Trump campaign had ‘repeated contacts’ with Kremlin: Report

Members of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and other members of the Trump camp had “repeated contacts” with senior Russian intelligence officials, according to a new report.

Four current and former American officials told The New York Times that while uncovering proof that Russia was hacking into the DNC, other communications were intercepted. So far, there is no evidence the Trump campaign was colluding with Russia, the officials told the Times.

Vice President Mike Pence has repeatedly denied Trump’s team had contact with the Kremlin.

“I joined this campaign in the summer, and I can tell you that all the contact by the Trump campaign and associates was with the American people,” Pence told Fox News’ Chris Wallace. “We were fully engaged with taking his message to make America great again all across this country. That’s why he won in a landslide election.”

“Why would there be any contact between the campaign?” Pence continued. “This is all a distraction, and it’s all part of a narrative to delegitimatize the election and to question the legitimacy of [Trump’s] presidency.”

Earlier reportssaid Trump knew for weeks that now-former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn withheld information on Russia.

Trump was informed in late January that Flynn had not told Vice President Mike Pence the whole truth about conversations he had before Trump took office with Russia’s ambassador to the United States, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said.

Pence learned of the “incomplete information” that he received from Flynn when news reports surfaced late last week, spokesman Mark Lotter said on Tuesday.

The new information, according to the Times, is different from the wiretapped conversations that led to Flynn’s resignation on Monday night.

Reuters contributed to this report.