# Trump associates may have coordinated with Russians, according to US officials **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 23, 2017, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799 "2017-03-23T00:28:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/222 "2017-05-11T18:21:48Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Seems [relevant](http://www.wbaltv.com/article/fbi-searching-annapolis-fundraiserconsulting-firm/9639787). > > Not much information yet, but the FBI is executing a search warrant on a GOP fundraising firm in Virginia. If it’s actually relevant, then we could probably expect to not hear anything more about it for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/223 "2017-05-11T19:47:47Z")
[No go.](http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/anne-arundel/ph-ac-cn-fbi-raid-0512-20170511-story.html) > [@](#): > > Rogers, who said his firm represents the campaign committees for Maryland House and Senate candidates, told reporters that the FBI investigation concerns work the firm performed during the 2013 Virginia gubernatorial campaign of former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, a Republican. > > According to Rogers, his firm settled a civil suit brought by the Cuccinelli campaign after he lost that race to Democrat Terry McAuliffe. Rogers said the investigation appears to have stemmed from allegations brought in that suit. > > The Cuccinelli suit alleged that Strategic Campaign Group and the associated Conservative Strike Force Political Action Committee — an independent group not affiliated with the candidate — raised about $2.2 million by assuring donors it would spend the money to help elect the GOP candidate. The suit alleged that the PAC and Strategic Campaign Group failed to follow through on promises for an extensive media campaign on Cuccinelli’s behalf. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/224 "2017-05-11T20:02:14Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > [No go.](http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/anne-arundel/ph-ac-cn-fbi-raid-0512-20170511-story.html) This is interesting information. I would just point out that the person saying the raid has noting to do with the Russia clusterfuck is presumably one of the people _under the investigation that sparked the raid_. The guy running the firm that was raided is saying, “Nope! Nothing to do with Russia here! This is the fallout of allegations made four years ago during a civil case and the FBI is just now getting around to raiding me because… they’re busy people, I guess?” I withhold judgement on whether this is related to the Russia clusterfuck. I have no idea, really. I just don’t share your confident “No go” based on statements made by the guy who was just rousted by the Feds. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/225 "2017-05-11T20:10:31Z")
The thing is that there’s zero reason to think it had anything to do with Russia. It’s not like it looks Russia-related and the guy being raided is saying “Nope! Nothing to do with Russia here! …”, as you suggest. The only people bringing up Russia are in this thread. (The guy being raided is probably not a poster to this MB :)). Even aside from that, I don’t know that the guy would have much incentive to attribute the raid to one cause versus another. Especially as the truth will come out anyway. In general, the FBI frequently takes a very long time before they get to the point of raiding things. And in this case, you would need to date the timing from when the allegations were made in the lawsuit, not from the date of the election. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/226 "2017-05-11T22:22:30Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > But aren’t they currently blaming Obama for their lack of vetting of Flynn? The Obama administration did vet Flynn, and chose not to remove/downgrade Flynn’s security clearance. The Obama administration was then nice enough to warn the Trump campaign that Flynn shouldn’t/couldn’t be trusted. It would have been even nicer if the Obama administration had simply removed Flynn’s security rating. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/227 "2017-05-11T22:31:24Z")
The Obama admin gently encouraged Flynn to expand his horizons and seek opportunity outside the confines of the military and the security apparatus. Flynn heeded this advice, and resigned from such positions as might require a security clearance. Hence, no such clearance was required. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/228 "2017-05-11T22:39:32Z")
Trump supporter logic: Flynn was fired from a very important and highly sensitive job. If someone else was stupid enough to hire him for another very important and highly sensitive job even after being warned not to by the first person, then it must be the fault of the first person who fired him. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/229 "2017-05-11T22:40:13Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > The Obama admin gently encouraged Flynn to expand his horizons and seek opportunity outside the confines of the military and the security apparatus. Flynn heeded this advice, and resigned from such positions as might require a security clearance. Hence, no such clearance was required. Not a single word of warning. ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/230 "2017-05-11T22:58:55Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > The Obama administration did vet Flynn, and chose not to remove/downgrade Flynn’s security clearance. The Obama administration was then nice enough to warn the Trump campaign that Flynn shouldn’t/couldn’t be trusted. It would have been even nicer if the Obama administration had simply removed Flynn’s security rating. Do you know what SCI is? > **[List of U.S. security clearance terms | SCI eligibility](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._security_clearance_terms#SCI_eligibility)** > > Sensitive compartmented information (SCI) is a type of classified information controlled through formal systems established by the Director of National Intelligence. To access SCI, one must first have a favorable SSBI and be granted SCI eligibility. Because the SSBI is also used to grant collateral top secret eligibility, the two are often granted together and referred to as TS/SCI. Access to individual SCI control systems, compartments, and subcompartments may then be granted by the owner of tha... While Flynn may have been unsuitable for National Security Advisor, effectively granting him access to all compartments, there may have been compartments he could be allowed to access in the right contexts. Or at least the decision would be made on a compartment-by-compartment basis and he may never again have been allowed access to any compartments, which would effectively have been removing his clearance without officially needing to do so. In any case, while Flynn was under investigation, I always thought the warning not to hire him had less to do with his questionable ties to Russia than the fact that [he was a first-class asshole](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_T._Flynn#Retirement_from_the_military) who should never be put in charge of anyone/anything. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2017, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/231 "2017-05-12T08:47:46Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > This is interesting information. I would just point out that the person saying the raid has noting to do with the Russia clusterfuck is presumably one of the people _under the investigation that sparked the raid_. The guy running the firm that was raided is saying, “Nope! Nothing to do with Russia here! This is the fallout of allegations made four years ago during a civil case and the FBI is just now getting around to raiding me because… they’re busy people, I guess?” > > I withhold judgement on whether this is related to the Russia clusterfuck. I have no idea, really. I just don’t share your confident “No go” based on statements made by the guy who was just rousted by the Feds. There’s a loose connection to Paul Manafort - one news story reports “The firm’s website said one of its principles was formerly associated with a firm operated by Paul Manafort, who is the former Trump campaign manager whose business dealings with Russia are under intense scrutiny” - but that’s hardly a smoking gun at this point. Still, the timing is very odd. Maybe this is the FBI firing a warning shot across the Republicans’ bow, saying effectively “If you continue to mess with the FBI we will mess with you in ways you won’t see coming and will not enjoy. Bigly.” ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2017, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/232 "2017-05-12T12:56:31Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Still, the timing is very odd. Maybe this is the FBI firing a warning shot across the Republicans’ bow, saying effectively “If you continue to mess with the FBI we will mess with you in ways you won’t see coming and will not enjoy. Bigly.” Since I presume that one needs a warrant to go raiding one of the nation’s largest political parties, and those probably take more than a couple hours to get when you consider all of the evidence you need to collect and send in as part of the request, I think it’s safe to rule out retaliation for Comey’s firing. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/233 "2017-05-15T21:57:03Z")
From the [Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-revealed-highly-classified-information-to-russian-foreign-minister-and-ambassador/2017/05/15/530c172a-3960-11e7-9e48-c4f199710b69_story.html?tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.ac09b494e384) > [@](#): > > President Trump revealed highly classified information to the Russian foreign minister and ambassador in a White House meeting last week, according to current and former U.S. officials, who said Trump’s disclosures jeopardized a critical source of intelligence on the Islamic State. > > The information the president relayed had been provided by a U.S. partner through an intelligence-sharing arrangement considered so sensitive that details have been withheld from allies and tightly restricted even within the U.S. government, officials said. > > The partner had not given the United States permission to share the material with Russia, and officials said Trump’s decision to do so endangers cooperation from an ally that has access to the inner workings of the Islamic State. After Trump’s meeting, senior White House officials took steps to contain the damage, placing calls to the CIA and the National Security Agency. > > “This is code-word information,” said a U.S. official familiar with the matter, using terminology that refers to one of the highest classification levels used by American spy agencies. Trump “revealed more information to the Russian ambassador than we have shared with our own allies.” ---
**Author:** ![Skypist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skypist/32/169_2.png) [@Skypist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skypist)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2017, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/234 "2017-05-16T02:00:01Z")
> [@MovieMogul](#): > > From the [Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-revealed-highly-classified-information-to-russian-foreign-minister-and-ambassador/2017/05/15/530c172a-3960-11e7-9e48-c4f199710b69_story.html?tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.ac09b494e384) I suppose if this is true, people will just say “oh well, there’s no recourse so whatever” and 45 will just keep trucking along with his unstable so-called leadership. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2017, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/235 "2017-05-16T02:22:39Z")
> [@Skypist](#): > > I suppose if this is true, people will just say “oh well, there’s no recourse so whatever” and 45 will just keep trucking along with his unstable so-called leadership. I believe the current line of bullshit from the Trump Protectors is to deny, deny, deny that Trump every did or said stuff that the Washington Post _never said he did_. “Nope nope, Trump never revealed the exact name of the source”. (protip: The WP never said that he did. However Trump did reveal enough classified details so that the Russians could easily deduce more.) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2017, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/236 "2017-05-16T02:28:03Z")
Is pack of lies made up by Moose and Squirrel! ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2017, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/237 "2017-05-16T02:39:23Z")
Um, from what I have read, that story has been contradicted by just about everyone in the room. This is what happens when you abandon journalistic standards and start running stories based on singular, anonymous leaks. You become a tool for anyone who wants to smear someone else. Also, whoever leaked that to thepress committed a felony. So far as I know, the only provable crimes that have been committed to date have been the felonies committed by the people leaking all this to the press. From the same article, but buried under the lede: > [@](#): > > White House officials involved in the meeting said Trump discussed only shared concerns about terrorism. > > “The president and the foreign minister reviewed common threats from terrorist organizations to include threats to aviation,” said H.R. McMaster, the national security adviser, who participated in the meeting. “At no time were any intelligence sources or methods discussed, and no military operations were disclosed that were not already known publicly.” > > McMaster reiterated his statement in a subsequent appearance at the White House on Monday and described the Washington Post story as “false,” but did not take any questions. I think Trump is an ass, but McMaster has a sterling reputation for telling the truth. And other people who were there back him up completely. I will believe him over an anonymous source and a salivating press any day of the week. I swear, the media is its own worst enemy. The constant hysteria over every little thing Trump does is wearing out their credibility with the people, and by the time they actually have real dirt on Trump no one will pay attention to them. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2017, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/238 "2017-05-16T02:53:13Z")
Really **Sam**? Respected media outlets are fake news reporting and the administration has covered itself in its sterling reputation? That’s what your going with? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2017, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/239 "2017-05-16T03:01:10Z")
Forget it, Biggirl. It’s Russiatown. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2017, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/240 "2017-05-16T03:10:57Z")
Whitehouse toadies (McMaster) are denying that Trump directly talked about sources or methods: > [@](#): > > “At no time were intelligence sources or methods discussed and the President did not disclose any military operations that weren’t already publicly known,” he said. “I was in the room. It didn’t happen.” Small problem **Sam Stone:** The original story NEVER CLAIMED that Trump discussed sources or methods. McMaster just denied something that nobody ever said happened. [However:](http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/15/politics/trump-russia-classified-information/index.html) > [@](#): > > Two former officials knowledgeable of the situation confirmed to CNN that the main points of the Post story are accurate: The President shared classified information with the Russian foreign minister. > The President did not directly reveal the source of the information, but intelligence officials told CNN that there is concern that Russia will be able to figure out the highly sensitive source. Trump blabbed. He blabbed too much. He said stuff he should not have. He said enough that the Russians will be able to gain a lot of information. And yet here you are, again carrying Trump’s water, making excuses for him. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2017, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/241 "2017-05-16T03:11:06Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Forget it, Biggirl. It’s Russiatown. The GOP does use the color Red. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799.md?page=13)