FBI rejects request to knock down Trump–Russia stories

Washington, Feb 24: The FBI rejected a White House request to knock down

media reports about communications between President Dold Trump’s

associates and Russian officials during the 2016 presidential campaign,

law enforcement officials told CNN. White House officials had sought the

help of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other agencies to say

that the reports were wrong and that there had been no contacts, the

officials said. The reports of the contacts were first published by the

New York Times and CNN on February 14. The direct communications between

the White House and the FBI were unusual because of decade–old

restrictions on such contacts. Such a request from the White House is a

violation of procedures that limit communications with the FBI on

pending investigations. Late Thursday night, White House Press Secretary

Sean Spicer objected to CNN’s characterisation of the White House

request to the FBI. “We didn’t try to knock the story down. We asked

them to tell the truth,” Spicer said.  (IANS)