Trump ally says he worked with Assange pre-election to spread Clinton emails in abusive Twitter tirade
Roger Stone
Roger Stone's meltdown came as US intelligence investigates Russia's interference in the US election and Trump's connections to Russia
Trump was not the only oneto have a Twitter meltdown this weekend.
Trump loyalist and former top adviser Roger Stone claimed on Twitter that he had aback channel towork with Julian Assange at Wikileaksto spread damaging leaked Clinton emails.
US intelligence has unanimously said that Russia interfered in the US election in what it called a "multifaceted campaign" of"cyber espionage", and thatClinton's emails were obtainedby Russian hackers.
Stone's claim that he worked with Assangetospread Clinton's emails comesamid growing reports of Trump staffers meetingwith Russian officials, thenlying about it.
Here is the screengrabbed Tweet that Stone deleted.
But he responded to the claim that he did any wrongdoing.
While the tone of Stone'sTweet is defiant, claiming he didn't hide anything, actually there is video footage of Stone from 2016saying, contrary to the claim in his deleted Tweet, that he did have direct communicationwith Assange.
At issue in the investigation into Trump-Russia, conducted by six different US intelligence agencies,is whether anyone in Trump's campaign actively worked with the Russians against their Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. Colluding with a foreign and hostile government to sabotage a national election is illegal.
CNN reported that Trump staffers were in "constant touch" with Russian officials during the election campaign. The subject of these talks has not been disclosed publicly.
Officials emphasised that it is not unusual for campaign staff and representatives of foreign governments to communicate, but that these communications stood out for their frequency, and for the level of Trump advisers involved.
Vulgar abuse
Yesterday, Roger Stone also abusedthe samefemalecitizen journalist, calling her a "stupid, ignorant, ugly bitch" in a now-deleted Tweet.
Harry Potter author JK Rowling denounced the attack in a screen grab:
Stone also abused Republican strategist Ana Navarro, calling her"fat and stupid".
Deflection
Stone's Twitter meltdowncomes as Trump's campaign is trying hard to deflect attention from their various connections to Russia.
US Attorney General and Trump loyalist Jeff Sessions just recused himself from the investigation into Trump-Russia after it became known that he met with the Russian ambassador twice, and lied about it under oath.
Before that, Trump's pick to head national security Michael Flynn resigned after it became known that he too met the Russian ambassador and lied about it.
Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who is a White House adviser,metthe Russian ambassador in Trump Tower. No camerascaptured Kislyak entering the building, suggesting he was ushered in a back door.A White House spokesman denied this was a secret meeting.
Paul Manafort and Trump's long-timelawyer Michael Cohen also met with Russian officials and failed to disclose it.
This weekend former Republican adviser JD Gordonclaimed thata pro-Russia change in language to the GOP platform came afterthe Republican convention in Cleveland of July 2016, and was especially ordered to align with Trump's own personal views. Gordon claimed he and Carter Page, then a Trump adviser who resigned amid his connections to Russia, also met Kislyak.
The July convention in Clevelandtook place shortly after Sessions met the Russian ambassador. In 2015, Sessions was staunchly anti-Russia. Sessionspro-Russia views seem to have set inafter meeting Kislyak.
US intelligence also says that the Russian ambassador, Sergei Kislyakis also Russia's top spy and spy-recruiter in Washington. The Kremlin has officially denied this claim.
(WION)