WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election (all times local):
12:15 p.m.
House Speaker Paul Ryan says there’s no evidence of collusion between President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia.
Ryan’s comments Thursday echo the conclusion of a House Intelligence Committee report released earlier this year. Ryan made the comments a day after contradicting Trump over whether there was an FBI spy in his presidential campaign.
Trump has claimed that a spy was planted in his campaign to help his Democratic opponent. This was disputed by Ryan and two other Republicans who have been briefed on the FBI’s use of an informant at the time.
Still, Ryan has pushed for more documents on the matter, and the Justice Department said late Wednesday it would give lawmakers a third briefing on the use of the informant.
Ryan said it has been “frustrating” that the Justice Department hasn’t provided the documents sooner.
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7:50 a.m.
The Justice Department says it will offer a third classified briefing for lawmakers next week on the FBI’s handling of its Russia probe.
The briefings come as President Donald Trump has pushed the idea that the FBI used a secret informant to spy on his 2016 presidential campaign.
Trump-aligned Republicans are demanding documents. But three top Republicans who attended classified briefings on the subject last month, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, have said there was no evidence of a political spy.
The Department of Justice held the two briefings late last month amid reports that a longtime U.S. government informant approached members of Trump’s campaign to gather intelligence on Russian efforts to sway the election.
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