US Intelligence Investigating Russian Links of Leading Trump Associates - Report

By Catherine Garcia, The Week

20 January 17

.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies have been looking at intercepted communications and financial transactions as part of a counterintelligence investigation into potential links between Russian officials and at least three of Donald Trump's close associates — former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, former campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page, and longtime Republican operative Roger Stone, The New York Times reports.

The Times says that while it is unclear if the intercepted communications have anything to do with Trump or his campaign and which Russian officials are involved, the investigation centers at least in part on business dealings. The FBI is leading the multi-agency investigation, revealed Wednesday by the McClatchy news service, and after Trump is inaugurated, he will have the authority to redirect or end some of their efforts; six current and former officials who confirmed the investigation's existence told The Times they were sharing the information because they "feared the new administration would obstruct their efforts."

Manafort and Stone both told the Times they do not have relationships with Russian officials or the government, and Page said he "did nothing wrong, for the 5,000th time."