Executive Branch
House committee found 'ill-advised' WikiLeaks contacts but no collusion, GOP report says
President Donald Trump/Shutterstock.com.
Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee said in a summary report released Thursday that some aides to Donald Trump’s campaign made “ill-advised” contacts with WikiLeaks, but there was no evidence of collusion with Russia.
On a party-lines vote, the committee voted to end its investigation and to move to declassify its report, report Politico, National Public Radio, ABC News and Fox News.
The move follows an announcement regarding some of the findings made last week.
The summary included these findings:
- The committee found no evidence that Trump’s business dealings before the campaign formed the basis for collusion with Russia.
- The committee found no evidence of “collusion, coordination or conspiracy with the Russian government” as a result of meetings between Trump associates, including now-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and official Russian representatives.
- None of the interviewed witnesses provided evidence of “collusion, coordination or conspiracy” between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.
- There is no evidence that Trump associates were involved in the theft or publication of Hillary Clinton-related emails, although Trump associates “had numerous ill-advised contacts with WikiLeaks.”
- Possible Russian efforts to set up a back channel with Trump associates after the election suggest there was no collusion during the campaign, because communication associated with collusion would have made a back channel unnecessary.
- Foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos was unsuccessful in facilitating meetings between the Trump campaign and Russians.
- Trump adviser Carter Page appeared to give incomplete accounts about his trips to Moscow. Page has denied any wrongdoing. He told Politico he has no idea why the committee questioned his account.
The committee’s top Democrat, U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff of California, said the report was a whitewash.
