Current and former senior intelligence officials viewed Trump’s requests as an attempt by the president to tarnish the credibility of the agency leading the Russia investigation. Senior intelligence officials also saw the March requests as a threat to the independence of U.S. spy agencies, which are supposed to remain insulated from partisan issues. (Jenny Starrs,Julio Negron/The Washington Post)“The White House does not confirm or deny unsubstantiated claims based on illegal leaks from anonymous individuals,” a White House spokesperson said. Are you able to assist in this matter?” one official said of the line of questioning from the White House. As the director of national intelligence, Coats leads the vast U.S. intelligence community, which includes the FBI.

Source: Washington Post May 22, 2017 22:18 UTC