While the House Intelligence Committee, led by Republicans at the time, may have shut down their Russian collusion investigation after making a spectacle of going after the investigators instead of trying to get to the truth, the Senate Intelligence Committee is still going strong.
NBC News reports that Sam Nunberg, who worked on the Trump campaign in 2016, testified in front of that committee on Friday. Nunberg says he was asked numerous questions about the Russian collusion story, and that he was asked specifically about the actions during the campaign of “Roger Stone, Jerome Corsi, Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn, Tom Barrack, Michael Cohen, Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, Jr., and Eric Trump” as well as the Russian government operatives present at the infamous 2016 Trump Tower meeting.
‘Sam Nunberg, who worked for Trump and his campaign in 2015, said he was questioned in a closed-door session on Capitol Hill about Trump’s trip to Moscow in 2013, his company’s interest in building a tower there and specific relationships between past members of the campaign and foreign actors who may have worked with Russia.’
Sam Nunberg said the Senate Intelligence Committee is talking like @DonaldJTrumpJr conspired with Russia to attack our election infrastructure. https://t.co/b9b3xbDvEs
— Mr. Babypants (@mrbabypants) January 11, 2019
The experience Nunberg described indicates that he is not the sole campaign official being asked these questions. The questions covered multiple topics but were all focused on Russian collusion in 2016, and it appears the committee feels that questions around many aspects of the growing scandals in this probe have not yet been fully answered.
‘Investigators went through a “check list” of questions, Nunberg said, including whether he had been aware of any conversations or relationships during his time with Trump regarding Russian banks, Russian oligarchs or business dealings with Russia.’
Sam Nunberg says the Senate Intel Cmte questioned him in a closed-door session about Trump's 2013 Moscow trip, Trump's company's interest in building a tower there and relationships between campaign staff and foreign actors who may have worked with Russia.https://t.co/rVQ1bhMCl0
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) January 12, 2019
Following suspicion about the Republican National Committee’s quick changes to policy around Ukraine at the insistence of Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, other questions about specific Russia-friendly policies are facing growing scrutiny. For instance, the committee is asking questions about Trump’s campaign positions on Syria and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
‘Nunberg, who sat with committee staff for four and half hours, said he was asked repeatedly about how Trump formulated his policy positions regarding Russia. Trump has voiced support for numerous foreign policy positions beneficial to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Nunberg said he told the committee that Trump, as a candidate, said “he would take the position that he was happy Russia was in Syria.”‘
"Investigators went through a 'check list' of questions, Nunberg said, including whether he had been aware of any conversations or relationships during his time with Trump regarding Russian banks, Russian oligarchs or business dealings with Russia." https://t.co/wZEaYtLBkN
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) January 12, 2019
Yet another round of questions were around the National Rifle Association’s possible involvement in the collusion probe. Russian spy Maria Butina, described as the president of the Russian chapter of the NRA, who has since pled guilty to engaging in a conspiracy against the U.S., met with Russian handler Alex Torshin and Donald Trump, Jr. in Louisville, Kentucky during the NRA Convention in 2016. It has since been revealed that the NRA may have been trying to help Butina get a meeting with then-candidate Trump.
‘Also of interest to investigators, Nunberg said, was the campaign’s relationship with the National Rifle Association and efforts by a Russian national to get a meeting with Trump through the NRA. Nunberg says he told investigators Friday that he was aware of efforts by Maria Butina, who pleaded guilty last month to conspiring with a Russian official to interfere in American politics, to seek a meeting with Trump, using the NRA as a conduit.’
Plot twist.
That's the SENATE, not the House. And that's why Sam Nunberg looked so delighted to give sworn testimony today. https://t.co/Qz0sXjX7mj— Ale (@aliasvaughn) January 11, 2019
Featured image via Flickr by Gage Skidmore under a Creative Commons license
