Warner: Russia Had ‘Fairly Organized Effort’ To Contact Trump Campaign

Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., and Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., right, chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, listen as Attorney General Jeff Sessions testifies before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence about his role in the firing of FBI Director James Comey and the investigation into contacts between Trump campaign associates and Russia, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 13, 2017. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
FILE - In this June 13, 2017, file photo, Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., listens during a committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. Warner said an overhaul of the security clea... FILE - In this June 13, 2017, file photo, Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., listens during a committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. Warner said an overhaul of the security clearance process is long overdue, particularly if the U.S. government is going to continue to attract top-notch workers and recent graduates, and not hamper transitions of mid-career intelligence professionals from agency to agency. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) MORE LESS
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Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, on Sunday said Russia had “what appeared to be a fairly organized effort” to reach out to members of President Donald Trump’s campaign.

“What we did see this week, though, was one more example of at least where the Russians had what appeared to be a fairly organized effort in terms of trying to reach out to folks affiliated with the Trump campaign to share “dirt” or emails about Hillary Clinton,” Warner said on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”

“Have you interviewed George Papadopoulos?” Chuck Todd asked, referring to Trump’s former campaign adviser who pleaded guilty in October to lying to the FBI.

“Listen, I’m not going to talk about which witnesses that we’ve seen or not seen,” Warner said. “But the chairman and I did indicate that Mr. Papadopoulos had been on our screen for a long time.”

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