The Latest on the investigation into Russia’s interference in the election and ties to Trump campaign associates (all times local) :
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Latest on the investigation into Russia’s interference in the election and ties to Trump campaign associates (all times local) : 12: 15 p.m. Sen. Marco Rubio says it’s best for the country to let the FBI’s investigation into Russia meddling in the 2016 presidential election take its course, and the Florida Republican tells CNN’s “State of the Union” that’s what he’d advise President Donald Trump. Rubio says Trump firing former FBI Director James Comey hasn’t impeded the FBI’s or the Senate intelligence committee’s investigations into Russia’s role in the 2016 campaign. Rubio says: “If it involved working with Americans, whether wittingly or unwittingly, that needs to be part of” the investigation. Trump insists his campaign had nothing to do with Russian efforts to undermine credibility in the U. S. election. Rubio says it’s important for the American people to know how the Russians interfered because we have more elections coming up. ___ 10: 30 a.m. The top Democrat on the House intelligence committee says the panel is looking forward to getting a response from the White House this week as to whether President Donald Trump has tapes of private conversations with fired FBI Director James Comey. Rep. Adam Schiff says he wants the White House to acknowledge the tapes or make clear there are no tapes and “it was an idle threat.” The panel sent a bipartisan letter this month to White House counsel Don McGahn seeking an answer by this Friday. The committee also sent a letter to Comey asking for any notes or memos. Schiff says if the panel can’t get an answer then he believes a subpoena will be needed. He spoke on ABC’s “This Week.” ___ 9: 30 a.m. A member of President Donald Trump’s outside legal team says the president is not under investigation, contradicting a recent tweet from Trump. Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday, attorney Jay Sekulow said the “president is not under investigation by the special counsel.” He said Trump’s statement on Twitter Friday was specifically in response to a story in The Washington Post about the expanding probe into Russia’s election meddling. The president wrote on Twitter: “I am being investigated for firing the FBI Director by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director! Witch Hunt.” The message apparently referred to Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general whose role leading the federal investigation has become increasingly complicated. Sekulow said Trump “is not and has not been under investigation.” ___ 7: 40 a.m. President Donald Trump is beginning his day with a stream of tweets defending his record and lashing out at the investigation into Russian interference in the election. In a two-part tweet posted before 7 a.m. Sunday, Trump wrote: “The MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN agenda is doing very well despite the distraction of the Witch Hunt.” He continued by saying: “Many new jobs, high business enthusiasm …massive regulation cuts, 36 new legislative bills signed, great new S. C. Justice, and Infrastructure, Healthcare and Tax Cuts in works!” “Witch hunt’ is how Trump characterizes the probe into Russia’s election interference and possible ties to his campaign associates. Trump advisers describe the president as increasingly angry over the investigation, yelling at television sets carrying coverage and insisting he is the target of a conspiracy. Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
