Former Trump campaign aide Carter Page’s July 2016 trip to Moscow for meetings prompted the FBI to launch an investigation into potential ties between Russia and members of President Donald Trump’s campaign, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.
The Times reported, citing unnamed former and current law enforcement and intelligence officials, that federal investigators were just beginning to look into ties between Trump associates and Russia in July. The FBI gathered more evidence in the following months, including intercepts of Russian officials talking about Page and other Trump associates, according to the New York Times.
Page has come under increasing scrutiny for his ties to Russia as the FBI investigates any links between the Trump campaign and Russia. He said last week that U.S. sanctions “may have come up” during his July trip to Moscow. It was also revealed earlier this month that Page gave an undercover Russian agent information in 2013, though Page has said that the information was immaterial.
The FBI reportedly received a FISA court warrant to surveil Page as part of its probe into Russia’s election meddling, and the FBI reportedly used a dossier with allegations of links between Trump and Russia to justify its need for the warrant.