Support NeoGAF

[chadskin]

The C.I.A. told senior lawmakers in classified briefings last summer that it had information indicating that Russia was working to help elect Donald J. Trump president, a finding that did not emerge publicly until after Mr. Trump’s victory months later, former government officials say.

The briefings indicate that intelligence officials had evidence of Russia’s intentions to help Mr. Trump much earlier in the presidential campaign than previously thought. The briefings also reveal a critical split last summer between the C.I.A. and counterparts at the F.B.I., where a number of senior officials continued to believe through last fall that Russia’s cyberattacks were aimed only at disrupting America’s political system, and not at getting Mr. Trump elected, according to interviews.

The former officials said that in late August — 10 weeks before the election — John O. Brennan, then the C.I.A. director, was so concerned about increasing evidence of Russia’s election meddling that he began a series of urgent, individual briefings for eight top members of Congress, some of them on secure phone lines while they were on their summer break.

The officials said Mr. Brennan also indicated that unnamed advisers to Mr. Trump might be working with the Russians to interfere in the election. The F.B.I. and two congressional committees are now investigating that claim, focusing on possible communications and financial dealings between Russian affiliates and a handful of former advisers to Mr. Trump. So far, no proof of collusion has emerged publicly.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/06/us/trump-russia-cia-john-brennan.html

 

[Master Yoshi]

I'm shocked.

 

[FZZ]

and there was still no statement released for this

but the statement about EMAILS was released because reasons

 

[captive]

I'm shocked.

.

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

ahem BUT WE HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE EMAILS ARE SOMETHING WE SHOULD POINT OUT oh it's nothOH LOOK NOVEMBER 8th

 

[Busty]

Russian made a mistake choosing Trump as their minion. They should have gone full pantomime and gotten Hulk Hogan elected.

At this point it wouldn't seem any more absurd than what we have already.

 

[Electric Eye]

So the FBI refused to be wrong and decided to focus on emails instead. Motherfuck.

 

[Makonero]

and there was still no statement released for this

but the statement about EMAILS was released because reasons

cia =/= fbi

 

[Autoignition]

JUST RELEASE THE COLLUSION EVIDENCE ALREADY.

 

[KHarvey16]

JUST RELEASE THE COLLUSION EVIDENCE ALREADY.

No way. Continue the investigation and do it right.

 

[Master Yoshi]

No way. Continue the investigation and do it right.

The intelligence community right now:

 

[Fancyarcher]

and there was still no statement released for this

but the statement about EMAILS was released because reasons

Republicans.

 

[FZZ]

cia =/= fbi

I mean I didn't say so

I'm just saying there was fuckery going on in the election and its infuriating

 

[Tom Nook Sawyer]

The fact this has only been a dozen posts in 10 minutes should how desensitized we are already to this shitshow.

 

[Autoignition]

No way. Continue the investigation and do it right.

While we march to the drums of war.

We're literally running out of time.

 

[Carpe Carnim]

Comey really has, and always will be, a weak-kneed simp.

Scorched Earth really should be employed on everyone from McConnell to Chomsky. Spend years investigating every traitorous fuck that even sniffed the gangrene in the body politic, and is now telling us it's really the smell of roses.

Bring their kids, wives, neighbors and business acquaintances in to constantly harass them, put em under oath till we can find something to charge em with, then laugh as their lives fall apart. No cover, no quarter. They only understand raw power now. Make them regret that philosophy.

 

[Kolx]

Wouldn't mean anything unless it can be proven it was with Trump approval and cooperation tho right?

 

[KHarvey16]

While we march to the drums of war.

We're literally running out of time.

You think it gets better if they release some half baked investigation results? That is the worst case scenario because it immunizes the administration completely.

 

[Autoignition]

Comey really has, and always will be, a weak-kneed simp.

Scorched Earth really should be employed on everyone from McConnell to Chomsky. Spend years investigating every traitorous fuck that even sniffed the gangrene in the body politic, and is now telling us it's really the smell of roses.

Bring their kids, wives, neighbors and business acquaintances in to constantly harass them, put em under oath till we can find something to charge em with, then laugh as their lives fall apart. No cover, no quarter. They only understand raw power now. Make them regret that philosophy.

Comey's not in the CIA.

You think it gets better if they release some half baked investigation results? That is the worst case scenario because it immunizes the administration completely.

I just wish we knew what the hell was holding this up, if they've really known about it for this long and have been looking into it all this time.

 

[Mugsy]

The intelligence community right now:

Chief O'brian is on the case? Does it involve the Orion crime ring?

 

[Trey]

It's extremely telling that the GOP are trying to make the entire narrative about the leakers, rather than the leaks. The writing has been on the wall for a long time before the election.

 

[GrizzleBoy]

The fact this has only been a dozen posts in 10 minutes should how desensitized we are already to this shitshow.

It's funny.

There's so much shit it's getting hard to see all the shit, so when new shit appears it's not a big deal because everything was already just caked in fresh shit.

We need the receipts now so we can use them to wipe up all the shit.

 

[dskillzhtown]

Republicans.

If Obama was briefed on this and did nothing, I have some questions for him as well.

While we march to the drums of war.

We're literally running out of time.

If you are coming after the president, you better not miss. Building the case, getting legit evidence and people willing to testify is going to take time. You have to have a solid case...and convince GOPers to support it.

 

[Makonero]

It's funny.

There's so much shit it's getting hard to see all the shit, so when new shit appears it's not a big deal because everything was already just caked in fresh shit.

We need the receipts now so we can use them to wipe up all the shit.

it's hard to see in all this smoke

 

[Carpe Carnim]

Comey's not in the CIA.

The FBI is the mouthpiece of the CIA when it comes to domestic audiences. Particularly when they're working a case that crosses from our shores to another. Comey knew what the CIA was seeing, but he chose to keep that secret while castigating Clinton for what amounts to miniscule BS.

 

[KHarvey16]

If Obama was briefed on this and did nothing, I have some questions for him as well.

Obama's hands were tied. If he stepped in to this during the election it would be a complete disaster. Without solid proof ready to go it would blow up in the democrat's faces.

 

[SeanC]

Ya'll keep getting me hard but not finishing the job.

 

[wandering]

The FBI is the mouthpiece of the CIA when it comes to domestic audiences. Particularly when they're working a case that crosses from our shores to another. Comey knew what the CIA was seeing, but he chose to keep that secret while castigating Clinton for what amounts to miniscule BS.

The CIA and FBI are entirely independent of each other and have a long history of animosity.

 

[Kard8p3]

Ya'll keep getting me hard but not finishing the job.

They're edging u bro. just wait for the explosion

 

[ZOONAMI]

Obama's hands were tied. If he stepped in to this during the election it would be a complete disaster. Without solid proof ready to go it would blow up in the democrat's faces.

It sounds like there is solid proof of collusion. Honestly though I think it may have just helped trump if it came out before the election. His base would have latched onto as proof of him being right about the election be rigged and it's all just BS as trump says. It would have helped his turnout. I don't know if it would have helped dem turnout for Hillary all that much.

Hard to say though as the election was very close. Honestly I think it was probably worth a shot for Obama to put it out there. I think they were so confident in Hillary winning they likely just viewed it as an unnecessary distraction unless charges were literally about to be brought against Trump's inner circle.

 

[guek]

and there was still no statement released for this

but the statement about EMAILS was released because reasons

There were reasons.

I don't know why they didn't talk about Russia though. Maybe Obama blocked them because he had faith in Clinton winning.

 

[Carpe Carnim]

The CIA and FBI are entirely independent of each other and have a long history of animosity.

The CIA doesn't talk to the American people. Both the FBI and CIA have had hands in this investigation, so any announcements would have to come from the FBI/DOJ

 

[family_guy]

Short of evidence of actual voter fraud, does it really matter? What Russian influence was strong enough to make a rational person check Donald Trump on their ballot? Americans have to own this L and take responsibility. If someone voted for Trump and later said, "Well I didn't have all the information. It was because of the Russians.", I would look at them with even more contempt.

 

[commedieu]

Something will come of this. Can't wait

 

[Autoignition]

Short of evidence of actual voter fraud, does it really matter? What Russian influence was strong enough to make a rational person check Donald Trump on their ballot? Americans have to own this L and take responsibility. If someone voted for Trump and later said, "Well I didn't have all the information. It was because of the Russians.", I would look at them with even more contempt.

Yes?? Because aiding and abetting a hostile foreign power in an act of war against the US is fucking treason?

 

[theclosetfan]

The fact this has only been a dozen posts in 10 minutes should how desensitized we are already to this shitshow.

Desensitized? No way. This is just confirming what many of us suspected last summer. This isn't shocking in any way. Nunes just recused himself this morning for his part in this mess.

There's just not much more to say based on the information we have. It's going to take another Senate Intelligence Hearing or the FBI talking.

 

[KHarvey16]

It sounds like there is solid proof of collusion. Honestly though I think it may have just helped trump if it came out before the election. His base would have latched onto as proof of him being right about the election be rigged and it's all just BS as trump says. It would have helped his turnout. I don't know if it would have helped dem turnout for Hillary all that much.

Hard to say though as the election was very close. Honestly I think it was probably worth a shot for Obama to put it out there.

In a pre-election world where Hillary is the favorite it could only hurt them. There really wouldn't be the time to discuss it or the environment given election season to go over this information as a society. It would be played as emperor Obama securing the democrat's position through underhanded tactics and that narrative would stick because its audience wants to believe it.

Short of evidence of actual voter fraud, does it really matter? What Russian influence was strong enough to make a rational person check Donald Trump on their ballot? Americans have to own this L and take responsibility. If someone voted for Trump and later said, "Well I didn't have all the information. It was because of the Russians.", I would look at them with even more contempt.

A political campaign collaborating with a hostile foreign power to influence a domestic presidential election in their favor would perhaps be the biggest political scandal in US history. There is little doubt the efforts had an effect, but the magnitude is irrelevant.

 

[guek]

Short of evidence of actual voter fraud, does it really matter? What Russian influence was strong enough to make a rational person check Donald Trump on their ballot? Americans have to own this L and take responsibility. If someone voted for Trump and later said, "Well I didn't have all the information. It was because of the Russians.", I would look at them with even more contempt.

Treason matters, yes.

 

[Felix Lighter]

Short of evidence of actual voter fraud, does it really matter? What Russian influence was strong enough to make a rational person check Donald Trump on their ballot? Americans have to own this L and take responsibility. If someone voted for Trump and later said, "Well I didn't have all the information. It was because of the Russians.", I would look at them with even more contempt.

This isn't about idiotic voters getting their vote back. It's about criminals being held accountable for their crimes.

 

[family_guy]

Treason matters, yes.

Sorry. Didn't mean to imply that it didn't. I was just thinking the Russian influence itself shouldn't have been enough to win Trump the presidency.

 

[BigDug13]

Sorry. Didn't mean to imply that it didn't. I was just thinking the Russian influence itself shouldn't have been enough to win Trump the presidency.

Well he lost the popular vote. He won the swing states by small margins. The email leaks were timed to keep it in the news to make sure Clinton remained viewed as more untrustworthy than Trump. FBI hammered the nail into the coffin of her mediocre campaign effort.

 

[Tom Nook Sawyer]

Desensitized? No way. This is just confirming what many of us suspected last summer. This isn't shocking in any way. Nunes just recused himself this morning for his part in this mess.

That's exactly what I mean. This shit's commonplace now

 

[Autoignition]

Sorry. Didn't mean to imply that it didn't. I was just thinking the Russian influence itself shouldn't have been enough to win Trump the presidency.

You give Trump voters way too much credit. Those people are idiots*.

*And by that I mean that they're low-information low-engagement voters who just wanted someone to confirm their own biases for them, not give them facts -- and they ESPECIALLY didn't want to have to look for facts on their own. The Russian disinformation campaign targeted those people specifically. All those voters needed was a deluge of anti-Clinton propaganda to help them feel justified in thinking, "Trump's scummy, but I can't live with the dark cloud of the Clintons hovering over the White House." Didn't matter what the source was. Didn't even matter if it was true. Confirmation bias is a hell of a drug.

 

[Pizza]

and there was still no statement released for this

but the statement about EMAILS was released because reasons

For real wtf if the CIA was tracking Russian involvement with a presidential candidate why didn't the dude get a house call from some suits during the primary

Now that the guy is in office it's going to be a whole thing if they ever get around to doing anything about this

What the fuck was everyone doing for the last year

 

[rambis]

I still don't fault them for not going public. They must've had next to nothing at that point. All this does is give you perspective on how much info gets compiled before things get serious. People aren't looking into this whole Russia investigation on a simple whim.

 

[Xe4]

I mean, it was obvious enough for a dumbass like me to realize way before the election, no shit the CIA had knowledge of it.

Although, they did their jobs and didn't talk about it for fear of compromising the election UNLIKE ONE INTELLIGENCE ORGINIZATION THAT I KNOW so I can't really fault them.

 

[Yoshimitsu126]

Cool just in time for Friday I guess. Hopefully the full case comes soon.

 

[Dan]

I'm confused, what's the news? We knew ages ago that Congressional leadership was approached and McConnell put his foot down on saying anything to the public.

 

[kame-sennin]

Scorched Earth really should be employed on everyone from McConnell to Chomsky. Spend years investigating every traitorous fuck that even sniffed the gangrene in the body politic, and is now telling us it's really the smell of roses.

Bring their kids, wives, neighbors and business acquaintances in to constantly harass them, put em under oath till we can find something to charge em with, then laugh as their lives fall apart. No cover, no quarter. They only understand raw power now. Make them regret that philosophy.

You are a terrible person.

 

[GutsOfThor]

Short of evidence of actual voter fraud, does it really matter? What Russian influence was strong enough to make a rational person check Donald Trump on their ballot? Americans have to own this L and take responsibility. If someone voted for Trump and later said, "Well I didn't have all the information. It was because of the Russians.", I would look at them with even more contempt.

The same shit will happen in midterms next year and again in 2020 if it's not investigated and the people who were involved are punished.