The scandal linking Donald Trump to Russia has dominated the headlines and it doesn't look like it's going to be slowing down anytime soon. On Wednesday, the FBI released a bombshell that will not go over well with the White House.
Trump and Russia
It started during the early days of the 2016 presidential election when Donald Trump refused to release his tax returns. Many speculated as to why the former host of "The Apprentice" wanted to keep his financial information private, which only increased as his campaign moved forward. In the months that followed, various reports would leak information that appeared to tie Trump, and his advisers, back to Russia, but nothing was seen as concrete evidence.
Since the election, Trump's ties to Russia have been exposed on more than one occasion, most notably being former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, and current Attorney General Jeff Sessions. As reported by The Hill on March 22, the FBI has gathered new information on the matter at hand.
In recent weeks, Donald Trump has attempted to deflect from the Russian scandal by accusing former President Barack Obama of wiretapping his office at Trump Tower. No evidence has been presented to back up that claim, with the FBI, DOJ, and congressional investigations also dismissing the conspiracy. On Wednesday, U.S. officials informed CNN that The Fbi has information that suggests Trump associates had been in contact with Russian operatives to "possibly coordinate the release of information damaging to Hillary Clinton's campaign."
JUST IN: Report: Trump associates might have worked with Russia to damage Clinton https://t.co/NQpFq2ro5b pic.twitter.com/McWwzZNrel
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) March 23, 2017
The information obtained by the FBI reportedly includes, but is not limited to, "human intelligence, business and phone records, accounts of meetings, and travel details." Four names that have been rumored to have been in contact with Russian officials are Michael Flynn, former campaign adviser Roger Stone, oil industry consultant Cater Page, and former campaign manager Paul Manafort.
While those names are being speculated, no confirmation has been given as to whether they, or other Trump associates, have been in direct collusion with the Kremlin.
Next step
The news comes just hours after House Intelligence Committee Chair Devin Nunes broke protocol and revealed information to Donald Trump that pertains to the current investigation into Russia. As of press time, the White House has yet to offer a comment.
