FBI Director James Comey is testifying before Congress today, with the expectation that he will speak about two issues. First, he will discuss the potential collusion between the Russian government and the Trump campaign. Second, he will talk about the allegations of wiretapping by Barack Obama of Trump Tower. And the hearing before the House Intelligence Committee is officially underway.
The hearing began with a statement from Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), explaining that Russia is known to interfere with foreign elections and also established their increasing aggression and their propaganda. Nunes also argued that there wasn’t a physical wiretap at Trump Tower:
He did, however, clarify that there could have been other surveillance of Trump Tower.
Democrat Adam Schiff said that it is indisputed that the Russian government was behind the WikiLeaks hack of the Democratic National Convention and of the Clinton campaign.
“Russia successfully meddled in our democracy,” Schiff says
Schiff’s source? The “dossier” Buzzfeed published from British spy Christopher Steele, with journalists alleging that this meant United States intelligence backed it up. Schiff also asked if it was a “coincidence” that Jeff Sessions saw a Russian ambassador when he was a senator.
Key but inconclusive point from Schiff: it is possible these events are unrelated, possible they're not. "We simply don't know."
NSA Director Admiral Michael Rogers stood by their intelligence on Russia, however, and made sure to tell the committee that the NSA will protect Americans’ privacy.
Adm Rogers on intel assessment into Russia released in January "We stand by it as issued"
Comey said the investigation “includes investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia’s efforts.”