During his interview with NBC News' Lester Holt, Donald Trump again pleaded innocent to colluding with Russia and said that "I want to find out if there was a problem with the election having to do with Russia.... If Russia or anybody else is trying to interfere with our elections I think it’s a horrible thing and I want to get to the bottom of it." He may get this opportunity soon because according to the WSJ the Treasury Department's unit that specializes in combating money-laundering and financial crimes will share its financial records with the Senate in the expanding probe into possible ties between Russia and President Donald Trump and his team.
The Senate Intelligence Committee requested the records from Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, late last month, the WSJ reports although it did not elaborate on the nature of the records. One person cited by the WSJ said that without them the committee wouldn’t be able to reach a conclusion on whether there was collusion between Trump associates and Russia during last year’s campaign.
Sen. Ron Wyden said in an interview Friday that he is "particularly interested in information about shell companies, money laundering and the use of property transfers that may be germane to the committee’s Trump investigation."
The Russia issue, which largely disappeared from the media landscape one month ago after Trump launched cruise missile attacks on Syria, has resurfaced with a vengeance as a major political issue this past week after Trump fired Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey, a sudden move critics have said was an effort to interfere in the Russia probe.
In other news, Senate Intelligence Committee ranking member Mark Warner (D-VA) told MSNBC on Friday afternoon that James Comey would not appear in a closed-door session before the Senate Intel Committee next Tuesday. Comey had been invited by Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and top Democrat Mark Warner of Virginia. Their panel is investigating Russia’s election meddling and allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow.
The session would have provided Comey a first chance to discuss with lawmakers the circumstances of his firing.
Separately, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has agreed to speak with the committee next week, the date remains to be determined.