March 5, 2018

Jane Mayer: Trump Team Was in Routine Communication With Moscow in 2016

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Jane Mayer reports today in the New Yorker on the events of August 2016, three months before the election:

According to an article by the Washington Post, that month the C.I.A. sent what the paper described as “an intelligence bombshell” to President Obama, warning him that Putin was directly involved in a Russian cyber campaign aimed at disrupting the Presidential election—and helping Trump win. Robert Hannigan, then the head of the U.K.’s intelligence service the G.C.H.Q., had recently flown to Washington and briefed the C.I.A.’s director, John Brennan, on a stream of illicit communications between Trump’s team and Moscow that had been intercepted. (The content of these intercepts has not become public.)

Um, what? A “stream of illicit communications”? Between “Trump’s team and Moscow”? I would like to know more about that! I’ll bet everyone would like to know more about that. When did this happen? Who, precisely, is “Moscow”? Is this shorthand for people in government, or just some private citizens who live in Moscow? And what exactly does “illicit” mean?

This is almost certainly the single most interesting sentence published today.

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Thank you!

We didn't know what to expect when we told you we needed to raise $400,000 before our fiscal year closed on June 30, and we're thrilled to report that our incredible community of readers contributed some $415,000 to help us keep charging as hard as we can during this crazy year.

You just sent an incredible message: that quality journalism doesn't have to answer to advertisers, billionaires, or hedge funds; that newsrooms can eke out an existence thanks primarily to the generosity of its readers. That's so powerful. Especially during what's been called a "media extinction event" when those looking to make a profit from the news pull back, the Mother Jones community steps in.

The months and years ahead won't be easy. Far from it. But there's no one we'd rather face the big challenges with than you, our committed and passionate readers, and our team of fearless reporters who show up every day.

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