As the briefing was wrapping up, Trump asked everyone to leave the room except for Coats and CIA Director Mike Pompeo. The interaction with Coats indicates that Trump aimed to enlist top officials to have Comey curtail the bureau’s probe. Brian Hale, a DNI spokesman, declined to comment on whether Trump asked Coats to intervene with Comey regarding the Flynn investigation. The incidents suggest that Trump may not have appreciated the traditional barriers meant to insulate the intelligence agencies from politics. Though the office of the DNI oversees other intelligence agencies, the FBI director operates independently of the DNI on many matters.

Source: National Post June 07, 2017 02:14 UTC