mission resiliency, continuity of operations, and will provide the Bureau with the agility necessary to meet future needs.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Also on Monday, the Trump administration unveiled its proposal for the fiscal 2019 budget.

That plan asks for a Justice Department budget of $28 billion, a slight decrease of 1.2 percent from the 2017 enacted level.

Most of the Justice Department`s components would see a funding boost under the plan, with increases proposed for the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as for U.S. attorneys and the office that oversees immigration courts.

The decrease would be achieved by consolidating the COPS grants program into the Office of Justice Programs, and closing two regional Bureau of Prisons offices.

The plan also calls for stripping the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) of its powers to police cigarette and alcohol smuggling and transferring them to a tax and trade unit inside the Treasury Department.

After that, the ATF would focus solely on efforts to combat violent crimes such as arson, illegal firearms trafficking and bombings.

FBI had previously searched for possible new spots in either Maryland or Virginia.

President Donald Trump`s administration on Monday revived its support for construction of a new FBI headquarters, saying it planned to ask Congress in 2018 for the remaining $2.175 billion needed to help pay for it. The funding request, tucked inside the president`s larger $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan, would help cover the cost to tear down and rebuild the Federal Bureau of Investigation`s aging 1970s-era headquarters building in downtown Washington, which has nets rigged to catch falling stones. The move marks a reversal from July, when the administration cancelled a years-long search to find a new home for the crime-fighting agency. The FBI had previously searched for possible new spots in either Maryland or Virginia. The total estimated cost for a new FBI headquarters is $3.3 billion, Assistant Attorney General Lee Lofthus told reporters in a briefing on Monday at the Justice Department. The FBI has already set aside $1.125 billion toward the construction project. "The idea is to build a modern and secure headquarters building across the street on the side of the (J. Edgar) Hoover building," Lofthus said. "This is an important part of the president`s infrastructure program." Lofthus added that the projected $3.3 billion would also cover the cost of "swing space," or space that FBI employees will use on a temporary basis during construction. The agency endorsed the plan, saying in a statement: "The FBI believes this proposed consolidation strategy enhances mission resiliency, continuity of operations, and will provide the Bureau with the agility necessary to meet future needs.” Also on Monday, the Trump administration unveiled its proposal for the fiscal 2019 budget. That plan asks for a Justice Department budget of $28 billion, a slight decrease of 1.2 percent from the 2017 enacted level. Most of the Justice Department`s components would see a funding boost under the plan, with increases proposed for the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as for U.S. attorneys and the office that oversees immigration courts. The decrease would be achieved by consolidating the COPS grants program into the Office of Justice Programs, and closing two regional Bureau of Prisons offices. The plan also calls for stripping the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) of its powers to police cigarette and alcohol smuggling and transferring them to a tax and trade unit inside the Treasury Department. After that, the ATF would focus solely on efforts to combat violent crimes such as arson, illegal firearms trafficking and bombings.

Donald Trump administration revives support for new FBI headquarters

United States President Donald Trump said that the Nunes memo revealed how the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) were used to influence the presidential elections in 2016.

The President alleged that the FBI became a &quot;tool of anti-Trump political actors&quot; and dismissed it be a non-partisan enforcer of the law.

In a series of tweets, he said, &quot;The four-page memo released Friday reports the disturbing fact about how the FBI and FISA appear to have been used to influence the 2016 election and its aftermath....The FBI failed to inform the FISA court that the Clinton campaign had funded the dossier....the FBI became....&quot; a tool of anti-Trump political actors.&nbsp;

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&ldquo;The four page memo released Friday reports the disturbing fact about how the FBI and FISA appear to have been used to influence the 2016 election and its aftermath....The FBI failed to inform the FISA court that the Clinton campaign had funded the dossier....the FBI became....
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/959949725028974592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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This is unacceptable in a democracy and ought to alarm anyone who wants the FBI to be a nonpartisan enforcer of the law....The FBI wasn&#39;t straight with Congress, as it hid most of these facts from investigators.&quot; Wall Street Journal&quot;, he said in another tweet. Earlier on Saturday, the President had also claimed total vindication from the memo released and alleged that the FBI misused its surveillance powers during the probe of Russian meddling in the elections.He also called the investigation &quot;an American disgrace&quot;.

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...a tool of anti-Trump political actors. This is unacceptable in a democracy and ought to alarm anyone who wants the FBI to be a nonpartisan enforcer of the law....The FBI wasn&rsquo;t straight with Congress, as it hid most of these facts from investigators.&rdquo; Wall Street Journal
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/959952974826098688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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He tweeted, &quot;This memo totally vindicates &quot;Trump&quot; in the probe. But the Russian Witch Hunt goes on and on. There was no Collusion and there was no Obstruction (the word now used because, after one year of looking endlessly and finding NOTHING, collusion is dead). This is an American disgrace!&quot;The memo also includes information which could complicate Trump and his allies efforts to undermine special counsel Robert Mueller&#39;s inquiry, said local reports.The possibility of firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Special Counsel Robert Mueller also aroused after the release of the memo.

An official of the White House on Saturday, however, said that there were no discussions about firing United States Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.The Democrats, in a letter, said Trump that using the Republican memo as a &quot;pretext&quot; to fire Rosenstein or Special Counsel Robert Mueller would spark a &quot;constitutional crisis&quot;.

&quot;We write to inform you that we would consider such an unwarranted act as an attempt to obstruct justice in the Russia investigation. Firing Rod Rosenstein, DOJ (Department of Justice) leadership or Bob Mueller could result in a constitutional crisis...,&quot; the Democrats said in a letter to the President.White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah said, &quot;I&#39;m saying it on behalf of the White House, and that&#39;s that no changes are going to be made at the Department of Justice.&quot; &quot;There are no discussions or consideration of firing Rod Rosenstein,&quot; the official said to local media.

The controversial Nunes memo was released on Friday after Trump gave a green signal to it.&quot;I think it&#39;s a disgrace. A lot of people should be ashamed of themselves,&quot; Trump said in Oval Office after approving the memo.The decision clears the way for the Intelligence Committee to release the memo, reported The Hill.&quot;It was declassified and let&#39;s see what happens,&quot; Trump added. In a rare public statement on Wednesday, the FBI had said: &quot;We are gravely concerned that critical facts are missing from the documents and has painted an inaccurate picture of how the bureau sought approval to conduct surveillance in the probe.

&quot;The probe grew out of the FBI&#39;s Russia investigation after Trump fired FBI director James Comey and Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the investigation.Russia, however, has denied meddling in the election campaign and Trump has called Mueller&#39;s probe a &quot;political witch hunt&quot;.&nbsp;

The controversial Nunes memo was released on Friday after Trump gave a green signal to it

United States President Donald Trump said that the Nunes memo revealed how the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) were used to influence the presidential elections in 2016. The President alleged that the FBI became a "tool of anti-Trump political actors" and dismissed it be a non-partisan enforcer of the law. In a series of tweets, he said, "The four-page memo released Friday reports the disturbing fact about how the FBI and FISA appear to have been used to influence the 2016 election and its aftermath....The FBI failed to inform the FISA court that the Clinton campaign had funded the dossier....the FBI became...." a tool of anti-Trump political actors. “The four page memo released Friday reports the disturbing fact about how the FBI and FISA appear to have been used to influence the 2016 election and its aftermath....The FBI failed to inform the FISA court that the Clinton campaign had funded the dossier....the FBI became.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 4, 2018 × This is unacceptable in a democracy and ought to alarm anyone who wants the FBI to be a nonpartisan enforcer of the law....The FBI wasn't straight with Congress, as it hid most of these facts from investigators." Wall Street Journal", he said in another tweet. Earlier on Saturday, the President had also claimed total vindication from the memo released and alleged that the FBI misused its surveillance powers during the probe of Russian meddling in the elections.He also called the investigation "an American disgrace". ...a tool of anti-Trump political actors. This is unacceptable in a democracy and ought to alarm anyone who wants the FBI to be a nonpartisan enforcer of the law....The FBI wasn’t straight with Congress, as it hid most of these facts from investigators.” Wall Street Journal — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 4, 2018 × He tweeted, "This memo totally vindicates "Trump" in the probe. But the Russian Witch Hunt goes on and on. There was no Collusion and there was no Obstruction (the word now used because, after one year of looking endlessly and finding NOTHING, collusion is dead). This is an American disgrace!"The memo also includes information which could complicate Trump and his allies efforts to undermine special counsel Robert Mueller's inquiry, said local reports.The possibility of firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Special Counsel Robert Mueller also aroused after the release of the memo. An official of the White House on Saturday, however, said that there were no discussions about firing United States Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.The Democrats, in a letter, said Trump that using the Republican memo as a "pretext" to fire Rosenstein or Special Counsel Robert Mueller would spark a "constitutional crisis". "We write to inform you that we would consider such an unwarranted act as an attempt to obstruct justice in the Russia investigation. Firing Rod Rosenstein, DOJ (Department of Justice) leadership or Bob Mueller could result in a constitutional crisis...," the Democrats said in a letter to the President.White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah said, "I'm saying it on behalf of the White House, and that's that no changes are going to be made at the Department of Justice." "There are no discussions or consideration of firing Rod Rosenstein," the official said to local media. The controversial Nunes memo was released on Friday after Trump gave a green signal to it."I think it's a disgrace. A lot of people should be ashamed of themselves," Trump said in Oval Office after approving the memo.The decision clears the way for the Intelligence Committee to release the memo, reported The Hill."It was declassified and let's see what happens," Trump added. In a rare public statement on Wednesday, the FBI had said: "We are gravely concerned that critical facts are missing from the documents and has painted an inaccurate picture of how the bureau sought approval to conduct surveillance in the probe. "The probe grew out of the FBI's Russia investigation after Trump fired FBI director James Comey and Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the investigation.Russia, however, has denied meddling in the election campaign and Trump has called Mueller's probe a "political witch hunt".

FBI was a 'tool of my opponents' during 2016 presidential elections: US president Donald Trump

President Donald Trump and his Republican allies in Congress on Friday escalated a campaign against US law enforcement agencies over their probe of Trump&#39;s ties to Russia, releasing a disputed memo that the FBI warned was misleading and inaccurate.

The previously classified document, written by Republicans on the House of Representatives intelligence committee, alleges that the federal probe of potential collusion between Trump&#39;s 2016 presidential campaign and Russia was a product of political bias against Trump at the FBI and Justice Department.

Ignoring a plea from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Trump approved the release of the memo without redactions, deepening an extraordinary breach between the president and senior law enforcement officials over a probe that has dogged him during his first year in office.

Democrats said the four-page memo mischaracterises highly sensitive classified information and was intended to undermine Special Counsel Robert Mueller&#39;s criminal probe into the Russia matter launched in May 2017 that grew out of an earlier FBI investigation. They warned Trump against using it as a pretext to fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who hired Mueller and oversees the investigation, or Mueller himself.

Asked by reporters whether the memo made him more likely to fire Rosenstein or whether he had confidence in him, Trump replied, &quot;You figure that one out.&quot; Dismissing Rosenstein would likely ignite a political firestorm, much as his firing of FBI chief James Comey did last year.

Hours after Trump spoke, a White House official said there have been no discussions or considerations about firing Rosenstein.

Mueller also is examining whether Trump has committed obstruction of justice in trying to thwart the Russia probe.

The memo alleges that the FBI concealed the Democratic ties of a source the agency used to justify surveillance on a former Trump campaign advisor with ties to Russia. The memo listed a string of senior Justice Department officials including Rosenstein who it said signed off on this.

&quot;I think it&#39;s a disgrace what&#39;s happening in our country,&quot; Trump told reporters when asked about the memo, adding that &quot;a lot of people should be ashamed of themselves.&quot;

Some lawmakers accused Trump of playing into the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin after, as Republican Senator John McCain put it, Russia &quot;engaged in an elaborate plot to interfere in an American election and undermine our democracy.&quot;

&quot;If we continue to undermine our own rule of law, we are doing Putin&#39;s job for him,&quot; McCain, who is being treated for brain cancer, said in a statement.

Mueller&#39;s probe has led to guilty pleas by two of his foreign policy advisers to charges of lying to the FBI, and indictments of former campaign manager Paul Manafort and Manafort&#39;s business partner Rick Gates.

Trump has called the investigation a &quot;witch hunt,&quot; denying any collusion with Russia or obstruction of justice. Moscow has denied any election meddling.

&#39;Sacred investigative process&#39;

In a swipe at US law enforcement leaders on Twitter hours before the memo&#39;s release, Trump said, &quot;The top Leadership and Investigators of the FBI and the Justice Department have politicized the sacred investigative process in favour of Democrats and against Republicans - something which would have been unthinkable just a short time ago.&quot;

It was his latest attack on top law enforcement officials. Trump fired Comey last May as the FBI pursued the Russia probe, leading to Mueller&#39;s appointment by Rosenstein.

The FBI on Wednesday had expressed &quot;grave concerns about material omissions of fact&quot; in the document and urged that it not be made public. Writing on Twitter, Comey branded the memo &quot;dishonest and misleading.&quot;

FBI Director Christopher Wray sent a message to bureau employees apparently aimed at boosting morale after the memo&#39;s release. &quot;I stand by our shared determination to do our work independently and by the book,&quot; Wray said in the message, excerpts of which were seen by Reuters.

The memo was commissioned by the Republican chairman of the House intelligence panel, Devin Nunes. It focused on court-approved surveillance of former Trump campaign aide Carter Page and said the FBI used a source who was strongly biased against Trump - former British spy Christopher Steele - to justify the action.

It alleged that a dossier of alleged Trump-Russia contacts compiled by Steele, and funded in part by US&nbsp;Democrats, formed an &quot;essential part&quot; of requests to a special court to be allowed to conduct electronic surveillance on Page that began in October 2016.

It said the initial application and subsequent renewal applications, signed off on by various senior Justice Department officials, did not mention the link between Steele and the Democrats. It also portrayed Steele as &quot;passionate&quot; about Trump not becoming president.

Despite the memo&#39;s charges, neither the focus on Page nor the FBI&#39;s investigation of Trump-Russia ties began with the Steele dossier.

Page appeared on the FBI&#39;s radar screen as early as 2013, when he met in New York with Russians who were officers of the Kremlin&#39;s foreign intelligence service, sources have said.

The memo acknowledges that the FBI counterintelligence investigation began in July 2016 - three months before the request for electronic surveillance on Page - as a result of the activities of another Trump campaign aide, George Papadopoulos.

Papadopoulos told an Australian diplomat in May 2016 that Russia had political dirt on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, information Australian officials passed to the US government, the New York Times reported in December.

The entire file that the Justice Department used to apply for permission to eavesdrop on Page remains highly classified, making it hard to evaluate the memo&#39;s contents.

&quot;The selective release and politicization of classified information sets a terrible precedent and will do long-term damage to the Intelligence Community and our law enforcement agencies,&quot; House intelligence committee Democrats said in a statement.

They said they hoped the panel would vote on Monday to release their own memo responding to the allegations.

US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who has recused himself from the Russia investigation, indicated he planned to refer the memo&#39;s allegations to the Justice Department&#39;s inspector general for investigation.

A White House official said Trump had always been inclined to release the Republican memo, despite the FBI&#39;s urging that he not do so, and he relied heavily on Chief of Staff John Kelly and White House Counsel Don McGahn in approving the release.

The FBI had asked Trump not to release the memo

President Donald Trump and his Republican allies in Congress on Friday escalated a campaign against US law enforcement agencies over their probe of Trump's ties to Russia, releasing a disputed memo that the FBI warned was misleading and inaccurate. The previously classified document, written by Republicans on the House of Representatives intelligence committee, alleges that the federal probe of potential collusion between Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russia was a product of political bias against Trump at the FBI and Justice Department. Ignoring a plea from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Trump approved the release of the memo without redactions, deepening an extraordinary breach between the president and senior law enforcement officials over a probe that has dogged him during his first year in office. Democrats said the four-page memo mischaracterises highly sensitive classified information and was intended to undermine Special Counsel Robert Mueller's criminal probe into the Russia matter launched in May 2017 that grew out of an earlier FBI investigation. They warned Trump against using it as a pretext to fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who hired Mueller and oversees the investigation, or Mueller himself. Asked by reporters whether the memo made him more likely to fire Rosenstein or whether he had confidence in him, Trump replied, "You figure that one out." Dismissing Rosenstein would likely ignite a political firestorm, much as his firing of FBI chief James Comey did last year. Hours after Trump spoke, a White House official said there have been no discussions or considerations about firing Rosenstein. Mueller also is examining whether Trump has committed obstruction of justice in trying to thwart the Russia probe. The memo alleges that the FBI concealed the Democratic ties of a source the agency used to justify surveillance on a former Trump campaign advisor with ties to Russia. The memo listed a string of senior Justice Department officials including Rosenstein who it said signed off on this. "I think it's a disgrace what's happening in our country," Trump told reporters when asked about the memo, adding that "a lot of people should be ashamed of themselves." Some lawmakers accused Trump of playing into the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin after, as Republican Senator John McCain put it, Russia "engaged in an elaborate plot to interfere in an American election and undermine our democracy." "If we continue to undermine our own rule of law, we are doing Putin's job for him," McCain, who is being treated for brain cancer, said in a statement. Mueller's probe has led to guilty pleas by two of his foreign policy advisers to charges of lying to the FBI, and indictments of former campaign manager Paul Manafort and Manafort's business partner Rick Gates. Trump has called the investigation a "witch hunt," denying any collusion with Russia or obstruction of justice. Moscow has denied any election meddling. 'Sacred investigative process' In a swipe at US law enforcement leaders on Twitter hours before the memo's release, Trump said, "The top Leadership and Investigators of the FBI and the Justice Department have politicized the sacred investigative process in favour of Democrats and against Republicans - something which would have been unthinkable just a short time ago." It was his latest attack on top law enforcement officials. Trump fired Comey last May as the FBI pursued the Russia probe, leading to Mueller's appointment by Rosenstein. The FBI on Wednesday had expressed "grave concerns about material omissions of fact" in the document and urged that it not be made public. Writing on Twitter, Comey branded the memo "dishonest and misleading." FBI Director Christopher Wray sent a message to bureau employees apparently aimed at boosting morale after the memo's release. "I stand by our shared determination to do our work independently and by the book," Wray said in the message, excerpts of which were seen by Reuters. The memo was commissioned by the Republican chairman of the House intelligence panel, Devin Nunes. It focused on court-approved surveillance of former Trump campaign aide Carter Page and said the FBI used a source who was strongly biased against Trump - former British spy Christopher Steele - to justify the action. It alleged that a dossier of alleged Trump-Russia contacts compiled by Steele, and funded in part by US Democrats, formed an "essential part" of requests to a special court to be allowed to conduct electronic surveillance on Page that began in October 2016. It said the initial application and subsequent renewal applications, signed off on by various senior Justice Department officials, did not mention the link between Steele and the Democrats. It also portrayed Steele as "passionate" about Trump not becoming president. Despite the memo's charges, neither the focus on Page nor the FBI's investigation of Trump-Russia ties began with the Steele dossier. Page appeared on the FBI's radar screen as early as 2013, when he met in New York with Russians who were officers of the Kremlin's foreign intelligence service, sources have said. The memo acknowledges that the FBI counterintelligence investigation began in July 2016 - three months before the request for electronic surveillance on Page - as a result of the activities of another Trump campaign aide, George Papadopoulos. Papadopoulos told an Australian diplomat in May 2016 that Russia had political dirt on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, information Australian officials passed to the US government, the New York Times reported in December. The entire file that the Justice Department used to apply for permission to eavesdrop on Page remains highly classified, making it hard to evaluate the memo's contents. "The selective release and politicization of classified information sets a terrible precedent and will do long-term damage to the Intelligence Community and our law enforcement agencies," House intelligence committee Democrats said in a statement. They said they hoped the panel would vote on Monday to release their own memo responding to the allegations. US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who has recused himself from the Russia investigation, indicated he planned to refer the memo's allegations to the Justice Department's inspector general for investigation. A White House official said Trump had always been inclined to release the Republican memo, despite the FBI's urging that he not do so, and he relied heavily on Chief of Staff John Kelly and White House Counsel Don McGahn in approving the release.

Trump releases disputed memo, escalates fight with FBI

President Trump today attacked the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-likely-to-approve-release-of-secret-surveillance-memo-31549">FBI and US Justice Department </a>for showing pro-Democrats bias, and working against Republicans.

In a tweet, the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/andrew-mccabe-fbi-deputy-director-blasted-by-donald-trump-steps-down-31141">President said: &quot;The top leadership</a> and investigators of the FBI and the Justice Department have politicized the sacred investigative process in favor of Democrats and against Republicans - something which would have been unthinkable just a short time ago.&quot;

&quot;Rank &amp; File are great people!, he added sarcastically in his tweet.

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The top Leadership and Investigators of the FBI and the Justice Department have politicized the sacred investigative process in favor of Democrats and against Republicans - something which would have been unthinkable just a short time ago. Rank &amp; File are great people!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/959389424806191104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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In another tweet soon after the US president said,&quot;You(FBI) had Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party try to hide the fact that they gave money to GPS Fusion to create a Dossier which was used by their allies in the Obama Administration to convince a Court misleadingly.&quot;

&quot;By all accounts, to spy on the Trump Team. Tom Fitton, JW,&quot; Trump added.

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&ldquo;You had Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party try to hide the fact that they gave money to GPS Fusion to create a Dossier which was used by their allies in the Obama Administration to convince a Court misleadingly, by all accounts, to spy on the Trump Team.&rdquo; Tom Fitton, JW
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/959393270144086016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Trump&#39;s latest Twitter attack comes ahead of his expected decision to approve the release of a confidential Republican-drafted memo alleging abuse of authority in the FBI&#39;s probe of the US election campaign.

CNN had earlier reported that FBI Director Christopher Wray who was handpicked by Trump could resign if &nbsp;Trump goes ahead and approves the release of the secret memo.

The four-page memo reportedly reveals abuse at the FBI and Justice Department in connection with surveillance of a member of Trump&#39;s 2016 presidential campaign who had ties to Russia.

The four-page memo reportedly reveals abuse at the FBI and Justice Department

President Trump today attacked the FBI and US Justice Department for showing pro-Democrats bias, and working against Republicans. In a tweet, the President said: "The top leadership and investigators of the FBI and the Justice Department have politicized the sacred investigative process in favor of Democrats and against Republicans - something which would have been unthinkable just a short time ago." "Rank & File are great people!, he added sarcastically in his tweet. The top Leadership and Investigators of the FBI and the Justice Department have politicized the sacred investigative process in favor of Democrats and against Republicans - something which would have been unthinkable just a short time ago. Rank & File are great people! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 2, 2018 × In another tweet soon after the US president said,"You(FBI) had Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party try to hide the fact that they gave money to GPS Fusion to create a Dossier which was used by their allies in the Obama Administration to convince a Court misleadingly." "By all accounts, to spy on the Trump Team. Tom Fitton, JW," Trump added. “You had Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party try to hide the fact that they gave money to GPS Fusion to create a Dossier which was used by their allies in the Obama Administration to convince a Court misleadingly, by all accounts, to spy on the Trump Team.” Tom Fitton, JW — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 2, 2018 × Trump's latest Twitter attack comes ahead of his expected decision to approve the release of a confidential Republican-drafted memo alleging abuse of authority in the FBI's probe of the US election campaign. CNN had earlier reported that FBI Director Christopher Wray who was handpicked by Trump could resign if Trump goes ahead and approves the release of the secret memo. The four-page memo reportedly reveals abuse at the FBI and Justice Department in connection with surveillance of a member of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign who had ties to Russia.

Now, Trump attacks FBI, US Justice Department for 'favouring' Democrats

US President Donald Trump is expected to approve the release of a controversial Republican memo that reportedly shows improper surveillance of one of his campaign aides, which the FBI says is &quot;inaccurate&quot;.

The approval for release of such a memo, which is being opposed by the FBI, could come as soon as tonight.

A senior administration official told reporters aboard Air Force One that the president is expected to tell Congress that he is OK with releasing the memo.

Also read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/after-firing-one-trump-on-collision-course-with-new-fbi-director-31533">&nbsp;After firing one, Trump on collision course with new FBI director</a>

Requesting anonymity, the official said it is a Congressional process and that the decision was made after looking at the memo the last few days and making sure &quot;it doesn&#39;t give away too much in terms of classification&quot;.

&quot;The president is ok with it,&quot; the official said.

&quot;I doubt there will be any redactions. It&#39;s in Congress&#39; hands after that,&quot; the official said and refused to answer any further questions.

Trump&#39;s reported decision comes a day after the FBI went public about the release of the memo.

Some White House official fear that this might result in the resignation of FBI Director Christopher Wray.

Once Trump gives his approval, it would be up to the House intelligence committee to take a final call on the report&#39;s release.

House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes is under pressure from the opposition Democrats and some of his own Republican lawmakers not to release the memo.

They side with officials of the FBI and many in the Department of Justice and feel the report is misleading and could expose sensitive and classified information.

On January 31, 2018, the FBI released a rare statement to express their &quot;grave concerns about the material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo&#39;s accuracy&quot;.

A top Democrat lawmaker, Adam Schiff, who is also a ranking member of the intelligence committee, has accused Nunes of altering the memo.

Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, issued a strong warning to the Republicans against issuing the memo.

&quot;Speaker Paul Ryan, Chairman Nunes and House Republicans? reckless decision to release a bogus, partisan memo, pushes the GOP&#39;s campaign to cover-up for President Trump to a new, completely unacceptable extreme,&quot; she alleged.

&quot;It seems to reflect either a wilful disregard or ignorance of the importance of separation of three branches of government which seem to be eroding right now. So, that on its face is kind of disturbing,&quot; said James Clapper, the former Director of National Intelligence.

Meanwhile, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler, sent a letter to Chairman Bob Goodlatte, to request an emergency briefing with FBI Director Wray, on his concerns regarding the memo.

The memo, Nadler alleged, is &quot;a set of misleading talking points drafted by the Republican staff of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

&quot;The White House plans to release it to the public in an attempt to discredit the FBI and undermine Special Counsel Robert Mueller?s Russia investigation,&quot; Nadler said.

House Democratic Whip Steny H Hoyer said the report was intended &quot;to undermine the Special Counsel&#39;s independent investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia&quot;.

In a separate statement, FBI Agents Association (FBIAA) president Thomas O&#39;Connor opposed the release of the memo.

&quot;The FBI Agents Association appreciates FBI Director Chris Wray standing shoulder to shoulder with the men and women of the FBI as we work together to protect our country from criminal and national security threats,&quot; said O&#39;Connor.

He said the agency&#39;s special agents remain professional and focused on protecting the US from terrorists and criminals.

&quot;Special agents take a solemn oath to our country and to the constitution, and the American public continues to be well-served by the world?s preeminent law enforcement agency,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

A senior administration official told reporters aboard Air Force One that the president is expected to tell Congress that he is OK with releasing the memo.

US President Donald Trump is expected to approve the release of a controversial Republican memo that reportedly shows improper surveillance of one of his campaign aides, which the FBI says is "inaccurate". The approval for release of such a memo, which is being opposed by the FBI, could come as soon as tonight. A senior administration official told reporters aboard Air Force One that the president is expected to tell Congress that he is OK with releasing the memo. Also read: After firing one, Trump on collision course with new FBI director Requesting anonymity, the official said it is a Congressional process and that the decision was made after looking at the memo the last few days and making sure "it doesn't give away too much in terms of classification". "The president is ok with it," the official said. "I doubt there will be any redactions. It's in Congress' hands after that," the official said and refused to answer any further questions. Trump's reported decision comes a day after the FBI went public about the release of the memo. Some White House official fear that this might result in the resignation of FBI Director Christopher Wray. Once Trump gives his approval, it would be up to the House intelligence committee to take a final call on the report's release. House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes is under pressure from the opposition Democrats and some of his own Republican lawmakers not to release the memo. They side with officials of the FBI and many in the Department of Justice and feel the report is misleading and could expose sensitive and classified information. On January 31, 2018, the FBI released a rare statement to express their "grave concerns about the material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo's accuracy". A top Democrat lawmaker, Adam Schiff, who is also a ranking member of the intelligence committee, has accused Nunes of altering the memo. Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, issued a strong warning to the Republicans against issuing the memo. "Speaker Paul Ryan, Chairman Nunes and House Republicans? reckless decision to release a bogus, partisan memo, pushes the GOP's campaign to cover-up for President Trump to a new, completely unacceptable extreme," she alleged. "It seems to reflect either a wilful disregard or ignorance of the importance of separation of three branches of government which seem to be eroding right now. So, that on its face is kind of disturbing," said James Clapper, the former Director of National Intelligence. Meanwhile, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler, sent a letter to Chairman Bob Goodlatte, to request an emergency briefing with FBI Director Wray, on his concerns regarding the memo. The memo, Nadler alleged, is "a set of misleading talking points drafted by the Republican staff of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. "The White House plans to release it to the public in an attempt to discredit the FBI and undermine Special Counsel Robert Mueller?s Russia investigation," Nadler said. House Democratic Whip Steny H Hoyer said the report was intended "to undermine the Special Counsel's independent investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia". In a separate statement, FBI Agents Association (FBIAA) president Thomas O'Connor opposed the release of the memo. "The FBI Agents Association appreciates FBI Director Chris Wray standing shoulder to shoulder with the men and women of the FBI as we work together to protect our country from criminal and national security threats," said O'Connor. He said the agency's special agents remain professional and focused on protecting the US from terrorists and criminals. "Special agents take a solemn oath to our country and to the constitution, and the American public continues to be well-served by the world?s preeminent law enforcement agency," he said.

Trump likely to approve release of secret surveillance memo

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/un-imposes-new-sanctions-against-north-korea-trump-hails-decision-27503">UN imposes new sanctions against North Korea, Trump hails decision</a>

The UN Security Council today imposed new sanctions on North Korea seeking to ban refined petroleum product export after its ICBM missile test last month.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-threats-against-pakistan-can-negatively-affect-relations-ispr-chief-major-general-ghafoor-27505">US threats against Pakistan can &#39;negatively&#39; affect relations: ISPR chief Major General Ghafoor</a>

Ghafoor&#39;s statement comes after US vice president Mike Pence on a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Friday said President Trump had put Pakistan on notice.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/man-held-over-christmas-attack-plot-in-san-francisco-fbi-27499">Man held over Christmas attack plot in San Francisco: FBI</a>

US Federal agents arrested a former US Marine on Friday for allegedly plotting a Christmas attack in San Francisco inspired by the Islamic State jihadist group.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/watch-spacex-successfully-deploys-10-satellites-into-low-earth-orbit-27507">Watch: SpaceX successfully deploys 10 satellites into low-earth orbit</a>

EIon&nbsp;Musk-led SpaceX broke new ground in space with the launch of rocket Falcon 9 which successfully deployed 10 satellites into earth&#39;s orbit.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/34-trains-late-15-cancelled-due-to-low-visibility-in-delhi-27506">34 trains late, 15 cancelled due to low visibility in Delhi</a>

According to reports, most trains running on Amritsar/Ludhiana to New Delhi route were running late or had to be rescheduled.

According to reports, most trains running on Amritsar/Ludhiana to New Delhi route were running late or had to be rescheduled.

UN imposes new sanctions against North Korea, Trump hails decision The UN Security Council today imposed new sanctions on North Korea seeking to ban refined petroleum product export after its ICBM missile test last month. US threats against Pakistan can 'negatively' affect relations: ISPR chief Major General Ghafoor Ghafoor's statement comes after US vice president Mike Pence on a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Friday said President Trump had put Pakistan on notice. Man held over Christmas attack plot in San Francisco: FBI US Federal agents arrested a former US Marine on Friday for allegedly plotting a Christmas attack in San Francisco inspired by the Islamic State jihadist group. Watch: SpaceX successfully deploys 10 satellites into low-earth orbit EIon Musk-led SpaceX broke new ground in space with the launch of rocket Falcon 9 which successfully deployed 10 satellites into earth's orbit. 34 trains late, 15 cancelled due to low visibility in Delhi According to reports, most trains running on Amritsar/Ludhiana to New Delhi route were running late or had to be rescheduled.

WION morning news brief, December 23, 2017

Federal agents arrested a former US Marine on Friday for allegedly plotting a Christmas attack in San Francisco inspired by the Islamic State jihadist group, according to court documents.

Tow truck driver Everitt Aaron Jameson, 26, was planning to target the city&#39;s busy Pier 39 tourist spot, according to an affidavit submitted by FBI Special Agent Christopher McKinney.

The suspect outlined to undercover agents how he wanted to use explosives to target crowds at the pier between December 18 and 25 because &quot;Christmas was the perfect day to commit the attack.&quot;

Jameson professed not to need an escape plan as he was &quot;ready to die,&quot; according to the document.&nbsp;

The suspect&#39;s home in Modesto, California, was raided by FBI agents on Wednesday, where they allegedly found his last will and testament along with several weapons and ammunition.

Jameson attended basic training with the Marine Corps in 2009 and graduated with a &quot;sharpshooter&quot; rifle qualification, according to the FBI, but was discharged after failing to disclose a history of asthma.

According to McKinney, Jameson selected Pier 39 because &quot;he had been there before and knew it was a heavily crowded area.&quot;

&quot;Jameson explained that he also desired to use explosives and described a plan in which explosives could &#39;tunnel&#39; or &#39;funnel&#39; people into a location where Jameson could inflict casualties,&quot; McKinney stated.

The suspect inadvertently revealed his plans to an undercover FBI agent he believed to be a senior leader of the Islamic State group, according to the court document.

Jameson said the US needed &quot;another attack like New York or San Bernardino,&quot; adding that he wanted to use vehicles and firearms to carry out an attack.

&quot;Today, our incredible law enforcement officers have once again helped thwart an alleged plot to kill Americans,&quot; Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement. &nbsp;

&quot;The threat from radical Islamic terrorism is real -- and it is serious -- but the American people can be assured that the Department of Justice remains vigilant in protecting our homeland,&quot; he added.

According to the criminal complaint, Jameson &quot;has espoused radical jihadi beliefs, including authoring social media posts that are supportive of terrorism.&quot;

He had voiced support for the October 31 attack in New York in which a jihadist drove a pick-up truck into a crowded bike path, killing eight people, said the FBI, and was active on Facebook, &quot;liking&quot; pro-IS posts.

He &quot;loved&quot; a post on November 29 of a terror propaganda image of Santa Claus standing in New York with a box of dynamite.

He was charged in the Eastern District Court of California with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

&quot;He was under surveillance by law enforcement, and the public was never in imminent danger,&quot; the FBI said in a statement.

Tow truck driver Everitt Aaron Jameson, 26, was planning to target the city's busy Pier 39 tourist spot, according to an affidavit submitted by FBI Special Agent Christopher McKinney

Federal agents arrested a former US Marine on Friday for allegedly plotting a Christmas attack in San Francisco inspired by the Islamic State jihadist group, according to court documents. Tow truck driver Everitt Aaron Jameson, 26, was planning to target the city's busy Pier 39 tourist spot, according to an affidavit submitted by FBI Special Agent Christopher McKinney. The suspect outlined to undercover agents how he wanted to use explosives to target crowds at the pier between December 18 and 25 because "Christmas was the perfect day to commit the attack." Jameson professed not to need an escape plan as he was "ready to die," according to the document. The suspect's home in Modesto, California, was raided by FBI agents on Wednesday, where they allegedly found his last will and testament along with several weapons and ammunition. Jameson attended basic training with the Marine Corps in 2009 and graduated with a "sharpshooter" rifle qualification, according to the FBI, but was discharged after failing to disclose a history of asthma. According to McKinney, Jameson selected Pier 39 because "he had been there before and knew it was a heavily crowded area." "Jameson explained that he also desired to use explosives and described a plan in which explosives could 'tunnel' or 'funnel' people into a location where Jameson could inflict casualties," McKinney stated. The suspect inadvertently revealed his plans to an undercover FBI agent he believed to be a senior leader of the Islamic State group, according to the court document. Jameson said the US needed "another attack like New York or San Bernardino," adding that he wanted to use vehicles and firearms to carry out an attack. "Today, our incredible law enforcement officers have once again helped thwart an alleged plot to kill Americans," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement. "The threat from radical Islamic terrorism is real -- and it is serious -- but the American people can be assured that the Department of Justice remains vigilant in protecting our homeland," he added. According to the criminal complaint, Jameson "has espoused radical jihadi beliefs, including authoring social media posts that are supportive of terrorism." He had voiced support for the October 31 attack in New York in which a jihadist drove a pick-up truck into a crowded bike path, killing eight people, said the FBI, and was active on Facebook, "liking" pro-IS posts. He "loved" a post on November 29 of a terror propaganda image of Santa Claus standing in New York with a box of dynamite. He was charged in the Eastern District Court of California with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. "He was under surveillance by law enforcement, and the public was never in imminent danger," the FBI said in a statement.

Man held over Christmas attack plot in San Francisco: FBI

US President Donald Trump attacked the FBI in a series of tweets on Sunday, calling it the &quot;worst in history&quot; and saying that its reputation was &quot;in tatters&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;After years of Comey, with the phony and dishonest Clinton investigation (and more), running the FBI, its reputation is in Tatters - worst in History! But fear not, we will bring it back to greatness,&quot; he tweeted.&nbsp;

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Tainted (no, very dishonest?) FBI &ldquo;agent&rsquo;s role in Clinton probe under review.&rdquo; Led Clinton Email probe. <a href="https://twitter.com/foxandfriends?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@foxandfriends</a> Clinton money going to wife of another FBI agent in charge.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/937301085156503552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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After years of Comey, with the phony and dishonest Clinton investigation (and more), running the FBI, its reputation is in Tatters - worst in History! But fear not, we will bring it back to greatness.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/937305615218696193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Report: &ldquo;ANTI-TRUMP FBI AGENT LED CLINTON EMAIL PROBE&rdquo; Now it all starts to make sense!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/937314665176207360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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On Friday, former US National Security Adviser Michael Flynn admitted to the FBI that he had lied about his conversations with the Russian ambassador during the presidential transition.&nbsp;

Special Counsel Robert Mueller is currently investigating whether Trump should be charged with obstruction of justice for firing former FBI director James Comey.&nbsp;

Comey had said Trump had asked him to drop the Flynn probe.&nbsp;

'After years of Comey, with the phony and dishonest Clinton investigation (and more), running the FBI, its reputation is in Tatters - worst in History!' Trump tweeted

US President Donald Trump attacked the FBI in a series of tweets on Sunday, calling it the "worst in history" and saying that its reputation was "in tatters". "After years of Comey, with the phony and dishonest Clinton investigation (and more), running the FBI, its reputation is in Tatters - worst in History! But fear not, we will bring it back to greatness," he tweeted. Tainted (no, very dishonest?) FBI “agent’s role in Clinton probe under review.” Led Clinton Email probe. @foxandfriends Clinton money going to wife of another FBI agent in charge. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2017 × After years of Comey, with the phony and dishonest Clinton investigation (and more), running the FBI, its reputation is in Tatters - worst in History! But fear not, we will bring it back to greatness. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2017 × Report: “ANTI-TRUMP FBI AGENT LED CLINTON EMAIL PROBE” Now it all starts to make sense! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2017 × On Friday, former US National Security Adviser Michael Flynn admitted to the FBI that he had lied about his conversations with the Russian ambassador during the presidential transition. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is currently investigating whether Trump should be charged with obstruction of justice for firing former FBI director James Comey. Comey had said Trump had asked him to drop the Flynn probe.

Trump says FBI 'worst in history, reputation in tatters'

A senior FBI official was removed from the Russia election meddling probe for sending text messages critical of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/breaking-news-us-president-trump-praises-indian-pm-modi-for-ges-2017-7131">President Donald Trump</a>, the Washington Post reported Saturday.

Peter Strzok, deputy head of counter-intelligence at the FBI, was a key player in special prosecutor Robert Mueller&#39;s probe into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives trying to tilt the election in Trump&#39;s favour, the Post said. It quoted people familiar with the issue.

Strzok also worked on the probe into Hillary Clinton&#39;s use of a private email server while serving as secretary of state.

During the Clinton investigation, Strzok was having an affair with a senior FBI lawyer named Lisa Page, the Post said.

Strzok and his lover traded text messages during the Clinton probe and the campaign in which they expressed anti-Trump feelings and other remarks apparently in support of Clinton, the Post said.

Strzok was removed from the Russia probe over the summer, the Post and the New York Times said.

&quot;Immediately upon learning of the allegations, the special counsel&rsquo;s office removed Peter Strzok from the investigation,&quot; said a spokesman for the special counsel&#39;s office, Peter Carr.

Peter Strzok was reportedly a key player in special prosecutor Robert Mueller's probe into possible collusion between the Trump presidential campaign and Russian operatives

A senior FBI official was removed from the Russia election meddling probe for sending text messages critical of President Donald Trump, the Washington Post reported Saturday. Peter Strzok, deputy head of counter-intelligence at the FBI, was a key player in special prosecutor Robert Mueller's probe into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives trying to tilt the election in Trump's favour, the Post said. It quoted people familiar with the issue. Strzok also worked on the probe into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while serving as secretary of state. During the Clinton investigation, Strzok was having an affair with a senior FBI lawyer named Lisa Page, the Post said. Strzok and his lover traded text messages during the Clinton probe and the campaign in which they expressed anti-Trump feelings and other remarks apparently in support of Clinton, the Post said. Strzok was removed from the Russia probe over the summer, the Post and the New York Times said. "Immediately upon learning of the allegations, the special counsel’s office removed Peter Strzok from the investigation," said a spokesman for the special counsel's office, Peter Carr.

FBI official removed from probe for anti-Trump remarks

US President Donald Trump denied Sunday having asked then FBI director James Comey to stop investigating ex-national security advisor Michael Flynn, who has since pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about discussions with Russia.

Trump also insisted he and his campaign had not colluded with Moscow in last year&#39;s election, and shifted blame on the Justice Department and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

&quot;I never asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn. Just more Fake News covering another Comey lie!&quot; Trump said in a tweet.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/flynns-actions-during-the-transition-were-lawful-president-trump-25710" target="_blank">Flynn&#39;s actions during the transition &#39;were lawful&#39;, says Trump</a>

But his position was complicated by another Twitter post in which he indicated he had fired Flynn because the national security chief had been untruthful not just to Vice President Mike Pence but to the FBI as well.

That comment appeared to indicate Trump was acknowledging he knew at the time of Flynn&#39;s firing in February that he had lied to the bureau&#39;s agents.

&quot;If that is true, Mr. President, why did you wait so long to fire Flynn?&quot; asked Representative Adam Schiff of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.

&quot;Why did you fail to act until his lies were publicly exposed? And why did you pressure Director Comey to &#39;let this go?&#39;&quot;

White House officials, however, told The New York Times that Trump was only referencing Flynn&#39;s guilty plea for lying to the FBI about his conversations with then Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak over sanctions president Barack Obama slapped on Russia for election meddling.

And two people briefed on the matter said the Twitter post was in fact written by Trump&#39;s personal lawyer John Dowd, who apologized to the White House for the tactless language.

What the president knew, and when 
After he was fired himself in May, Comey testified under oath before a Senate panel that, a day after Flynn&#39;s firing, Trump asked him to drop an investigation into the former national security advisor.

A lingering part of the drama has been that after the White House learned through the Justice Department that Flynn lied to the White House about discussing sanctions with the Russian ambassador, Trump still waited 18 days to fire him.

Trump said he had the Russia probe in mind when he fired Comey. The move backfired and led the Justice Department to appoint Robert Mueller as special counsel.

Mueller&#39;s focus goes beyond possible collusion with Russia to business dealings and whether Trump himself tried to thwart the investigation.

US media reported that senior FBI counterintelligence official Peter Strzok was removed from the investigation over the summer for sending text messages critical of Trump.

Trump retweeted a post from conservative commentator Paul Sperry about the news that highlighted the fact that Strzok had also worked on the probe into Hillary Clinton&#39;s use of a private email server while serving as secretary of state.

Trump also retweeted another damaging Sperry post critical of Strzok&#39;s boss, FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.

Earlier, Trump renewed focus on the Justice Department&#39;s handling of the Clinton probe.

&quot;So General Flynn lies to the FBI and his life is destroyed, while Crooked Hillary Clinton, on that now famous FBI holiday &#39;interrogation&#39; with no swearing in and no recording, lies many times...and nothing happens to her? Rigged system, or just a double standard?&quot; he wrote.

&quot;Many people in our Country are asking what the &#39;Justice&#39; Department is going to do about the fact that totally Crooked Hillary, AFTER receiving a subpoena from the United States Congress, deleted and &#39;acid washed&#39; 33,000 Emails? No justice!&quot;

As he left for a day trip to New York on Saturday, Trump again insisted his team had not plotted with Moscow to sway the election in his favor over Clinton, who won the popular vote but lost the all-important electoral college count.

&quot;What has been shown is no collusion. There&#39;s been absolutely no collusion. So we&#39;re very happy,&quot; Trump said.

Comey himself seemed to be addressing the latest developments in an Instagram message: &quot;To paraphrase the Buddha -- Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun; the moon; and the truth.&quot;

- Tax win overshadowed - 
The explosive new developments in the Russia probe have overshadowed a major legislative win for Trump: the Senate&#39;s passage of the most significant US tax overhaul in 31 years.

Both the Senate and House versions lower the corporate tax rate to 20 percent from 35 percent, and include more modest tax cuts aimed at individuals across all income levels.

Democrats argue that the plan is too expensive and will accommodate only the rich, and that it could ultimately impact cherished US entitlement programs like Medicare.

The Senate bill was, just 24 hours earlier, on the brink of collapse when a handful of Republican deficit hawks balked at the plan&#39;s $1.5 trillion price tag for 10 years.

Trump hopes to sign a final bill before Christmas. That would be a much-needed victory for the president, who has delivered on hardly any of his major campaign promises, including repealing the health care law known as Obamacare.

'I never asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn. Just more Fake News covering another Comey lie!' Trump said in a tweet.

US President Donald Trump denied Sunday having asked then FBI director James Comey to stop investigating ex-national security advisor Michael Flynn, who has since pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about discussions with Russia. Trump also insisted he and his campaign had not colluded with Moscow in last year's election, and shifted blame on the Justice Department and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. "I never asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn. Just more Fake News covering another Comey lie!" Trump said in a tweet. Also read: Flynn's actions during the transition 'were lawful', says Trump But his position was complicated by another Twitter post in which he indicated he had fired Flynn because the national security chief had been untruthful not just to Vice President Mike Pence but to the FBI as well. That comment appeared to indicate Trump was acknowledging he knew at the time of Flynn's firing in February that he had lied to the bureau's agents. "If that is true, Mr. President, why did you wait so long to fire Flynn?" asked Representative Adam Schiff of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. "Why did you fail to act until his lies were publicly exposed? And why did you pressure Director Comey to 'let this go?'" White House officials, however, told The New York Times that Trump was only referencing Flynn's guilty plea for lying to the FBI about his conversations with then Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak over sanctions president Barack Obama slapped on Russia for election meddling. And two people briefed on the matter said the Twitter post was in fact written by Trump's personal lawyer John Dowd, who apologized to the White House for the tactless language. What the president knew, and when After he was fired himself in May, Comey testified under oath before a Senate panel that, a day after Flynn's firing, Trump asked him to drop an investigation into the former national security advisor. A lingering part of the drama has been that after the White House learned through the Justice Department that Flynn lied to the White House about discussing sanctions with the Russian ambassador, Trump still waited 18 days to fire him. Trump said he had the Russia probe in mind when he fired Comey. The move backfired and led the Justice Department to appoint Robert Mueller as special counsel. Mueller's focus goes beyond possible collusion with Russia to business dealings and whether Trump himself tried to thwart the investigation. US media reported that senior FBI counterintelligence official Peter Strzok was removed from the investigation over the summer for sending text messages critical of Trump. Trump retweeted a post from conservative commentator Paul Sperry about the news that highlighted the fact that Strzok had also worked on the probe into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while serving as secretary of state. Trump also retweeted another damaging Sperry post critical of Strzok's boss, FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe. Earlier, Trump renewed focus on the Justice Department's handling of the Clinton probe. "So General Flynn lies to the FBI and his life is destroyed, while Crooked Hillary Clinton, on that now famous FBI holiday 'interrogation' with no swearing in and no recording, lies many times...and nothing happens to her? Rigged system, or just a double standard?" he wrote. "Many people in our Country are asking what the 'Justice' Department is going to do about the fact that totally Crooked Hillary, AFTER receiving a subpoena from the United States Congress, deleted and 'acid washed' 33,000 Emails? No justice!" As he left for a day trip to New York on Saturday, Trump again insisted his team had not plotted with Moscow to sway the election in his favor over Clinton, who won the popular vote but lost the all-important electoral college count. "What has been shown is no collusion. There's been absolutely no collusion. So we're very happy," Trump said. Comey himself seemed to be addressing the latest developments in an Instagram message: "To paraphrase the Buddha -- Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun; the moon; and the truth." - Tax win overshadowed - The explosive new developments in the Russia probe have overshadowed a major legislative win for Trump: the Senate's passage of the most significant US tax overhaul in 31 years. Both the Senate and House versions lower the corporate tax rate to 20 percent from 35 percent, and include more modest tax cuts aimed at individuals across all income levels. Democrats argue that the plan is too expensive and will accommodate only the rich, and that it could ultimately impact cherished US entitlement programs like Medicare. The Senate bill was, just 24 hours earlier, on the brink of collapse when a handful of Republican deficit hawks balked at the plan's $1.5 trillion price tag for 10 years. Trump hopes to sign a final bill before Christmas. That would be a much-needed victory for the president, who has delivered on hardly any of his major campaign promises, including repealing the health care law known as Obamacare.

Trump denies asking FBI to drop Flynn probe

Former US&nbsp;National Security Adviser Michael Flynn admitted on Friday that he asked Russia to delay a UN&nbsp;vote seen as damaging to Israel, but diplomats said it was not the only country he and presidential adviser Jared Kushner lobbied.&nbsp;

In the hours before the vote by the 15-member United Nations Security Council on December 23, Flynn also phoned the UN&nbsp;missions of Uruguay and Malaysia, and Kushner spoke with Kim Darroch, the British ambassador to the United States, according to diplomats familiar with the conversations, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The lobbying took place before Republican President Donald Trump, who was known for his pro-Israel campaign rhetoric, took office on January 20. It failed, with the Security Council adopting a resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlement building on land Palestinians want for an independent state. The vote was 14 in favour and one abstention by the United States.&nbsp;

The efforts made on Israel&#39;s behalf capped several days of unusual diplomacy. In a surprise December 21 move, Egypt had called for a vote the next day on the draft resolution, prompting both Trump and Israel to urge Washington to veto the text.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ex-trump-aide-flynn-pleads-guilty-to-lying-about-russia-links-25647">Ex-Trump aide Flynn pleads guilty to lying about Russia links</a>

A senior Israeli official told Reuters that Israeli officials contacted Trump&#39;s transition team at a &quot;high level&quot; to ask for help after failing to persuade Democratic President Barack Obama&#39;s administration to veto the draft UN&nbsp;resolution.&nbsp;

According to court documents made public on Friday, a member of Trump&#39;s presidential transition team, later identified by sources as Trump&#39;s son-in-law Kushner, told Flynn on December 22 to contact officials from foreign governments, including Russia, to convince them to delay the vote or veto the resolution.&nbsp;

Flynn spoke with then-Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak that day, and again the following day, according to the court documents.

Also on December 22, Trump discussed the resolution with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Egypt withdrew the text from a council vote the same day.&nbsp;

The 1799 Logan Act bars unauthorised private US&nbsp;citizens, which Trump, Flynn, and Kushner all were at the time, from negotiating with foreign governments. However, only two Americans have ever been indicted for allegedly violating it &ndash; in 1802 and 1852 &ndash; and neither was convicted.

Abbe Lowell, a lawyer for Kushner, did not respond to multiple requests for comment on Friday about Israel or other issues.

A second go-round

After Egypt withdrew the resolution, its co-sponsors, New Zealand, Malaysia, Venezuela, and Senegal, put it forward again for a December 23 vote.

In Washington, Kushner was in contact with Britain&#39;s Darroch, and Flynn spoke with Kislyak - lobbying to delay the vote or veto the resolution.

A resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by the council&#39;s five permanent members - China, Britain, France, Russia, and the United States - to be adopted.

Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, who died in February, signalled to colleagues behind closed doors on Dec. 23 that he was unhappy with the haste with which the draft resolution was being put to a vote, but he did not ask for the vote to be delayed, diplomats said.

Flynn also tried to speak to Malaysian UN&nbsp;Ambassador Ramlan Bin Ibrahim, but Ibrahim did not take the call. He also called the Uruguayan UN&nbsp;mission, eventually getting through to Deputy Ambassador Luis Bermudez &ndash; who was the charge d&#39;affaires - minutes before the vote.

A member of Trump's presidential transition team, later identified by sources as Trump's son-in-law Kushner, told Flynn on December 22 to contact officials from foreign governments, including Russia, to convince them to delay the vote or veto the resolution

Former US National Security Adviser Michael Flynn admitted on Friday that he asked Russia to delay a UN vote seen as damaging to Israel, but diplomats said it was not the only country he and presidential adviser Jared Kushner lobbied. In the hours before the vote by the 15-member United Nations Security Council on December 23, Flynn also phoned the UN missions of Uruguay and Malaysia, and Kushner spoke with Kim Darroch, the British ambassador to the United States, according to diplomats familiar with the conversations, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The lobbying took place before Republican President Donald Trump, who was known for his pro-Israel campaign rhetoric, took office on January 20. It failed, with the Security Council adopting a resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlement building on land Palestinians want for an independent state. The vote was 14 in favour and one abstention by the United States. The efforts made on Israel's behalf capped several days of unusual diplomacy. In a surprise December 21 move, Egypt had called for a vote the next day on the draft resolution, prompting both Trump and Israel to urge Washington to veto the text. Also read: Ex-Trump aide Flynn pleads guilty to lying about Russia links A senior Israeli official told Reuters that Israeli officials contacted Trump's transition team at a "high level" to ask for help after failing to persuade Democratic President Barack Obama's administration to veto the draft UN resolution. According to court documents made public on Friday, a member of Trump's presidential transition team, later identified by sources as Trump's son-in-law Kushner, told Flynn on December 22 to contact officials from foreign governments, including Russia, to convince them to delay the vote or veto the resolution. Flynn spoke with then-Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak that day, and again the following day, according to the court documents. Also on December 22, Trump discussed the resolution with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Egypt withdrew the text from a council vote the same day. The 1799 Logan Act bars unauthorised private US citizens, which Trump, Flynn, and Kushner all were at the time, from negotiating with foreign governments. However, only two Americans have ever been indicted for allegedly violating it – in 1802 and 1852 – and neither was convicted. Abbe Lowell, a lawyer for Kushner, did not respond to multiple requests for comment on Friday about Israel or other issues. A second go-round After Egypt withdrew the resolution, its co-sponsors, New Zealand, Malaysia, Venezuela, and Senegal, put it forward again for a December 23 vote. In Washington, Kushner was in contact with Britain's Darroch, and Flynn spoke with Kislyak - lobbying to delay the vote or veto the resolution. A resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by the council's five permanent members - China, Britain, France, Russia, and the United States - to be adopted. Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, who died in February, signalled to colleagues behind closed doors on Dec. 23 that he was unhappy with the haste with which the draft resolution was being put to a vote, but he did not ask for the vote to be delayed, diplomats said. Flynn also tried to speak to Malaysian UN Ambassador Ramlan Bin Ibrahim, but Ibrahim did not take the call. He also called the Uruguayan UN mission, eventually getting through to Deputy Ambassador Luis Bermudez – who was the charge d'affaires - minutes before the vote.

Flynn, Kushner targeted several states in failed UN lobbying: Diplomats

Donald Trump&#39;s former top advisor Michael Flynn pleaded guilty Friday to lying to the FBI over his contacts with Russia, in a dramatic escalation of the probe into possible collusion between the president&#39;s campaign team and Moscow.

The 58-year-old Flynn, a retired three-star Army general, is the most senior figure indicted in special prosecutor Robert Mueller&#39;s sprawling investigation into Russian interference in last year&#39;s election.

Flynn&#39;s admission that he had secret discussions in December 2016 with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, with direction from top officials in Trump&#39;s presidential transition team, set Washington abuzz with speculation as to who in the Republican leader&#39;s inner circle might next be in Mueller&#39;s sights.

The Washington Post reported, citing unnamed sources, that one of the &quot;very senior&quot; officials advising Flynn to contact the Russian envoy was Trump&#39;s son-in-law and senior aide Jared Kushner.

Flynn&#39;s guilty plea, on one federal charge of making false statements to investigators, came with a pledge to cooperate with Mueller, whose focus goes beyond possible collusion with Russia to shady business dealings and whether Trump himself tried to thwart the investigation.

The White House rejected the idea that Flynn could implicate &quot;anyone&quot; else, as ABC News reported that Flynn would testify that Trump ordered him to reach out to Moscow, news that sent Wall Street shares tumbling.

&quot;I recognise that the actions I acknowledged in court today were wrong,&quot; Flynn said in a statement after a brief appearance in federal court in the US capital.

&quot;My guilty plea and agreement to cooperate with the special counsel&#39;s office reflect a decision I made in the best interests of my family and of our country. I accept full responsibility for my actions.&quot;

The charge normally carries up to five years in prison, but under the terms of the plea deal, Mueller says he has recommended a lighter sentence of only up to six months in jail, court filings show.

Flynn lied over Russia contacts&nbsp;

Flynn admitted he lied to FBI investigators about his private discussions at the end of December 2016 with Kislyak about US sanctions imposed on Moscow by the administration of then President Barack Obama.

At the time, Flynn was a campaign and transition advisor with no official US government role, but he was clearly a top candidate to become Trump&#39;s White House national security advisor.

Flynn eventually was given that post but was forced to resign in February, just weeks after the president took office, due to public concerns over his contacts with Russia.

According to court documents released by prosecutors, on December 28 last year, Flynn asked Kislyak to moderate Russia&#39;s response to new sanctions and the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats, announced by Obama in retaliation for Moscow&#39;s interference in the 2016 election.

The documents say he took that action based on discussions with &quot;a senior official of the Presidential Transition Team.&quot;&nbsp;

After the December 29 announcement, the Obama administration was openly puzzled by Moscow&#39;s decision not to retaliate and began investigating possible interference by Flynn and the Trump campaign.

A week earlier, under the instruction of &quot;a very senior member&quot; of the transition team, Flynn also secretly asked Kislyak to defeat or delay a looming UN Security Council resolution to condemn Israel&#39;s settlements in Palestinian territory, according to court filings.

While the two interactions do not clearly suggest collusion, they raise questions about the Trump team&#39;s dealings with Moscow before taking office and whether they actively worked to undermine Obama&#39;s policies.

The White House, which has long denied any wrongdoing in relation to Moscow, said Flynn&#39;s admitted lies about those meetings &quot;mirror the false statements to White House officials which resulted in his resignation.&quot;

&quot;Nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implicates anyone other than Mr Flynn,&quot; said White House attorney Ty Cobb.

Trump still denies Russian interference&nbsp;

Since the first allegations of Russian interference last year, and despite reports from top US intelligence officials concluding it happened, Trump has dismissed the notion as &quot;fake news&quot; and an excuse for Democratic rival Hillary Clinton&#39;s loss at the polls.

&quot;Since the first day I took office, all you hear is the phoney Democrat excuse for losing the election, Russia, Russia, Russia.&nbsp;Despite this I have the economy booming and have possibly done more than any 10 month President. Make America great again!&quot;.

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Since the first day I took office, all you hear is the phony Democrat excuse for losing the election, Russia, Russia,Russia. Despite this I have the economy booming and have possibly done more than any 10 month President. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/934896989539586054?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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But Friday&#39;s news made clear that Trump&#39;s inner circle could increasingly come under the microscope.

For Trump, the focus is on whether he has tried to stifle the investigation, including by firing FBI chief James Comey in May, which could draw obstruction of justice charges, the same charges that forced President Richard Nixon from office in 1974.

On social media: Comey posted a biblical verse: &quot;But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.&quot;

&quot;The one individual that still seems to deny that this is a major issue is Donald Trump. And I just kind of wonder why&quot; Democratic Senator Mark Warner told CNN.

Fourth person charged by Mueller&nbsp;

Three others have been charged in the Mueller probe.

In October, Trump&#39;s one-time campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his deputy Rick Gates were arrested on money laundering and tax-related charges.

George Papadopoulos, a Trump campaign foreign policy advisor, pleaded guilty to a charge of lying to investigators in a deal that made clear he was cooperating with investigators.

The 58-year-old Flynn, a retired three-star Army general, is the most senior figure indicted in special prosecutor Robert Mueller's sprawling investigation into Russian interference in last year's election.

Donald Trump's former top advisor Michael Flynn pleaded guilty Friday to lying to the FBI over his contacts with Russia, in a dramatic escalation of the probe into possible collusion between the president's campaign team and Moscow. The 58-year-old Flynn, a retired three-star Army general, is the most senior figure indicted in special prosecutor Robert Mueller's sprawling investigation into Russian interference in last year's election. Flynn's admission that he had secret discussions in December 2016 with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, with direction from top officials in Trump's presidential transition team, set Washington abuzz with speculation as to who in the Republican leader's inner circle might next be in Mueller's sights. The Washington Post reported, citing unnamed sources, that one of the "very senior" officials advising Flynn to contact the Russian envoy was Trump's son-in-law and senior aide Jared Kushner. Flynn's guilty plea, on one federal charge of making false statements to investigators, came with a pledge to cooperate with Mueller, whose focus goes beyond possible collusion with Russia to shady business dealings and whether Trump himself tried to thwart the investigation. The White House rejected the idea that Flynn could implicate "anyone" else, as ABC News reported that Flynn would testify that Trump ordered him to reach out to Moscow, news that sent Wall Street shares tumbling. "I recognise that the actions I acknowledged in court today were wrong," Flynn said in a statement after a brief appearance in federal court in the US capital. "My guilty plea and agreement to cooperate with the special counsel's office reflect a decision I made in the best interests of my family and of our country. I accept full responsibility for my actions." The charge normally carries up to five years in prison, but under the terms of the plea deal, Mueller says he has recommended a lighter sentence of only up to six months in jail, court filings show. Flynn lied over Russia contacts Flynn admitted he lied to FBI investigators about his private discussions at the end of December 2016 with Kislyak about US sanctions imposed on Moscow by the administration of then President Barack Obama. At the time, Flynn was a campaign and transition advisor with no official US government role, but he was clearly a top candidate to become Trump's White House national security advisor. Flynn eventually was given that post but was forced to resign in February, just weeks after the president took office, due to public concerns over his contacts with Russia. According to court documents released by prosecutors, on December 28 last year, Flynn asked Kislyak to moderate Russia's response to new sanctions and the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats, announced by Obama in retaliation for Moscow's interference in the 2016 election. The documents say he took that action based on discussions with "a senior official of the Presidential Transition Team." After the December 29 announcement, the Obama administration was openly puzzled by Moscow's decision not to retaliate and began investigating possible interference by Flynn and the Trump campaign. A week earlier, under the instruction of "a very senior member" of the transition team, Flynn also secretly asked Kislyak to defeat or delay a looming UN Security Council resolution to condemn Israel's settlements in Palestinian territory, according to court filings. While the two interactions do not clearly suggest collusion, they raise questions about the Trump team's dealings with Moscow before taking office and whether they actively worked to undermine Obama's policies. The White House, which has long denied any wrongdoing in relation to Moscow, said Flynn's admitted lies about those meetings "mirror the false statements to White House officials which resulted in his resignation." "Nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implicates anyone other than Mr Flynn," said White House attorney Ty Cobb. Trump still denies Russian interference Since the first allegations of Russian interference last year, and despite reports from top US intelligence officials concluding it happened, Trump has dismissed the notion as "fake news" and an excuse for Democratic rival Hillary Clinton's loss at the polls. "Since the first day I took office, all you hear is the phoney Democrat excuse for losing the election, Russia, Russia, Russia. Despite this I have the economy booming and have possibly done more than any 10 month President. Make America great again!". Since the first day I took office, all you hear is the phony Democrat excuse for losing the election, Russia, Russia,Russia. Despite this I have the economy booming and have possibly done more than any 10 month President. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2017 × But Friday's news made clear that Trump's inner circle could increasingly come under the microscope. For Trump, the focus is on whether he has tried to stifle the investigation, including by firing FBI chief James Comey in May, which could draw obstruction of justice charges, the same charges that forced President Richard Nixon from office in 1974. On social media: Comey posted a biblical verse: "But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." "The one individual that still seems to deny that this is a major issue is Donald Trump. And I just kind of wonder why" Democratic Senator Mark Warner told CNN. Fourth person charged by Mueller Three others have been charged in the Mueller probe. In October, Trump's one-time campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his deputy Rick Gates were arrested on money laundering and tax-related charges. George Papadopoulos, a Trump campaign foreign policy advisor, pleaded guilty to a charge of lying to investigators in a deal that made clear he was cooperating with investigators.

Ex-Trump aide Flynn pleads guilty to lying about Russia links

America&#39;s Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI) has charged President Trump&#39;s ex-national security advisor Michael Flynn with &quot;lying&quot; over his contacts with Russia.

Flynn resigned in February after being under fire for weeks over his links to the Russian government. He was reported to have discussed the possibility of lifting US sanctions on Russia before Trump took office.

Flynn had promised former US vice-president Pence that he had not discussed US sanctions with the Russians, but transcripts of intercepted communications by US officials later showed that the subject had come up in conversations between him and the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak.

Such contacts are potentially in violation of a law banning US private citizens from engaging in foreign policy, known as the Logan Act.

The FBI charged Flynn with one count of lying.&nbsp;

A court document showed Flynn was charged for lying about his private discussions with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador, regarding US sanctions being imposed on Moscow by the government former president Barack Obama.

The former US national security advisor is scheduled to appear in court today on hearing related to making &quot;false, fictitious and fraudulent representations&quot; to the FBI.

Flynn had promised former US vice-president Pence that he had not discussed US sanctions with the Russians

America's Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI) has charged President Trump's ex-national security advisor Michael Flynn with "lying" over his contacts with Russia. Flynn resigned in February after being under fire for weeks over his links to the Russian government. He was reported to have discussed the possibility of lifting US sanctions on Russia before Trump took office. Flynn had promised former US vice-president Pence that he had not discussed US sanctions with the Russians, but transcripts of intercepted communications by US officials later showed that the subject had come up in conversations between him and the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak. Such contacts are potentially in violation of a law banning US private citizens from engaging in foreign policy, known as the Logan Act. The FBI charged Flynn with one count of lying. A court document showed Flynn was charged for lying about his private discussions with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador, regarding US sanctions being imposed on Moscow by the government former president Barack Obama. The former US national security advisor is scheduled to appear in court today on hearing related to making "false, fictitious and fraudulent representations" to the FBI.

Trump's ex-NSA Michael Flynn charged for lying about Russia links

A second Uzbek man wanted for questioning in the investigation of Tuesday&#39;s <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/timeline-unwinding-the-the-new-york-city-terror-attack-23295">fatal truck attack in New York City</a> has been located, an FBI official said on Wednesday, though no details were provided on where the man was found or why he was wanted.

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/truck-kills-8-on-new-york-bike-path-in-us-deadliest-attack-since-911-23265">Federal Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday issued a wanted poster on Mukhammadzoir Kadirov</a>, a 32-year-old native of Uzbekistan.

Sayfullo Saipov, a 29-year-old Uzbekistan immigrant who has been living in New Jersey, was charged on Wednesday with committing the attack in the name of the Islamic State militant group.

U.S. law enforcement officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, separately on Wednesday said Saipov had been in contact with Kadirov and one other person. The officials, who asked not to be identified because the investigation is ongoing, did not provide further details.

Kadirov was located after the wanted poster went out, William Sweeney, assistant director-in-charge of the New York FBI office, told a news conference. He declined to disclose any details.

&quot;Earlier as we came in this evening, we were seeking information about an individual,&quot; Sweeney said. &quot;Many of you in this room received that alert.

&quot;We are no longer seeking that individual,&quot; he said.

The New York FBI office on Twitter said it was still seeking any information the public might have on Kadirov.

Tuesday&#39;s attack on a bike path in Manhattan killed eight people.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday issued a wanted poster on Mukhammadzoir Kadirov, a 32-year-old native of Uzbekistan.

A second Uzbek man wanted for questioning in the investigation of Tuesday's fatal truck attack in New York City has been located, an FBI official said on Wednesday, though no details were provided on where the man was found or why he was wanted. The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday issued a wanted poster on Mukhammadzoir Kadirov, a 32-year-old native of Uzbekistan. Sayfullo Saipov, a 29-year-old Uzbekistan immigrant who has been living in New Jersey, was charged on Wednesday with committing the attack in the name of the Islamic State militant group. U.S. law enforcement officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, separately on Wednesday said Saipov had been in contact with Kadirov and one other person. The officials, who asked not to be identified because the investigation is ongoing, did not provide further details. Kadirov was located after the wanted poster went out, William Sweeney, assistant director-in-charge of the New York FBI office, told a news conference. He declined to disclose any details. "Earlier as we came in this evening, we were seeking information about an individual," Sweeney said. "Many of you in this room received that alert. "We are no longer seeking that individual," he said. The New York FBI office on Twitter said it was still seeking any information the public might have on Kadirov. Tuesday's attack on a bike path in Manhattan killed eight people.

FBI locates second Uzbek man sought for questioning in New York attack probe

More than half a century after US&nbsp;President John F. Kennedy was struck down by an assassin&#39;s bullet in Dallas, Texas, the United States is due on Thursday to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/president-trump-to-allow-release-of-jfk-files-6167.">release the final&nbsp;files</a> on the investigation into the killing that rattled a nation.

Academics who have studied Kennedy&#39;s slaying on Nov. 22, 1963, said they expected the&nbsp;final batch of files to&nbsp;offer&nbsp;no major&nbsp;new&nbsp;details&nbsp;on why Lee Harvey Oswald gunned down the first and only Irish-American Roman Catholic to hold the office.

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<h5>Donald Trump on Saturday confirmed that he would allow the&nbsp;documents&nbsp;to be made public</h5>
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They also feared that the&nbsp;final&nbsp;batch of more than 5 million total pages on the Kennedy assassination&nbsp;held in the National Archives will do little to quell long-held conspiracy theories that the 46-year-old president&#39;s killing was organized by the Mafia, by Cuba or a cabal of rogue agents.

Thousands of books, articles, TV shows and films have explored the idea that Kennedy assassination&nbsp;was the result of an elaborate conspiracy. None have produced conclusive proof that Oswald, who was shot dead a day after killing Kennedy, worked with anyone else, though they retain a powerful cultural currency.

&quot;My students are really sceptical that Oswald was the lone assassin,&quot; said Patrick Maney, a professor of history at Boston College. &quot;It&#39;s hard to get our minds around this, that someone like a loner, a loser, could on his own have murdered Kennedy and changed the course of world history. But that&#39;s where the evidence is.&quot;

In 1992, Congress ordered that all records relating to the investigation into Kennedy&#39;s death should be open to the public, and set a&nbsp;final&nbsp;deadline of Oct. 26, 2017, for the entire set to be made public.

President Donald Trump on Saturday confirmed that he would allow the&nbsp;documents&nbsp;to be made public.

The&nbsp;documents&nbsp;to be released on Thursday will likely focus on efforts by the Central Intelligence Agency and Federal Bureau of Investigation to determine what contact Oswald had with spies from Cuba and the former Soviet Union on a trip to Mexico City in September 1963, experts said.

&quot;There was a real concern that Oswald was maybe in league with the Soviet Union,&quot; Maney said.

Kennedy&#39;s&nbsp;assassination&nbsp;was the first in a string of politically motivated killings, including those of his brother Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., that stunned the United States during the turbulent 1960s. He remains one of the most admired US&nbsp;presidents.

Academics who have studied Kennedy's killing on Nov 22, 1963 said they expected the?final batch of files to?offer?no major?new?details?on why Lee Harvey Oswald gunned Kennedy down

More than half a century after US President John F. Kennedy was struck down by an assassin's bullet in Dallas, Texas, the United States is due on Thursday to release the final files on the investigation into the killing that rattled a nation. Academics who have studied Kennedy's slaying on Nov. 22, 1963, said they expected the final batch of files to offer no major new details on why Lee Harvey Oswald gunned down the first and only Irish-American Roman Catholic to hold the office. Donald Trump on Saturday confirmed that he would allow the documents to be made public × They also feared that the final batch of more than 5 million total pages on the Kennedy assassination held in the National Archives will do little to quell long-held conspiracy theories that the 46-year-old president's killing was organized by the Mafia, by Cuba or a cabal of rogue agents. Thousands of books, articles, TV shows and films have explored the idea that Kennedy assassination was the result of an elaborate conspiracy. None have produced conclusive proof that Oswald, who was shot dead a day after killing Kennedy, worked with anyone else, though they retain a powerful cultural currency. "My students are really sceptical that Oswald was the lone assassin," said Patrick Maney, a professor of history at Boston College. "It's hard to get our minds around this, that someone like a loner, a loser, could on his own have murdered Kennedy and changed the course of world history. But that's where the evidence is." In 1992, Congress ordered that all records relating to the investigation into Kennedy's death should be open to the public, and set a final deadline of Oct. 26, 2017, for the entire set to be made public. President Donald Trump on Saturday confirmed that he would allow the documents to be made public. The documents to be released on Thursday will likely focus on efforts by the Central Intelligence Agency and Federal Bureau of Investigation to determine what contact Oswald had with spies from Cuba and the former Soviet Union on a trip to Mexico City in September 1963, experts said. "There was a real concern that Oswald was maybe in league with the Soviet Union," Maney said. Kennedy's assassination was the first in a string of politically motivated killings, including those of his brother Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., that stunned the United States during the turbulent 1960s. He remains one of the most admired US presidents.

John F Kennedy assassination: Final files on investigation to be released

The United Arab Emirates arranged for Qatari government social media and news sites to be hacked in late May in order to post fiery but false quotes linked to Qatar&#39;s emir, prompting a diplomatic crisis, the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/uae-hacked-qatari-government-sites-sparking-regional-upheaval-according-to-us-intelligence-officials/2017/07/16/00c46e54-698f-11e7-8eb5-cbccc2e7bfbf_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_usqatar-640pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&amp;utm_term=.8eb6d0263976" target="_blank">Washington Post</a> reported on Sunday, citing US&nbsp;intelligence officials, Reuters reports.

The emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, had been quoted in May as praising Hamas and saying that Iran was an &quot;Islamic power,&quot; the Post reported. In response, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain cut diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing it of supporting terrorism.

Qatar said in late May that hackers had posted fake remarks by the emir, an explanation rejected by Gulf states.

<h3 style="font-style: italic;">&nbsp;</h3>

<h3 style="font-style: italic;">Related:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/website-says-report-of-plot-to-strip-qatar-of-world-cup-was-fake-17986" target="_blank">Website says report of plot to strip Qatar of World Cup was &#39;fake&#39;</a></h3>

&nbsp;

The Post reported that US intelligence officials learned last week of newly analyzed information that showed that top UAE government officials discussed the planned hacks on May 23, the day before they occurred.

The officials said it was unclear if the UAE hacked the websites or paid for them to be carried out, the newspaper reported. The Post did not identify the intelligence officials it spoke to for the report.

The hacks and posting took place on May 24, shortly after President Trump completed a lengthy counterterrorism meeting with Persian Gulf leaders in neighbouring Saudi Arabia and declared them unified, the Washington Post reports.

UAE Ambassador Yousef al-Otaiba denied the report in a statement, saying it was &quot;false,&quot; the Post said.

&quot;What is true is Qatar&rsquo;s behavior. Funding, supporting, and enabling extremists from the Taliban to Hamas and Qadafi. Inciting violence, encouraging radicalization, and undermining the stability of its neighbors,&quot; the statement said.

The US&nbsp;State Department declined comment in response to a Reuters query. The Federal Bureau of Investigation was previously known to be working with Qatar to probe the hacking.

US intelligence says United Arab Emirates arranged for Qatar's site to be hacked and orchestrated fake quotes, which launched the whole crisis

The United Arab Emirates arranged for Qatari government social media and news sites to be hacked in late May in order to post fiery but false quotes linked to Qatar's emir, prompting a diplomatic crisis, the Washington Post reported on Sunday, citing US intelligence officials, Reuters reports. The emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, had been quoted in May as praising Hamas and saying that Iran was an "Islamic power," the Post reported. In response, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain cut diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing it of supporting terrorism. Qatar said in late May that hackers had posted fake remarks by the emir, an explanation rejected by Gulf states. Related: Website says report of plot to strip Qatar of World Cup was 'fake' The Post reported that US intelligence officials learned last week of newly analyzed information that showed that top UAE government officials discussed the planned hacks on May 23, the day before they occurred. The officials said it was unclear if the UAE hacked the websites or paid for them to be carried out, the newspaper reported. The Post did not identify the intelligence officials it spoke to for the report. The hacks and posting took place on May 24, shortly after President Trump completed a lengthy counterterrorism meeting with Persian Gulf leaders in neighbouring Saudi Arabia and declared them unified, the Washington Post reports. UAE Ambassador Yousef al-Otaiba denied the report in a statement, saying it was "false," the Post said. "What is true is Qatar’s behavior. Funding, supporting, and enabling extremists from the Taliban to Hamas and Qadafi. Inciting violence, encouraging radicalization, and undermining the stability of its neighbors," the statement said. The US State Department declined comment in response to a Reuters query. The Federal Bureau of Investigation was previously known to be working with Qatar to probe the hacking.

UAE arranged hacking of Qatar gov sites, causing diplomatic row: Washington Post

President Donald Trump&#39;s pick to head the&nbsp;FBI, Christopher Wray, on Wednesday said he would refuse to pledge loyalty to Trump, rejected his description of the probe into Russian election meddling as a &quot;witch hunt,&quot; and vowed to quit if asked by the president to do something unlawful.

Wray, nominated by Trump on June 7 to replace the fired James Comey as Federal Bureau of Investigation director, sought to stake out independence from the president and protect the agency from partisan political influence. Wray even said it would be &quot;highly unlikely&quot; he would agree to meet Trump in a one-on-one situation, as Comey reluctantly did.

Wray, who seemed headed for US Senate approval to fill the 10-year post, testified during a 4 1/2-hour hour Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing amid an uproar in Washington over 2016 emails released on Tuesday involving the president&#39;s son, Donald Trump Jr.

The emails showed the Republican president&#39;s son agreeing last year to meet a woman he was told was a Russian government lawyer who might have damaging information about Democratic White House rival Hillary Clinton as part of Moscow&#39;s official support for his father.

Wray deflected specific questions from Republican Senator Lindsey Graham about the president&#39;s son&#39;s emails, saying he had not read them. But Wray said, &quot;Any threats or effort to interfere with our election from any nation-state or any non-state actor is the kind of thing the&nbsp;FBI&nbsp;would want to know.&quot;

Trump&#39;s son did not notify the&nbsp;FBI&nbsp;and wrote &quot;I love it&quot; about the Russian&#39;s offer of information on Clinton.

Trump fired Comey on May 9, igniting a political firestorm, and later cited the &quot;Russia thing&quot; as his reason. The Justice Department eight days later named Robert Mueller to serve as special counsel to investigate alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential race to help Trump win and potential collusion between Moscow and Trump associates.

The Russia matter has dogged Trump&#39;s first six months in office. Wray said he had no reason to doubt the US intelligence community&#39;s conclusion that Russia interfered in part by hacking and releasing emails damaging to Clinton, a claim Moscow denies.

Wray worked at the Justice Department under Republican former President George W. Bush when Comey was deputy attorney general and Mueller was&nbsp;FBI&nbsp;director. Wray also represented New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in a political scandal.

Trump has called the Russia probe a &quot;witch hunt.&quot;

&quot;I do not consider Director Mueller to be on a witch hunt,&quot; Wray told Graham.

Wray said he was &quot;very committed&quot; to supporting Mueller&#39;s investigation, calling him a &quot;consummate straight shooter and somebody I have enormous respect for.&quot;

Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein asked Wray to inform the committee &quot;if you learn about any machinations to tamper with&quot; Mueller&#39;s probe.

&quot;Understood,&quot; Wray responded.

No loyalty oath

Wray said no one at the White House had asked that he pledge loyalty to Trump, as Comey said the president demanded of him on Jan. 26. Wray said he would not give such an assurance if asked.

&quot;My loyalty is to the Constitution, to the rule of law and to the mission of the&nbsp;FBI. And no one asked me for any kind of loyalty oath at any point during this process, and I sure as heck didn&#39;t offer one,&quot; Wray said.

Comey previously told the same committee Trump pressed him in a one-on-one session to drop the&nbsp;FBI&nbsp;investigation into former national security advisor Michael Flynn&#39;s ties to Russia. Comey said he felt he was fired in a bid by Trump to undercut the Russia probe.

Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy asked Wray, &quot;If the president asks you to do something unlawful or unethical, what do you say?&quot;

&quot;First, I would try to talk him out of it. And if that failed, I would resign,&quot; Wray replied.

The allegation involving Trump pressing Comey on February 14 over the Flynn probe raised questions about whether Trump&#39;s behaviour amounted to obstruction of justice, a potential issue in any potential future effort in Congress to impeach the president and remove him from office.

Wray sought to differentiate himself from Comey. Wray was asked about Comey&#39;s July 2016 news conference announcing that no criminal charges were planned against Clinton over her use of a private email server to handle classified information but faulting her conduct.

&quot;I can&#39;t imagine a situation where as&nbsp;FBI&nbsp;director I would be giving a press conference on an uncharged individual, much less talk in detail about it,&quot; Wray testified.

Graham questioned Wray about a January report by the US&nbsp;news organisation Politico that a Ukrainian-American operative who was consulting for the Democratic National Committee had met with Ukrainian embassy officials in Washington in a bid to help Clinton and expose links between Trump, top campaign aide Paul Manafort and Russia.

Wray said it would be wrong for Ukraine to meddle in the election and &quot;I&#39;d be happy to dig into it.&quot;

Christopher Wray said no one at the White House had asked that he pledge loyalty to Trump, as Comey said the president demanded of him on Jan. 26. Wray said he would not give such an assurance if asked

President Donald Trump's pick to head the FBI, Christopher Wray, on Wednesday said he would refuse to pledge loyalty to Trump, rejected his description of the probe into Russian election meddling as a "witch hunt," and vowed to quit if asked by the president to do something unlawful. Wray, nominated by Trump on June 7 to replace the fired James Comey as Federal Bureau of Investigation director, sought to stake out independence from the president and protect the agency from partisan political influence. Wray even said it would be "highly unlikely" he would agree to meet Trump in a one-on-one situation, as Comey reluctantly did. Wray, who seemed headed for US Senate approval to fill the 10-year post, testified during a 4 1/2-hour hour Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing amid an uproar in Washington over 2016 emails released on Tuesday involving the president's son, Donald Trump Jr. The emails showed the Republican president's son agreeing last year to meet a woman he was told was a Russian government lawyer who might have damaging information about Democratic White House rival Hillary Clinton as part of Moscow's official support for his father. Wray deflected specific questions from Republican Senator Lindsey Graham about the president's son's emails, saying he had not read them. But Wray said, "Any threats or effort to interfere with our election from any nation-state or any non-state actor is the kind of thing the FBI would want to know." Trump's son did not notify the FBI and wrote "I love it" about the Russian's offer of information on Clinton. Trump fired Comey on May 9, igniting a political firestorm, and later cited the "Russia thing" as his reason. The Justice Department eight days later named Robert Mueller to serve as special counsel to investigate alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential race to help Trump win and potential collusion between Moscow and Trump associates. The Russia matter has dogged Trump's first six months in office. Wray said he had no reason to doubt the US intelligence community's conclusion that Russia interfered in part by hacking and releasing emails damaging to Clinton, a claim Moscow denies. Wray worked at the Justice Department under Republican former President George W. Bush when Comey was deputy attorney general and Mueller was FBI director. Wray also represented New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in a political scandal. Trump has called the Russia probe a "witch hunt." "I do not consider Director Mueller to be on a witch hunt," Wray told Graham. Wray said he was "very committed" to supporting Mueller's investigation, calling him a "consummate straight shooter and somebody I have enormous respect for." Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein asked Wray to inform the committee "if you learn about any machinations to tamper with" Mueller's probe. "Understood," Wray responded. No loyalty oath Wray said no one at the White House had asked that he pledge loyalty to Trump, as Comey said the president demanded of him on Jan. 26. Wray said he would not give such an assurance if asked. "My loyalty is to the Constitution, to the rule of law and to the mission of the FBI. And no one asked me for any kind of loyalty oath at any point during this process, and I sure as heck didn't offer one," Wray said. Comey previously told the same committee Trump pressed him in a one-on-one session to drop the FBI investigation into former national security advisor Michael Flynn's ties to Russia. Comey said he felt he was fired in a bid by Trump to undercut the Russia probe. Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy asked Wray, "If the president asks you to do something unlawful or unethical, what do you say?" "First, I would try to talk him out of it. And if that failed, I would resign," Wray replied. The allegation involving Trump pressing Comey on February 14 over the Flynn probe raised questions about whether Trump's behaviour amounted to obstruction of justice, a potential issue in any potential future effort in Congress to impeach the president and remove him from office. Wray sought to differentiate himself from Comey. Wray was asked about Comey's July 2016 news conference announcing that no criminal charges were planned against Clinton over her use of a private email server to handle classified information but faulting her conduct. "I can't imagine a situation where as FBI director I would be giving a press conference on an uncharged individual, much less talk in detail about it," Wray testified. Graham questioned Wray about a January report by the US news organisation Politico that a Ukrainian-American operative who was consulting for the Democratic National Committee had met with Ukrainian embassy officials in Washington in a bid to help Clinton and expose links between Trump, top campaign aide Paul Manafort and Russia. Wray said it would be wrong for Ukraine to meddle in the election and "I'd be happy to dig into it."

Russia probe not witch hunt: Trump FBI pick

A Delta Air Lines flight bound for Beijing had to return to Seattle after an unruly passenger assaulted a flight attendant onboard.

The passenger was then subdued by others on the flight, a Seattle-Tacoma International Airport spokesman said.

Two people were sent to the hospital and the passenger has been arrested by the police, &nbsp;airport spokesman Perry Cooper said.

The flight took off at 5.30 pm from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport but had to return after 45 minutes after a man assaulted a flight attendant in the first-class cabin.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is also assisting the police in the case. &nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Two people were sent to the hospital and the passenger has been arrested by the police

A Delta Air Lines flight bound for Beijing had to return to Seattle after an unruly passenger assaulted a flight attendant onboard. The passenger was then subdued by others on the flight, a Seattle-Tacoma International Airport spokesman said. Two people were sent to the hospital and the passenger has been arrested by the police, airport spokesman Perry Cooper said. The flight took off at 5.30 pm from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport but had to return after 45 minutes after a man assaulted a flight attendant in the first-class cabin. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is also assisting the police in the case.

China-bound Delta flight returns to Seattle after passenger assaults crew member onboard

Canadian authorities have raided the home of the Detroit airport&nbsp;stabbing suspect Amor Ftouhi, 49, of Quebec, the <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/michigan-attack-police-officer-1.4171043" target="_blank">CBC </a>reports.

US and Canadian authorities have launched a joint investigation into the stabbing a police officer at Bishop International Airport in Flint, Michigan on Wednesday.&nbsp;Ftouhi has been charged with violence at an international airport, which carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Ftouhi legally entered the United States from Lake Champlain, New York, on June 16 before making his way to Flint, US&nbsp;authorities said.

<h3>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/police-officer-stabbed-in-michigan-airport-attack-17123" target="_blank">FBI says investigating Michigan stabbing as &#39;act of terrorism&#39;</a></h3>

&nbsp;

Police described Ftouhi&nbsp;as having a &quot;hatred for the United States&quot;. He is&nbsp;accused of stabbing airport officer Jeff Neville in the neck with a 12-inch knife in the public area of the airport. No passengers were harmed in the assault, according to the airport which was evacuated and remained closed until further notice.

The injured police officer, identified as Jeff Neville, was out of surgery and in stable condition, a Michigan State Police spokeswoman told AFP.&nbsp;

NBC News reported that the suspect stabbed the officer multiple times while shouting &quot;Allahu Akbar&quot; -- which means &quot;God is greatest&quot; in Arabic.

The FBI said authorities were &quot;aware of reports that the attacker made statements immediately prior to or while attacking the officer&quot;.

The FBI and Canadian authorities have launched a joint terrorism investigation after a Montreal man stabbed an officer in a Detroit airport

Canadian authorities have raided the home of the Detroit airport stabbing suspect Amor Ftouhi, 49, of Quebec, the CBC reports. US and Canadian authorities have launched a joint investigation into the stabbing a police officer at Bishop International Airport in Flint, Michigan on Wednesday. Ftouhi has been charged with violence at an international airport, which carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Ftouhi legally entered the United States from Lake Champlain, New York, on June 16 before making his way to Flint, US authorities said. Also read: FBI says investigating Michigan stabbing as 'act of terrorism' Police described Ftouhi as having a "hatred for the United States". He is accused of stabbing airport officer Jeff Neville in the neck with a 12-inch knife in the public area of the airport. No passengers were harmed in the assault, according to the airport which was evacuated and remained closed until further notice. The injured police officer, identified as Jeff Neville, was out of surgery and in stable condition, a Michigan State Police spokeswoman told AFP. NBC News reported that the suspect stabbed the officer multiple times while shouting "Allahu Akbar" -- which means "God is greatest" in Arabic. The FBI said authorities were "aware of reports that the attacker made statements immediately prior to or while attacking the officer".

Canadian authorities raid home of Michigan airport stabbing suspect

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Friday denied that he tried to block an FBI investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn, effectively accusing James Comey, the FBI&#39;s former director, of lying under oath to Congress.

Comey delivered scathing remarks about the president on Thursday at a congressional hearing and testified that Trump had asked him to drop a Federal Bureau of Investigation probe into former aide Michael Flynn and his alleged ties to Russia.&nbsp;

Trump says Comey&#39;s testimony also vindicated him from allegations that he colluded with Russian meddling in the 2016 US&nbsp;presidential election.&nbsp;

&quot;James Comey confirmed a lot of what I said. And some of the things that he said just weren&#39;t true,&quot; Trump said at an event in the White House Rose Garden.&nbsp;

Asked by a reporter if he had told Comey to drop the investigation into former national security adviser Flynn, Trump said, &quot;I didn&#39;t say that.&quot;&nbsp;

The reporter then asked, &quot;So he lied about that?&quot;

&quot;Well, I didn&#39;t say that. I mean, I will tell you, I didn&#39;t say that,&quot; Trump replied. &quot;And there would be nothing wrong if I did say it according to everybody that I&#39;ve read today, but I did not say that,&quot; he said.

In his testimony, Comey also said Trump asked him in January to pledge loyalty to the president, an unusual request that would put in doubt the independence of the FBI.&nbsp;

&quot;I hardly know the man. I&#39;m not going to say I want you to pledge allegiance. Who would do that?&quot; Trump said at joint news conference with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.

Comey&#39;s testimony was the most eagerly anticipated US&nbsp;congressional hearing in years. The issue of the Trump election campaign&#39;s relationship with Russia has dogged Trump&#39;s first months in office and distracted from his policy goals such as overhauling the US&nbsp;healthcare system and making tax cuts.

Comey, who was fired by Trump in May, did not make any major disclosures about any links between Trump or his associates and alleged Russian meddling.

Asked on Friday if he would be willing to go under oath to give his version of his interactions with Comey, Trump replied, &quot;100 per cent.&quot;

He said he would be happy to speak to special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating allegations that Russia interfered with the election and colluded with Trump&#39;s campaign.

&quot;I would be glad to tell him exactly what I just told you,&quot; Trump told a reporter.

Trump&rsquo;s offer to testify under oath would pit his word against Comey&rsquo;s before federal investigators.&nbsp;

If either Trump&rsquo;s testimony or memos written by Comey about his conversations with the president turn out to be untrue, either man could be charged with lying to federal investigators.&nbsp;

A US&nbsp;president is given a wide array of immunities from criminal prosecutions. The US&nbsp;Constitution does not directly address whether the president can be criminally prosecuted, and the area is the subject of legal debate. A president can be charged after leaving office.&nbsp;

Trump wrote earlier on Friday on Twitter that the former FBI head had vindicated him by telling the Senate Intelligence Committee that the president had not been personally under investigation in the Russia probe.&nbsp;

With a single tweet, Trump also castigated Comey as &quot;a leaker&quot; for giving an account of his conversation with the president to a law professor who shared it with a news outlet.&nbsp;

&quot;Despite so many false statements and lies, total and complete vindication ... and WOW, Comey is a leaker!&quot; Trump tweeted.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Asked on Friday if he would be willing to go under oath to give his version of his interactions with Comey, Trump replied, '100 per cent.'

US President Donald Trump on Friday denied that he tried to block an FBI investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn, effectively accusing James Comey, the FBI's former director, of lying under oath to Congress. Comey delivered scathing remarks about the president on Thursday at a congressional hearing and testified that Trump had asked him to drop a Federal Bureau of Investigation probe into former aide Michael Flynn and his alleged ties to Russia. Trump says Comey's testimony also vindicated him from allegations that he colluded with Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election. "James Comey confirmed a lot of what I said. And some of the things that he said just weren't true," Trump said at an event in the White House Rose Garden. Asked by a reporter if he had told Comey to drop the investigation into former national security adviser Flynn, Trump said, "I didn't say that." The reporter then asked, "So he lied about that?" "Well, I didn't say that. I mean, I will tell you, I didn't say that," Trump replied. "And there would be nothing wrong if I did say it according to everybody that I've read today, but I did not say that," he said. In his testimony, Comey also said Trump asked him in January to pledge loyalty to the president, an unusual request that would put in doubt the independence of the FBI. "I hardly know the man. I'm not going to say I want you to pledge allegiance. Who would do that?" Trump said at joint news conference with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis. Comey's testimony was the most eagerly anticipated US congressional hearing in years. The issue of the Trump election campaign's relationship with Russia has dogged Trump's first months in office and distracted from his policy goals such as overhauling the US healthcare system and making tax cuts. Comey, who was fired by Trump in May, did not make any major disclosures about any links between Trump or his associates and alleged Russian meddling. Asked on Friday if he would be willing to go under oath to give his version of his interactions with Comey, Trump replied, "100 per cent." He said he would be happy to speak to special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating allegations that Russia interfered with the election and colluded with Trump's campaign. "I would be glad to tell him exactly what I just told you," Trump told a reporter. Trump’s offer to testify under oath would pit his word against Comey’s before federal investigators. If either Trump’s testimony or memos written by Comey about his conversations with the president turn out to be untrue, either man could be charged with lying to federal investigators. A US president is given a wide array of immunities from criminal prosecutions. The US Constitution does not directly address whether the president can be criminally prosecuted, and the area is the subject of legal debate. A president can be charged after leaving office. Trump wrote earlier on Friday on Twitter that the former FBI head had vindicated him by telling the Senate Intelligence Committee that the president had not been personally under investigation in the Russia probe. With a single tweet, Trump also castigated Comey as "a leaker" for giving an account of his conversation with the president to a law professor who shared it with a news outlet. "Despite so many false statements and lies, total and complete vindication ... and WOW, Comey is a leaker!" Trump tweeted.

Trump says former FBI chief Comey not telling truth, willing to respond under oath

President Donald&nbsp;Trump&#39;s son-in-law Jared Kushner, a senior White House adviser, is under scrutiny by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the Russia probe, the Washington Post and NBC News reported on Thursday.

Kushner is being investigated because of his interactions with Russians, including the Russian ambassador and a banker from Moscow, the Post reported, citing people familiar with the investigation. It is not known whether Kushner has received any requests from the FBI for records, NBC News said.

Kushner is the only current White House official known to be considered a key person in the probe, the newspaper reported.

The FBI, several congressional committees and a special counsel appointed by the Justice Department are looking into allegations of meddling by Russia in the 2016 US&nbsp;election and possible ties between Trump&#39;s presidential campaign and Russian officials seeking to influence the election.

The controversy has engulfed Trump&#39;s administration since he fired FBI Director James Comey on May 10. Moscow has repeatedly denied the allegations and Trump denies any collusion with Russia.

The interest in Kushner does not mean investigators suspect him of a crime or intend to charge him, the officials told NBC News. It is not known whether Kushner has received any requests from the FBI for records, NBC News said.

One of Kushner&#39;s attorneys, Jamie Gorelick, said in a statement her client would cooperate with the investigation.

&ldquo;Mr. Kushner previously volunteered to share with Congress what he knows about these meetings. He will do the same if he is contacted in connection with any other inquiry,&rdquo; Gorelick said. The FBI and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

&nbsp;

Critics have noted that when filling out his application for top secret security clearance Kushner failed to disclose numerous foreign contacts, including with at least two high-profile Russians during the lead up to Trump&#39;s entry into the White House, reports the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/06/us/politics/jared-kushner-russians-security-clearance.html?_r=3" target="_blank">New York Times</a>.

This includes meeting the Russian ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak, and also the head of a Russian&nbsp;state-owned bank, in a meeting organised by Kislyak.&nbsp;Concealing such contacts is a felony.

Kushner and his lawyers claimed the failure to mention these contacts&nbsp;was an innocent mistake that they corrected when it was made known.

Other people connected to&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;under federal investigation&nbsp;for their link to&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;include the former&nbsp;national security adviser Michael Flynn, and ex-campaign staff Paul Manafort, Carter Page and Roger Stone.

President Trump has dismissed allegations that he or his campaign had anything to do with Russia. On the Justice Department&#39;s decision to appoint a special prosecutor into the possible collusion between Trump and Russia, Trump said, &quot;I respect the move,&quot; but also distanced himself, saying &quot;the entire thing has been a witch hunt.&quot;

&nbsp;&quot;And there is no collusion between, certainly, myself and my campaign--but I can always speak for myself--and the Russians,&quot; he said.

&quot;Zero.&quot;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Kushner is at least the fifth person in Trump's administration, or on his election team, the FBI is looking at for alleged links to Russia

President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, a senior White House adviser, is under scrutiny by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the Russia probe, the Washington Post and NBC News reported on Thursday. Kushner is being investigated because of his interactions with Russians, including the Russian ambassador and a banker from Moscow, the Post reported, citing people familiar with the investigation. It is not known whether Kushner has received any requests from the FBI for records, NBC News said. Kushner is the only current White House official known to be considered a key person in the probe, the newspaper reported. The FBI, several congressional committees and a special counsel appointed by the Justice Department are looking into allegations of meddling by Russia in the 2016 US election and possible ties between Trump's presidential campaign and Russian officials seeking to influence the election. The controversy has engulfed Trump's administration since he fired FBI Director James Comey on May 10. Moscow has repeatedly denied the allegations and Trump denies any collusion with Russia. The interest in Kushner does not mean investigators suspect him of a crime or intend to charge him, the officials told NBC News. It is not known whether Kushner has received any requests from the FBI for records, NBC News said. One of Kushner's attorneys, Jamie Gorelick, said in a statement her client would cooperate with the investigation. “Mr. Kushner previously volunteered to share with Congress what he knows about these meetings. He will do the same if he is contacted in connection with any other inquiry,” Gorelick said. The FBI and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Critics have noted that when filling out his application for top secret security clearance Kushner failed to disclose numerous foreign contacts, including with at least two high-profile Russians during the lead up to Trump's entry into the White House, reports the New York Times. This includes meeting the Russian ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak, and also the head of a Russian state-owned bank, in a meeting organised by Kislyak. Concealing such contacts is a felony. Kushner and his lawyers claimed the failure to mention these contacts was an innocent mistake that they corrected when it was made known. Other people connected to Trump under federal investigation for their link to Russia include the former national security adviser Michael Flynn, and ex-campaign staff Paul Manafort, Carter Page and Roger Stone. President Trump has dismissed allegations that he or his campaign had anything to do with Russia. On the Justice Department's decision to appoint a special prosecutor into the possible collusion between Trump and Russia, Trump said, "I respect the move," but also distanced himself, saying "the entire thing has been a witch hunt." "And there is no collusion between, certainly, myself and my campaign--but I can always speak for myself--and the Russians," he said. "Zero." (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Trump son-in-law Kushner under FBI investigation in Russia probe: Media reports

James Comey, the former FBI chief whose firing by President Donald Trump has triggered uproar, has agreed to testify publicly about Russian interference in the 2016 elections, lawmakers announced Friday.

&quot;I hope that former Director Comey&#39;s testimony will help answer some of the questions that have arisen since Director Comey was so suddenly dismissed by the president,&quot; the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, said in a statement.

The hearing would be scheduled after the Memorial Day holiday, May 29, according to the statement.

(AFP)

Comey has agreed to testify publicly about Russian interference in the 2016 elections, lawmakers announced Friday.

James Comey, the former FBI chief whose firing by President Donald Trump has triggered uproar, has agreed to testify publicly about Russian interference in the 2016 elections, lawmakers announced Friday. "I hope that former Director Comey's testimony will help answer some of the questions that have arisen since Director Comey was so suddenly dismissed by the president," the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, said in a statement. The hearing would be scheduled after the Memorial Day holiday, May 29, according to the statement. (AFP)

Sacked FBI director Comey to testify publicly on Russian interference in 2016 elections

The anger behind Donald Trump&#39;s firing of FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday had been building for months, but a turning point came when Comey refused to preview for top Trump aides his planned testimony to a Senate panel, White House officials said.

Trump, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had wanted a heads-up from Comey about what he would say at a May 3 hearing about his handling of an investigation into former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton&#39;s use of a private email server.

When Comey refused, Trump and his aides considered that an act of insubordination and it was one of the catalysts to Trump&rsquo;s decision this week to fire the FBI director, the officials said.

&quot;It gave the impression that he was no longer capable of carrying out his duties,&quot; one official said. Previews of congressional testimony to superiors are generally considered courteous.

Comey, who testified for four hours before the Senate Judiciary Committee, said it made him feel &quot;mildly nauseous&quot; that his decision to make public his reopening of a probe into Clinton&#39;s handling of classified information might have affected the outcome of the November 8 presidential election. But he said he had no regrets and would make the same decision again.

Trump&#39;s sudden firing of Comey shocked Washington and plunged Trump deeper into a controversy over his campaign&#39;s alleged ties with Russia that has dogged the early days of his presidency.

Democrats accused the Republican president of firing Comey to try to undermine the FBI&#39;s probe into Russia&#39;s alleged efforts to meddle in the 2016 election and possible collusion with members of the Trump campaign, and demanded an independent investigation. Some of Trump&#39;s fellow Republicans called his dismissal of Comey troubling.

The Trump administration said on Tuesday Comey was fired because of his handling of the Clinton email probe.

Before he axed Comey, Trump had publicly expressed frustration with the FBI and congressional probes into the Russia matter. Moscow has denied meddling in the election and the Trump administration denies allegations of collusion with Russia.

A former Trump adviser said Trump was also angry because Comey had never offered a public exoneration of Trump in the FBI probe into contacts between the U.S. ambassador to Russia, Sergei Kislyak, and Trump campaign advisers last year.

According to this former adviser, Comey&#39;s Senate testimony on the Clinton emails likely reinforced in Trump&#39;s mind that &quot;Comey was against him.&quot;

&quot;He regretted what he did to Hillary but not what he did to Trump,&quot; the former Trump adviser said of Comey.

Clinton has said that the Comey decision to announce the renewed inquiry days before the election was a likely factor in her loss to Trump.

Aides said Trump moved quickly after receiving a recommendation on Monday to terminate Comey from Rosenstein, who began reviewing the situation at the FBI shortly after taking office two weeks ago.

Trump&#39;s move was so sudden that his White House staff, accustomed to his impromptu style, was caught off guard. Stunned aides scrambled to put together a plan to explain what happened.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer ended up briefing reporters about the move in the dark on Tuesday night near a patch of bushes steps away from the West Wing.

Comey, who was in Los Angeles meeting with FBI employees on Tuesday and returned later to Washington, has made no public comment on his firing.

Fig Leaf

Many questions remained about what caused Trump to move so quickly.

Two former senior Justice Department officials said it made little sense to fire Comey while the Justice Department Inspector General was still doing a review of the FBI&rsquo;s handling of the Clinton email investigation.

&ldquo;I take Rod (Rosenstein) at his word that be believed everything in that memo but he must know that it&rsquo;s going to be used as a fig leaf to fire Comey,&rdquo; one former official said.

US&nbsp;Senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, told reporters it was her &ldquo;understanding&rdquo; Comey had been seeking more resources for his investigation into the tangled Russia controversy.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump had pondered dumping Comey as soon as he took office on January 20, but decided to stick with him.

Trump shrugged off the political firestorm he created with Comey&#39;s dismissal as he met with former US&nbsp;Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in the Oval Office on Wednesday.

Asked by reporters why he fired Comey, Trump said, &quot;He wasn&#39;t doing a good job, very simply. He wasn&#39;t doing a good job.&quot;

(Reuters)

Trump, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had wanted a heads-up from Comey about what he would say at a May 3 hearing about his handling of an investigation into former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server

The anger behind Donald Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday had been building for months, but a turning point came when Comey refused to preview for top Trump aides his planned testimony to a Senate panel, White House officials said. Trump, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had wanted a heads-up from Comey about what he would say at a May 3 hearing about his handling of an investigation into former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server. When Comey refused, Trump and his aides considered that an act of insubordination and it was one of the catalysts to Trump’s decision this week to fire the FBI director, the officials said. "It gave the impression that he was no longer capable of carrying out his duties," one official said. Previews of congressional testimony to superiors are generally considered courteous. Comey, who testified for four hours before the Senate Judiciary Committee, said it made him feel "mildly nauseous" that his decision to make public his reopening of a probe into Clinton's handling of classified information might have affected the outcome of the November 8 presidential election. But he said he had no regrets and would make the same decision again. Trump's sudden firing of Comey shocked Washington and plunged Trump deeper into a controversy over his campaign's alleged ties with Russia that has dogged the early days of his presidency. Democrats accused the Republican president of firing Comey to try to undermine the FBI's probe into Russia's alleged efforts to meddle in the 2016 election and possible collusion with members of the Trump campaign, and demanded an independent investigation. Some of Trump's fellow Republicans called his dismissal of Comey troubling. The Trump administration said on Tuesday Comey was fired because of his handling of the Clinton email probe. Before he axed Comey, Trump had publicly expressed frustration with the FBI and congressional probes into the Russia matter. Moscow has denied meddling in the election and the Trump administration denies allegations of collusion with Russia. A former Trump adviser said Trump was also angry because Comey had never offered a public exoneration of Trump in the FBI probe into contacts between the U.S. ambassador to Russia, Sergei Kislyak, and Trump campaign advisers last year. According to this former adviser, Comey's Senate testimony on the Clinton emails likely reinforced in Trump's mind that "Comey was against him." "He regretted what he did to Hillary but not what he did to Trump," the former Trump adviser said of Comey. Clinton has said that the Comey decision to announce the renewed inquiry days before the election was a likely factor in her loss to Trump. Aides said Trump moved quickly after receiving a recommendation on Monday to terminate Comey from Rosenstein, who began reviewing the situation at the FBI shortly after taking office two weeks ago. Trump's move was so sudden that his White House staff, accustomed to his impromptu style, was caught off guard. Stunned aides scrambled to put together a plan to explain what happened. White House spokesman Sean Spicer ended up briefing reporters about the move in the dark on Tuesday night near a patch of bushes steps away from the West Wing. Comey, who was in Los Angeles meeting with FBI employees on Tuesday and returned later to Washington, has made no public comment on his firing. Fig Leaf Many questions remained about what caused Trump to move so quickly. Two former senior Justice Department officials said it made little sense to fire Comey while the Justice Department Inspector General was still doing a review of the FBI’s handling of the Clinton email investigation. “I take Rod (Rosenstein) at his word that be believed everything in that memo but he must know that it’s going to be used as a fig leaf to fire Comey,” one former official said. US Senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, told reporters it was her “understanding” Comey had been seeking more resources for his investigation into the tangled Russia controversy. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump had pondered dumping Comey as soon as he took office on January 20, but decided to stick with him. Trump shrugged off the political firestorm he created with Comey's dismissal as he met with former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in the Oval Office on Wednesday. Asked by reporters why he fired Comey, Trump said, "He wasn't doing a good job, very simply. He wasn't doing a good job." (Reuters)

Comey's refusal to preview details of Senate testimony on Clinton probe made Trump furious

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his firing of FBI director James Comey in a series of Tweets, even as the turmoil in Washington continued over the sacking.

He vowed to replace Comey with someone &quot;far better.&quot;

&quot;Comey lost the confidence of almost everyone in Washington, Republican and Democrat alike. When things calm down, they will be thanking me,&quot; Trump wrote in a Tweet.

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James Comey will be replaced by someone who will do a far better job, bringing back the spirit and prestige of the FBI.
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Comey lost the confidence of almost everyone in Washington, Republican and Democrat alike. When things calm down, they will be thanking me!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/862267781336752128">May 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Comey was leading an investigation into the Trump 2016 presidential campaign&#39;s possible collusion with Russia to influence the election outcome.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that the sacking will not impact relations between the two nations.

&quot;There will be no effect,&quot; Putin told CBS.&quot;Your question looks very funny for me. Don&#39;t be angry with me. We have nothing to do with that.&quot;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

 
 
&nbsp;

Sacked FBI director James Comey was leading an investigation into the Trump 2016 presidential campaign's possible collusion with Russia to influence the election outcome.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his firing of FBI director James Comey in a series of Tweets, even as the turmoil in Washington continued over the sacking. He vowed to replace Comey with someone "far better." "Comey lost the confidence of almost everyone in Washington, Republican and Democrat alike. When things calm down, they will be thanking me," Trump wrote in a Tweet. James Comey will be replaced by someone who will do a far better job, bringing back the spirit and prestige of the FBI. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 10, 2017 × Comey lost the confidence of almost everyone in Washington, Republican and Democrat alike. When things calm down, they will be thanking me! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 10, 2017 × Comey was leading an investigation into the Trump 2016 presidential campaign's possible collusion with Russia to influence the election outcome. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that the sacking will not impact relations between the two nations. "There will be no effect," Putin told CBS."Your question looks very funny for me. Don't be angry with me. We have nothing to do with that." (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Trump defends FBI director sacking

FBI Director James Comey has asked the Justice Department to publicly refute President Donald Trump&#39;s explosive accusation that Barack Obama tapped his phones, US media reported on Sunday.

The New York Times, citing senior US officials, first reported that Comey believes Trump&#39;s unsubstantiated claim about his predecessor to be false. The department has not made any statement.

Comey made the request on Saturday because &quot;there is no evidence to support it, and it insinuates that the FBI broke the law,&quot; the paper reported the officials as saying.

Neither the FBI nor the Justice Department immediately responded to an AFP request for comment.

Questioning the president&#39;s truthfulness, Comey&#39;s extraordinary measure provides an indication of the implications of the uncharted territory Trump has entered with his accusation.

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<h5>Trump made his claim in a tweet on Saturday. &#39;How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process,&#39; he wrote. &#39;This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!&#39;</h5>
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However, although the Justice Department -- which is headed by Trump&#39;s staunch supporter Attorney General Jeff Sessions -- oversees the FBI, it is not clear why Comey didn&#39;t issue a statement himself.

Trump made his claim in a tweet on Saturday.

&quot;How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process,&quot; he wrote. &quot;This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!&quot; He provided no evidence to back up the claim.

Obama denied the allegation via a spokesman as &quot;simply false&quot;.

However, the Republican chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Devin Nunes, said his panel would look into Trump&#39;s claim after the White House on Sunday urged Congress to investigate his allegation.

The accusation has prompted a firestorm of criticism, with many saying Trump&#39;s incendiary claim was aimed at diverting attention from a series of revelations about his aides&#39; meetings with Russian officials.

(AFP)

Trump had claimed, without offering evidence, that Barack Obama had tapped his phones

FBI Director James Comey has asked the Justice Department to publicly refute President Donald Trump's explosive accusation that Barack Obama tapped his phones, US media reported on Sunday. The New York Times, citing senior US officials, first reported that Comey believes Trump's unsubstantiated claim about his predecessor to be false. The department has not made any statement. Comey made the request on Saturday because "there is no evidence to support it, and it insinuates that the FBI broke the law," the paper reported the officials as saying. Neither the FBI nor the Justice Department immediately responded to an AFP request for comment. Questioning the president's truthfulness, Comey's extraordinary measure provides an indication of the implications of the uncharted territory Trump has entered with his accusation. Trump made his claim in a tweet on Saturday. 'How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process,' he wrote. 'This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!' × However, although the Justice Department -- which is headed by Trump's staunch supporter Attorney General Jeff Sessions -- oversees the FBI, it is not clear why Comey didn't issue a statement himself. Trump made his claim in a tweet on Saturday. "How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process," he wrote. "This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!" He provided no evidence to back up the claim. Obama denied the allegation via a spokesman as "simply false". However, the Republican chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Devin Nunes, said his panel would look into Trump's claim after the White House on Sunday urged Congress to investigate his allegation. The accusation has prompted a firestorm of criticism, with many saying Trump's incendiary claim was aimed at diverting attention from a series of revelations about his aides' meetings with Russian officials. (AFP)

FBI director asks Justice Department to publicly refute Trump's Obama claim: Reports

US President Donald Trump criticised the FBI on Friday for failing to stop leaks of national security information to the media and directed the agency to find those who pass on classified information.

Trump&#39;s comments come amid media reports saying the FBI refused a White House request to knock down news stories saying members of Trump&#39;s team were in frequent contact with Russian intelligence agents during the presidential campaign.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the nation&#39;s top law enforcement agency, did not answer a request for comment on Trump&#39;s remarks on Twitter.

&quot;The FBI is totally unable to stop the national security &#39;leakers&#39; that have permeated our government for a long time. They can&#39;t even find the leakers within the FBI itself. Classified information is being given to media that could have a devastating effect on US FIND NOW,&quot; Trump wrote.

News reports by CNN and The Associated Press said White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus asked Andrew McCabe, the FBI deputy director, to deny a February 14 New York Times report that said Trump&#39;s presidential campaign advisers had been in frequent contact with Russian intelligence officers. The request came after McCabe told him privately the report was wrong.

A senior administration official said on Friday that FBI Director James Comey also told Priebus later the story was not accurate. Priebus asked if the FBI could set the record straight, but Comey said the bureau could not comment.

Priebus asked if he could say intelligence officials assured him the story was inaccurate, and Comey said he could, the official told reporters.

The FBI is investigating Russian interference in the November 8 US election. FBI counterintelligence agents are also examining financial transactions by Russian individuals and companies who are believed to have links to Trump associates.

&quot;There are investigations that are going on and those investigations must find out exactly what Russia was doing in the United States,&quot; Senator Ben Cardin, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told CNN on Friday.

&quot;We need a complete investigation and we certainly don&#39;t want the White House at all trying to influence that investigation.&quot;

US Representative John Conyers said any White House attempt to influence the FBI was &quot;deeply troubling&quot;.

&quot;The White House is simply not permitted to pressure the FBI to make public statements about a pending investigation of the President and his advisors,&quot; Conyers, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said in late on Thursday.

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Trump's comments come amid reports that FBI refused a White House request to knock down stories linking Trump's team with Russian agents

US President Donald Trump criticised the FBI on Friday for failing to stop leaks of national security information to the media and directed the agency to find those who pass on classified information. Trump's comments come amid media reports saying the FBI refused a White House request to knock down news stories saying members of Trump's team were in frequent contact with Russian intelligence agents during the presidential campaign. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the nation's top law enforcement agency, did not answer a request for comment on Trump's remarks on Twitter. "The FBI is totally unable to stop the national security 'leakers' that have permeated our government for a long time. They can't even find the leakers within the FBI itself. Classified information is being given to media that could have a devastating effect on US FIND NOW," Trump wrote. News reports by CNN and The Associated Press said White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus asked Andrew McCabe, the FBI deputy director, to deny a February 14 New York Times report that said Trump's presidential campaign advisers had been in frequent contact with Russian intelligence officers. The request came after McCabe told him privately the report was wrong. A senior administration official said on Friday that FBI Director James Comey also told Priebus later the story was not accurate. Priebus asked if the FBI could set the record straight, but Comey said the bureau could not comment. Priebus asked if he could say intelligence officials assured him the story was inaccurate, and Comey said he could, the official told reporters. The FBI is investigating Russian interference in the November 8 US election. FBI counterintelligence agents are also examining financial transactions by Russian individuals and companies who are believed to have links to Trump associates. "There are investigations that are going on and those investigations must find out exactly what Russia was doing in the United States," Senator Ben Cardin, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told CNN on Friday. "We need a complete investigation and we certainly don't want the White House at all trying to influence that investigation." US Representative John Conyers said any White House attempt to influence the FBI was "deeply troubling". "The White House is simply not permitted to pressure the FBI to make public statements about a pending investigation of the President and his advisors," Conyers, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said in late on Thursday. (Reuters)

Trump raps FBI for failing to stop leaks, orders probe

The US&nbsp;House of Representatives voted on Monday to require law enforcement authorities to obtain a search warrant before seeking old emails from technology companies, a win for privacy advocates fearful the Trump administration may work to expand government surveillance powers.

The House passed the measure by a voice vote. But the legislation was expected to encounter resistance in the Senate, where it failed to advance last year amid opposition by a handful of Republican lawmakers after the House passed it unanimously.

Technology companies such as Microsoft have lobbied Congress for years to pass the Email Privacy Act, which updates a decades-old law to force authorities to first get a warrant to access emails or other digital communications that are at least 180 days old.

Currently, agencies such as the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission only need a subpoena, which is subject to less judicial oversight than a warrant, to seek such data from a service provider - a standard that has existed since the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) was adopted in 1986.

Supporters of the bill passed&nbsp;say it is needed to update an out of date law conceived and written before the rise of the commercial internet.

Richard Salgado, director of law enforcement and information security at Google, said in a statement the measure would &quot;fix a constitutional flaw&quot; in the ECPA. &quot;While there are disagreements about other aspects of surveillance reform, there is no disagreement that emails and electronic content deserve Fourth Amendment protections,&quot; he said.

But some senators, including No 2 Republican John Cornyn, last year sought to use the legislation as a vehicle for amendments that would expand the FBI&#39;s domestic surveillance capabilities, effectively killing the bill.

The debate over law enforcement access to Americans&#39; electronic communications intensified last year when the FBI sought a court order to make Apple help unlock an encrypted iPhone linked to one of the shooters behind a deadly attack in San Bernardino, California.

Privacy advocates have expressed alarm at President Donald Trump&#39;s ability to expand government spying. The Republican campaigned on a &quot;law and order&quot; platform that included suggestions he may want to place some mosques in the United States under surveillance and maintain a national database on Muslims.

Microsoft last year filed a federal lawsuit against the Justice Department over ECPA, alleging that the government&#39;s use of the law violated the U.S. constitution.

It argued that ECPA is too often used to prevent companies from notifying its users, sometimes indefinitely, when investigators pry into emails and other data stored on remote servers.

(Reuters)

Technology companies such as Microsoft have lobbied Congress for years to pass the Email Privacy Act

The US House of Representatives voted on Monday to require law enforcement authorities to obtain a search warrant before seeking old emails from technology companies, a win for privacy advocates fearful the Trump administration may work to expand government surveillance powers. The House passed the measure by a voice vote. But the legislation was expected to encounter resistance in the Senate, where it failed to advance last year amid opposition by a handful of Republican lawmakers after the House passed it unanimously. Technology companies such as Microsoft have lobbied Congress for years to pass the Email Privacy Act, which updates a decades-old law to force authorities to first get a warrant to access emails or other digital communications that are at least 180 days old. Currently, agencies such as the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission only need a subpoena, which is subject to less judicial oversight than a warrant, to seek such data from a service provider - a standard that has existed since the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) was adopted in 1986. Supporters of the bill passed say it is needed to update an out of date law conceived and written before the rise of the commercial internet. Richard Salgado, director of law enforcement and information security at Google, said in a statement the measure would "fix a constitutional flaw" in the ECPA. "While there are disagreements about other aspects of surveillance reform, there is no disagreement that emails and electronic content deserve Fourth Amendment protections," he said. But some senators, including No 2 Republican John Cornyn, last year sought to use the legislation as a vehicle for amendments that would expand the FBI's domestic surveillance capabilities, effectively killing the bill. The debate over law enforcement access to Americans' electronic communications intensified last year when the FBI sought a court order to make Apple help unlock an encrypted iPhone linked to one of the shooters behind a deadly attack in San Bernardino, California. Privacy advocates have expressed alarm at President Donald Trump's ability to expand government spying. The Republican campaigned on a "law and order" platform that included suggestions he may want to place some mosques in the United States under surveillance and maintain a national database on Muslims. Microsoft last year filed a federal lawsuit against the Justice Department over ECPA, alleging that the government's use of the law violated the U.S. constitution. It argued that ECPA is too often used to prevent companies from notifying its users, sometimes indefinitely, when investigators pry into emails and other data stored on remote servers. (Reuters)

US House passes bill requiring warrants for email searches

&nbsp;US Justice department&#39;s internal watchdog&nbsp;said it will investigate the department and&nbsp;FBI actions regarding the Clinton email scandal on Thursday.&nbsp;

The announcement comes eight days before US President-elect Donald Trump&nbsp;takes the oath.&nbsp;

Inspector General Michael Horowitz said the review was taking place after appeals from &quot;numerous chairmen and ranking members of congressional oversight committees, various organisations and members of the public.&quot;

Horowitz said that five allegations will be investigated, which include FBI director James Comey&#39;s announcement over reopening a probe on Clinton emails just before the November 8 election.&nbsp;

Allegations of&nbsp;Justice department and FBI employees disclosing&nbsp;&quot;nonpublic information&quot; and releasing of documents in few weeks before election by FBI was &quot;influenced by improper considerations.&quot;

Comey recieved flak for the announcement from Democrats and Republicans alike, with Democrats alleging the announcement caused political damage.&nbsp;

White House spokesman&nbsp;Josh Earnest said the White House was not involved in the inquiry.&nbsp;

&quot;I can tell you that the White House was not involved in that decision.&quot;&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Five allegations will be investigated, including FBI director James Comey's announcement of reopening probe on Clinton emails before Nov 8

US Justice department's internal watchdog said it will investigate the department and FBI actions regarding the Clinton email scandal on Thursday. The announcement comes eight days before US President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath. Inspector General Michael Horowitz said the review was taking place after appeals from "numerous chairmen and ranking members of congressional oversight committees, various organisations and members of the public." Horowitz said that five allegations will be investigated, which include FBI director James Comey's announcement over reopening a probe on Clinton emails just before the November 8 election. Allegations of Justice department and FBI employees disclosing "nonpublic information" and releasing of documents in few weeks before election by FBI was "influenced by improper considerations." Comey recieved flak for the announcement from Democrats and Republicans alike, with Democrats alleging the announcement caused political damage. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the White House was not involved in the inquiry. "I can tell you that the White House was not involved in that decision." (WION with inputs from AFP)

US: Justice department watchdog to probe FBI over Clinton emails

Classified documents report that the heads of four US intelligence agencies presented last week to President-elect Donald Trump included claims that Russian intelligence operatives have compromising information about him, two US officials said Tuesday evening.

They told Reuters the claims, which one called &quot;unsubstantiated,&quot; were contained in a two-page memo appended to a report on Russian interference in the 2016 election that US intelligence officials presented to Trump and President Barack Obama last week.

Trump responded on Tuesday evening in a tweet calling the reports: &quot;FAKE NEWS - A TOTAL POLITICAL WITCH HUNT!&quot;&nbsp;

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FAKE NEWS - A TOTAL POLITICAL WITCH HUNT!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/818990655418617856">January 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.&nbsp;

One of the officials, both of whom requested anonymity to discuss classified matters, said the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other US&nbsp;agencies are continuing to investigate the credibility and accuracy of the claims.

They are included in opposition research reports made available last year to Democrats and US officials by a former British intelligence official, most of whose past work US officials consider credible.

The official said investigators so far have been unable to confirm the material about Trumpfinancial and personal entanglements with Russian businessmen and others whom US intelligence analysts have concluded are Russian intelligence officers or working on behalf of Russian intelligence. Some material in the reports produced by the former British intelligence officer has proved to be erroneous, the official said.

The FBI declined comment.

&nbsp;

SURFACED LAST YEAR

The charges that Russia attempted to compromise New York real estate businessman Trump were presented to the FBI and other US government officials last summer and have been circulating for months.

The FBI initially took the material seriously, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, which was first reported by CNN. However, the FBI failed to act on the material, and the former British intelligence officer broke off contact about three weeks before the November election, they said.

The warning of information about Russia&#39;s compromising claims follows growing US intelligence and law enforcement concerns about what Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has called &quot;multifaceted&quot; Russian influence and espionage operations in Europe and the United States.

In addition to hacking computer networks and spreading propaganda and fake news, it includes efforts to cultivate business and political leaders and find compromising personal, financial and other information on persons of interest, US&nbsp;intelligence officials said.

The classified briefings last week were presented to Obama and Trump by Clapper, FBI Director James Comey, Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan and National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers.

US intelligence chiefs included a classified summary of the material to make Trump aware that it is circulating among intelligence agencies, senior members of Congress, government officials and others, one of the officials said.

An unclassified intelligence report released on Friday concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an effort to help Trump&#39;s electoral chances by discrediting Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential campaign.

The report said US intelligence agencies have concluded that as part of the effort Russia&#39;s military intelligence agency, the GRU, used intermediaries such as WikiLeaks and others to release emails it hacked from the Democratic National Committee and top Democrats.

(Reuters)

The unclassified intelligence material, which hasn't been verified yet, alleges close ties between US President-elect Trump and the Kremlin

Classified documents report that the heads of four US intelligence agencies presented last week to President-elect Donald Trump included claims that Russian intelligence operatives have compromising information about him, two US officials said Tuesday evening. They told Reuters the claims, which one called "unsubstantiated," were contained in a two-page memo appended to a report on Russian interference in the 2016 election that US intelligence officials presented to Trump and President Barack Obama last week. Trump responded on Tuesday evening in a tweet calling the reports: "FAKE NEWS - A TOTAL POLITICAL WITCH HUNT!" FAKE NEWS - A TOTAL POLITICAL WITCH HUNT! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2017 × The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment. One of the officials, both of whom requested anonymity to discuss classified matters, said the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other US agencies are continuing to investigate the credibility and accuracy of the claims. They are included in opposition research reports made available last year to Democrats and US officials by a former British intelligence official, most of whose past work US officials consider credible. The official said investigators so far have been unable to confirm the material about Trumpfinancial and personal entanglements with Russian businessmen and others whom US intelligence analysts have concluded are Russian intelligence officers or working on behalf of Russian intelligence. Some material in the reports produced by the former British intelligence officer has proved to be erroneous, the official said. The FBI declined comment. SURFACED LAST YEAR The charges that Russia attempted to compromise New York real estate businessman Trump were presented to the FBI and other US government officials last summer and have been circulating for months. The FBI initially took the material seriously, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, which was first reported by CNN. However, the FBI failed to act on the material, and the former British intelligence officer broke off contact about three weeks before the November election, they said. The warning of information about Russia's compromising claims follows growing US intelligence and law enforcement concerns about what Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has called "multifaceted" Russian influence and espionage operations in Europe and the United States. In addition to hacking computer networks and spreading propaganda and fake news, it includes efforts to cultivate business and political leaders and find compromising personal, financial and other information on persons of interest, US intelligence officials said. The classified briefings last week were presented to Obama and Trump by Clapper, FBI Director James Comey, Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan and National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers. US intelligence chiefs included a classified summary of the material to make Trump aware that it is circulating among intelligence agencies, senior members of Congress, government officials and others, one of the officials said. An unclassified intelligence report released on Friday concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an effort to help Trump's electoral chances by discrediting Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential campaign. The report said US intelligence agencies have concluded that as part of the effort Russia's military intelligence agency, the GRU, used intermediaries such as WikiLeaks and others to release emails it hacked from the Democratic National Committee and top Democrats. (Reuters)

Russian intel's 'compromising' info on Trump under FBI scanner

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