An intriguing exchange on Meet the Press between Chuck Todd and Senator Lindsey Graham left the impression that federal investigators are still looking at whether someone in the presidential campaign knew BEFORE the election about Russian hacking and discussed the matter with the Russian government.
Graham appeared to answer yes — that an investigation is underway. “I believe that it is happening.”
According to the transcript of the program, Todd asked this:
But what about– should there be an investigation about whether any of the campaigns had any interactions with Moscow….
Senator John McCain was also on the program and spoke next, but didn’t answer that question, saying:
I would like to see a select committee. Apparently that is not in agreement by our leadership. So we will move forward with the Armed Services Committee and I’m sure Foreign Relations and Intelligence Committee will as well. But it is possible if enough information comes out, that that decision could be reversed. I still think it’s the best way to attack the issue.
Todd returned to the question:
Are there still active investigations going on to try to figure out if there was coordination between campaigns and Moscow?
Graham answered this time, but didn’t exactly answer:
You asked me what should we do. We should get to bottom of all things Russia when it came to the 2016–
CHUCK TODD:
Period.
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM:
–election. Period.
But Todd didn’t leave the question at hand. Here’s the rest of the exchange:
CHUCK TODD:
Wherever it leads.
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM:
Yeah, wherever it leads in whatever form. Because–
CHUCK TODD:
Is that currently happening now in other investigative agencies? F.B.I., a joint task force, anything like that?
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM:
You–
CHUCK TODD:
Is that currently happening?
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM:
I believe–
CHUCK TODD:
And just we don’t know about it?
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM:
I believe that it’s happening. But you need to talk to them because I don’t want to speak for them. Here’s what I think we should do as a nation. We should all, Republicans, Democrats, condemn Russia for what they did. To my Republican friends who are gleeful, you’re making a huge mistake.
So far, Donald Trump has only condemned NBC News.
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