Cotton: ‘No Credible Evidence’ on Contacts Between Trump Campaign, Russia

Sunday on NBC’s “Meet The Press,” while discussing the Senate Intelligence Committee investigation into Russia’s hacking during last year’s presidential election and disputed contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) said there was “no credible evidence of these contacts beyond anonymous sources in the media.”

Partial transcript as follows:

TODD: I want to ask you about the Darrell Issa being open to a special prosecutor. At what point is it in the best interest of the country to sort of take it away from elected partisans at this point whether it’s a commission, a select commission, outside commission or a special prosecutor. where are you in this?’

COTTON: I think that’ s way, way getting ahead of ourselves here, Chuck. There are no allegations of any crime occurring and there’s not an even indication that there’s criminal investigations under way from the FBI as opposed to counterintelligence investigations which the FBI conducts all the time as our main counterintelligence bureau. If we get down the road that’s a decision that attorney general sessions can make at the time.

TOOD: The senators are getting calls on their own. You called during your campaign against Mike Prior you called for a special prosecutor for the IRS. How does this Russia allegation, when does that rise to that level n your mind?

COTTON: I think that’s far down the road from what our inquiry might reveal in the Intelligence Committee or what the FBI’s inquiry might reveal. And that’s something that can be decided down the road and right now there’s no credible evidence of these contacts beyond anonymous sources in the media and I got to tell you anonymous sources can’t always be trusted.

TODD: Anonymous sources is how we find out about a lot of scandal in this country.

COTTON: Anonymous sources said Steve Bannon drove from the White House to the Department of Homeland Security to confronted John Kelly which we now know is not the truth. That’s not like the tone of a conversation that’s someone physical whereabouts. You cannot credit stories that are based on anonymous sources. You should look into them if you’re in a position of responsibility, but you can’t simply credit them.

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN

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