Reuters
Kremlin officials allegedly said they had “derogatory” information about Donald Trump and his top aides in at least one conversation intercepted by U.S. intelligence before the 2016 election, CNN reports. Two former intelligence officials and one congressional source confirmed the story to CNN, saying that the information was financial in nature. One person said the communications led U.S. intelligence officials to believe Russia thought it “had the ability to influence the administration through the derogatory information.” Sources said, as a caution, that the claims could have been exaggerated “or even made up” by Moscow. In any case, the conversations led U.S. officials to believe Russia was considering various ways of influencing the U.S. election, including through manipulation of Trump’s team. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is now investigating Russian meddling in the U.S. election, including any possible collusion with the Trump campaign.