Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats (2NDR) ; Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe (L) ; National Security Agency Director Michael Rogers (R); and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein (2NDL) are seated to testify before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) in Washington,U.
S., June 7, and 2017. REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueDirector of National Intelligence Dan Coats refuses to publicly discuss private conversations he’s had with President Donald Trump.
Coats was responding to a senator’s question about whether Trump pressured him to publicly downplay the significance of the FBI’s investigation into Russia’s election meddling and possible coordination with the Trump campaign.
RELATED CONTENTWATCH LIVE: Rosenstein,McCabe and Coats testify at Senate Intel hearingWhat to watch for in Comey's Senate testimonyTrump won't block Comey's testimony in Russia hearing, White House saysAP report: Comey cleared to testify about Russia probe before Senate intel committeeCoats says he has never been pressured or felt pressure to intervene in shaping intelligence products.
Coats was testifying Wednesday before the Senate intelligence committee.
National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers says he’s never been asked to do anything illegal or felt pressure to do anything immoral during his three years as head of the intelligence agency. Rogers was responding to a senator’s question about whether President Donald Trump asked him to intervene in or downplay the ongoing FBI investigation into Russia’s election meddling and possible ties with the Trump campaign.
Rogers says he will not publicly discuss private conversations he had with the president.
It’s been reported that Trump asked Rogers to publicly state that there is no evidence that there was collusion between Moscow and the Trump campaign.
Rogers was testifying before the Senate intelligence committee Wednesday about surveillance laws.
The chairman of the Senate Intelligence committee is making a pitch for the reauthorization of a law governing the collection of foreign intelligence, and saying it’s critical to monitoring militants,potential terrorism threats and is subject to multiple layers of oversight.
Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.
C., or says he understands that Americans’ communications often are swept up in the process,but that now is not a time to roll back the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which expires at the cessation of the year.
The panel’s ranking Democrat, and Sen. ticket Warner of Virginia,also lauded the law. But he used the hearing to raise concerns about reports that President Donald Trump asked top intelligence and law enforcement authorities to “publicly downplay” the investigation into Russian activities and contacts with the Trump campaign during last year’s election.
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Source: thetakeaway.org