Yet another Trump campaign associate is under scrutiny for his connections to Russia: former communications adviser Michael Caputo.
The New York Times reported Saturday that Caputo was asked by the House Intelligence Committee to come in for a voluntary interview and provide any documents he may possess relevant to their probe into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives.
Caputo, who spent six months with the Trump campaign, worked in Russia during the 1990s and did work for Gazprom Media, a subsidiary of the Russian oil giant, in the early 2000s, according to the Times.
The May 9 letter from the committee asked Caputo to provide “any documents, records, electronically stored information including email, communication, recordings, data and tangible things” that could “reasonably lead to the discovery of any facts within the investigation’s publicly announced parameters,” according to a copy reviewed by the newspaper.
The onetime Trump adviser has denied any wrongdoing and insisted on Twitter that the Trump-Russia story is “pure unadulterated bullshit.”
After House Intelligence Committee member Rep. Jackier Speier (D-CA) brought up his work for Gazprom and assistance with a 2007 parliamentary election in Kiev during a March hearing, Caputo told his local Buffalo, New York news station that the probe was pure “politics.”
“If I wasn’t being investigated by the FBI before, I probably am now,” he told WBEN. “I’m OK with that. I did nothing wrong and I’m sure I’ll be vindicated”.
Caputo told the Intelligence Committee that he planned to cooperate with their request, saying he did not “have any contact” with Russian operatives or discussions about Russia with other campaign staffers while employed by Trump’s campaign, according to a written response reviewed by the Times.
“The only time the president and I talked about Russia was in 2013, when he simply asked me in passing what it was like to live there in the context of a dinner conversation,” he wrote, per the Times report.
For a story that many on the Right says is just fake news, it sure does have a lot of scope.
“Caputo… did not “have any contact” with Russian operatives or discussions about Russia with other campaign staffers while employed by Trump’s campaign, according to a written response reviewed by the Times.”
He’s sure, because he knew every one of the active Russian operatives at the time. If Russia ever learns to have operatives masquerading as, say Trade Reps or UN people, it will become more difficult to monitor suspicious contacts.
Hopefully that day is far in the future.
Yet another Russian connection. What is the number up to now? A baker’s dozen? No big deal. Routine for campaigns, right?
When it comes to Trump, his Russian money men, Caputo or the rat (censored) brigade, nothing is pure or unadulterated.
Because I have zero faith in the Republicans in Congress to do anything other than protect themselves, I am going to view committee actions regarding new or bit players cautiously and frankly somewhat suspiciously. There have probably been plenty of people in Trump’s orbit (before, during and after the campaign) that have some “connections” to Russia. I don’t believe all (or even most) of them had any direct roles in or knowledge about Russia’s interference in our election and/or collusion with Trump’s campaign. I would expect Republican-led committee “investigations” to invite plenty of these people in to help them perpetuate narratives around the Democrats being on a giant witch hunt for all things having to do with Russia. That narrative will likely be necessary for the congressional Republicans when their damage control (i.e. cover-up) activities eventually come to light.