US official: No signs Russia targeting elections like 2016

The U.S. homeland security secretary said on Saturday there are no signs that Russia is targeting this year's midterm elections with the same "scale or scope" it targeted the 2016 presidential election. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen spoke at a convention of state secretaries of state, an event that's usually a low-key affair highlighting voter registration, balloting devices and election security issues that don't get much public attention.

Trump criticized for not leading effort to secure elections

As alarms blare about Russian interference in U.S. elections, the Trump administration is facing criticism that it has no clear national strategy to protect the country during the upcoming midterms and beyond. Both Republicans and Democrats have criticized the administration's response as fragmented, without enough coordination across federal agencies.

Russia probe: House intel Republicans end investigation, find ‘no evidence’ of collusion

Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee called an end on Monday to their year-long investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election, concluding that there was "no evidence of collusion, coordination, or conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Russians." The probe was ended over the objections of Democrats, who charged that key documents and testimony still have not been obtained.

President Donald Trump meets with members of Congress to discuss…

Still silent on the role gun access played in last week's Florida school massacre, President Donald Trump lashed out at the FBI and suggested that the Russia election-meddling investigation impeded an opportunity to stop the teenage shooter. In a series of 15 Twitter posts over 19 hours late Saturday and early Sunday, Trump said it was "very sad" that the FBI missed clues from Nikolas Cruz, accused of the school attack, because the agency was preoccupied with the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election campaign.

Kasich among few Republicans to blast memo’s release

Gov. John Kasich joined Democrats to assail House Republicans for releasing their memo charging the FBI and Justice Department abused court requests for secret surveillance on campaign aides to President Donald Trump who were believed in contact with Russian officials. Although most congressional Republicans supported the release of the memo, Kasich in a sharply worded statement said the manner in which the memo was released "was wrong and does a disservice to our country."

Steve Bannon testifies for Russia probe: Five questions House Intel may ask

Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon is expected to testify behind closed doors to the House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday as part of its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Bannon, who left his job at the White House in August amid frequent clashes with other staff members, had a dramatic and public split with Trump earlier this month.

Don McGahn and other Trump officials urged Jeff Sessions to keep control of Russia probe

WASHINGTON White House counsel Don McGahn and other Trump administration officials sought to persuade Jeff Sessions to remain in control of the investigation into Russia's election interference, even as the attorney general faced mounting pressure last year to recuse himself, an official familiar with the matter said Friday. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly about the private communications, described a chaotic whirl of events leading up to Sessions' ultimate March recusal.

President Trump tweet sparksa

President Trump denied any attempt to obstruct an FBI investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn on Sunday, while lawmakers said the president's own comments raised new questions about him and the probe into Russians who interfered in last year's presidential election. During a weekend-long series of tweets following Flynn's guilty plea for lying to the FBI, Trump attacked the FBI in general and former director James Comey over different aspects of the Russia investigation, including Flynn's role.

Trump Jr.’s WikiLeaks exchange adds intrigue to Russia probe

President Donald Trump's oldest son released a series of private Twitter exchanges between himself and WikiLeaks during and after the 2016 election, including pleas from the website to publicize its leaks. Donald Trump Jr.'s release of the messages on Twitter came hours after The Atlantic first reported them Monday.

Mike Pence Is Carving Out His Own Political Identity. Just Don’t Say It’s Not on Behalf of Trump

Shuttling across the country aboard Air Force Two, Vice President Mike Pence has been a loyal messenger for President Donald Trump. At the same time, he has been carving out his own political identity as the steady understudy to a mercurial president.

Congressional panels pledge thorough probe into Comey firing

Members of key congressional committees pledged today to proceed with aggressive investigations into Russia's meddling into the U.S. election and any ties with the Trump campaign, saying the American people need a full airing as to why former FBI director James Comey was ousted. Comey was fired by President Donald Trump earlier this month.

Report: Trump brags to Russians about firing ‘nut job’ Comey

President Trump meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, next to Russian Ambassador to the United States, Sergei Kislyak, at the White House in Washington on May 10. President Trump, accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, gives a thumbs-up as they walk across the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on Friday to board Marine One for a short trip to Andrews Air Force Base, Md. WASHINGTON - President Trump bragged to two top Russian officials last week that firing "nut job" FBI Director James Comey eased "great pressure" on him, the New York Times reported today.

Ohio delegation praises Mueller appointment

Ohio lawmakers from both parties Wednesday praised the former FBI director who will now oversee the Justice Department's investigation of the Trump administration's possible ties to the Russians, saying his intellect and experience make him highly qualified. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced that former FBI Director Robert Mueller will serve as special counsel to oversee the investigation.

Commentary: Capitalizing on Syria attack

President Trump did the right thing, the necessary thing, in striking Syria's Shayrat Air Base in response to the Assad regime's gruesome gas attack on civilians. In so doing, the president sharply reversed his own past stance and positions his team took just days ago on Syria.

Donald Trump talks ethics, Russia during feisty news conference: Ohio Politics Roundup

During his first post-election press conference, Donald Trump unveils his ethics plan and admits Russian involvement in hacking of Democratic emails. The Cleveland Clinic will work to help Trump improve veterans' healthcare.

Trump acknowledges Russia role in U.S. election hacking

President-elect Donald Trump accepts the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Russia engaged in cyber attacks during the U.S. presidential election and may take action in response, his incoming chief of staff said on Sunday. Reince Priebus said Trump believed Russia was behind the intrusions into the Democratic Party organizations, although Priebus did not clarify whether the president-elect agreed that the hacks were directed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.