Brennan said Russia ‘brazenly’ interfered in the presidential election despite a direct warning to a top Kremlin official
..“I encountered and I’m aware of information and intelligence that revealed contacts and interactions between Russian officials and U.S. persons involved in the Trump campaign,” said Mr. Brennan, the head of the Central Intelligence Agency under former President Barack Obama, in testimony before the House Intelligence Committee.Mr. Brennan said he didn’t know if these contacts by people tied to the campaign amounted to “collusion” with Russian officials.
But, he said, “I know that there was a sufficient basis of information and intelligence that required further investigation by the bureau to determine whether or not U.S. persons were actively conspiring, colluding with Russian officials,” said Mr. Brennan.
.. Mr. Brennan described a previously undisclosed warning he made to his counterpart in Russian intelligence, Alexander Bortnikov, the head of the Russian FSB intelligence service, not to interfere in the U.S. election in an August phone call
..The Washington Post reported Monday that the president asked Mr. Coats and the National Security Agency director, Adm. Mike Rogers, to publicly deny the existence of any evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians.