Officials: CIA had evidence Russia tried to help Trump earlier than expected

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According to The New York Times, the CIA was concerned as early as last summer with evidence suggesting that Russia was trying to influence the American election in order to election Donald Trump to the position of President o the United States.

Interviews with former officials revealed that in late August, then CIA director John O. Brennan became concerned by the evidence of Russian involvement in the election, but there was a disagreement between the CIA and their counterparts in the FBI.

The officials claimed that the FBI felt, through the fall, that the Russian involvement was simply targeted for disruption and was not intended specifically to get Trump elected to office.

However, Brennan was so concerned with the Russian involvement that he began to schedule a series of urgent and classified briefings with eight top members of Congress, even going so far as to call them on secure phone lines during their break.

During one such briefing, on Aug. 25, with Harry Reid, Brennan said that he believed the Russian efforts were targeted to get Trump elected. Brennan also suggested that top people in Trump’s campaign might be working with the Russians, a claim that is currently being investigated by the FBI as well as two congressional committees.