It is unclear, however, whether Russian officials actually tried to directly influence Mr. Manafort and Mr. Flynn. He said he saw intelligence suggesting that Russia wanted to use Trump campaign officials, wittingly or not, to help in that effort. President Trump, for his part, has dismissed talk of Russian interference in the election as “fake news,” insisting there was no contact between his campaign and Russian officials. “I did not collude with the Russians to influence the elections.”Advertisement Continue reading the main storyThe White House, F.B.I. It paid Mr. Flynn $45,000 to give a speech in Moscow, where he also attended the network’s lavish anniversary dinner.

Source: New York Times May 24, 2017 21:33 UTC