Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Spy Who Wrote the Trump-Russia Memos: It Was "Hair-Raising" Stuff
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/01/spy-who-wrote-trump-russia-memos-it-was-hair-raising-stuffThe Spy Who Wrote the Trump-Russia Memos: It Was "Hair-Raising" Stuff
When I broke the story in October, I spoke with him. Here's what he said.
David Corn
Jan. 13, 2017 1:31 PM
snip//
The former intelligence official went to work and contacted his network of sources in Russia and elsewhere. He soon received what he called "hair-raising" information. His sources told him, he said, that Trump had been "sexually compromised" by Russian intelligence in 2013 (when Trump was in Moscow for the Miss Universe contest) or earlier and that there was an "established exchange of information between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin of mutual benefit." He noted he was "shocked" by these allegations. By the end of June, he was sending reports of what he was finding to the American firm.
The former spy said he soon decided the information he was receiving was "sufficiently serious" for him to forward it to contacts he had at the FBI. He did this, he said, without permission from the American firm that had hired him. "This was an extraordinary situation," he remarked.
The response to the information from the FBI, he recalled, was "shock and horror." After a few weeks, the bureau asked him for information on his sources and their reliability and on how he had obtained his reports. He was also asked to continue to send copies of his subsequent reports to the bureau. These reports were not written, he noted, as finished work products; they were updates on what he was learning from his various sources. But he said, "My track record as a professional is second to no one."
snip//
"This was something of huge significance, way above party politics," the former spy told me. "I think {Trump's} own party should be aware of this stuff as well." He noted that he believed Russian intelligence's efforts aimed at Trump were part of Vladimir Putin's campaign to "disrupt and divide and discredit the system in Western democracies."
After speaking with the former counterintelligence official, I was able to confirm his identity and expertise. A senior US administration official told me that he had worked with the onetime spook and that the former spy had an established and respected track record of providing US government agencies with accurate and valuable information about sensitive national security matters. "He is a credible source who has provided information to the US government for a long time, which senior officials have found to be highly credible," this US official said.
I also was able to review the memos the former spy had written, and I quoted a few key portions in my article. I did not report the specific allegationsespecially the lurid allegations about Trump's personal behaviorbecause they could not be confirmed. The newsworthy story at this point was that a credible intelligence official had provided information to the FBI alleging Moscow had tried to cultivate and compromise a presidential candidate. And the issue at handat a time when the FBI was publicly disclosing information about its investigation of Hillary Clinton's handling of her email at the State Departmentwas whether the FBI had thoroughly investigated these allegations related to Russia and Trump. I also didn't post the memos, as BuzzFeed did this week, because the documents contained information about the former spy's sources that could place these people at risk.
When I spoke with the former spy, he appeared confident about his materialacknowledging these memos were works in progressand genuinely concerned about the implications of the allegations. He came across as a serious and somber professional who was not eager to talk to a journalist or cause a public splash. He realized he was taking a risk, but he seemed duty bound to share information he deemed crucial. He noted that these allegations deserved a "substantial inquiry" within the FBI. Yet so far, the FBI has not yet said whether such an investigation has been conducted. As the former spy said to me, "The story has to come out."
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
7 replies, 2005 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (19)
ReplyReply to this post
7 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
The Spy Who Wrote the Trump-Russia Memos: It Was "Hair-Raising" Stuff (Original Post)
babylonsister
Jan 2017
OP
Would've been a lot more fuckin' interesting if this info on that Cheetoh-faced Nazi had come out a lot sooner!
InAbLuEsTaTe
Jan 2017
#3
Mother Jones has been on top of a lot of important issues such as Mitt Romney...
Stellar
Jan 2017
#7
Lucinda
(31,170 posts)1. KNR
SteamAddict
(53 posts)2. Going to be interesting to see what happens
I hope Trump scews up with his Russian handlers, and those videos get aired.
InAbLuEsTaTe
(24,122 posts)3. Would've been a lot more fuckin' interesting if this info on that Cheetoh-faced Nazi had come out a lot sooner!
babylonsister
(171,075 posts)4. Yea, no kidding.
But it's seeping out. Maddow is discussing it now.
Generator
(7,770 posts)5. Love it when the Brits are more patriotic than RepubliCONS
bdamomma
(63,902 posts)6. K&R
Stellar
(5,644 posts)7. Mother Jones has been on top of a lot of important issues such as Mitt Romney...
SECRET VIDEO: Romney Tells Millionaire Donors What He REALLY Thinks of Obama Voters
and now this. That's why I took the opportunity to subscribe to them today. (Remembering Rachel Maddow suggesting that we should help news media that we believe in.) I also subscribe to Washington Post. Is there another one that anyone think would be a good idea?
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/09/secret-video-romney-private-fundraiser
and now this. That's why I took the opportunity to subscribe to them today. (Remembering Rachel Maddow suggesting that we should help news media that we believe in.) I also subscribe to Washington Post. Is there another one that anyone think would be a good idea?
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/09/secret-video-romney-private-fundraiser