Trump dismisses Russia controversy as 'scam'

[struggle4progress]

By Steve Holland and Roberta Rampton | WASHINGTON

President Donald Trump dismissed a growing controversy about ties between his aides and Russia on Thursday as a "ruse" and "scam" perpetrated by a hostile news media, and denied any of his associates had contacts with Moscow before last year's election.

"The leaks are absolutely real. The news is fake," Trump told a news conference, referring to media reports that his presidential campaign team had contacts with Russian intelligence officials ...

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-idUSKBN15V2PK

[struggle4progress]

1. Turmoil on Russia likely to follow Pence

By Kevin Liptak, CNN White House Producer
Updated 10:24 AM ET, Fri February 17, 2017

Vice President Mike Pence will try to leave behind a White House in tumult when he arrives in Europe Friday ...

Though he is seeking to reassure key allies such as Germany of US resolve on Russia and other issues that have rattled Western leaders, he himself faces questions about how much he's been looped in on President Donald Trump's thinking on the Kremlin.

On Monday, Trump ousted his national security adviser, Michael Flynn, for misleading Pence about his conversations with the Russian ambassador. Pence, who had previously gone on television and repeated Flynn's prevarications, only discovered he was misinformed last Friday -- a full two weeks after Trump himself learned the Justice Department was looking into the matter.

Even as Pence seeks answers about why he was hoodwinked, Trump himself has expressed little concern about the compromised position of his vice president. Instead, he's cast Flynn -- whom he asked to resign -- as unfairly brought down by illegal leakers of classified intelligence ...

[struggle4progress]

2. Pentagon: No record Flynn's paid Russian event was allowed

BY MARK HENSCH - 02/17/17 07:50 AM EST

The Pentagon says it has not discovered any evidence former national security adviser Michael Flynn received authorization to accept money for a paid Russian state TV event in 2015.

The Department of the Army conducted “a thorough records search, and has not found any documents,” acting Secretary of the Army Robert Speer said in a Tuesday letter, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

The Journal said Speer’s message was in response to Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee.

Cummings reportedly asked the Pentagon if Flynn received approval for the event, which occurred in December 2015 during a period of rising tension between the White House and the Kremlin ...

http://thehill.com/policy/international/russia/320051-pentagon-no-record-russia-pay-to-flynn-allowed

[struggle4progress]

3. Trump fully briefed on Flynn's calls

BY PAULINA FIROZI - 02/17/17 07:57 AM EST

... "The president was, in fact, fully briefed on the content of those conversations that Gen. Michael Flynn had with the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, by people who would know what the content of those phone conversations was,” Fox News chief White House correspondent John Roberts told Bill O’Reilly on Thursday night.

“And under repeated questioning during an investigation conducted by the White House counsel’s office, Gen. Flynn, I'm told, had a full recollection of what he talked about with the Russian ambassador.”

A spokesman for Flynn prior to his resignation said that Flynn “indicated that while he had no recollection of discussing sanctions, he couldn’t be certain that the topic never came up” ...

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/320052-trump-was-fully-briefed-on-content-of-flynns-calls-with-russian

[TrekLuver]

4. He's trying hard to convince us that there is nothing there. Oh there is something there

and that's why he left himself some wiggle room for when the shit hits the fan.

[BeckyDem]

5. Then it would be easy to fix. Demand an independent review of everything and release

your taxes. He has the authority to declassify information that could clear most every suspicion up. If he believes the IC is against him, that is one way to end the speculation.