The alleged Russian carousel appears to be going round and round again, this time revealing an alleged V.P. – Russia connection.
An anonymous law enforcement official told one major television news station that the FBI has travel, business and phone records that could tie Trump’s 2016 election campaign to the world’s largest nation, including a Mike Pence – Russia Link.
Is there enough evidence to show collusion with the Kremlin or Moscow-on-the-Potomac?
Only time will tell, as FBI Director James Comey announced before Congress on Monday that his agency is probing the Trump campaign’s links to Russia.
Vice President Pence comes into the picture via Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman. Trump had initially planned on naming N.J. Gov. Chris Christie as V.P., but Manafort had other ideas. He allegedly pressured Trump to select Indiana Gov. Mike Pence instead, and it worked. Manafort assured Trump that Pence would unify the party and appeal to evangelical Christians who had not supported Trump in the primary.
Manafort had close ties with Pence, and the two were on the phone regularly. Manafort was also later fired from the Trump campaign, after he was caught in communication with Russian officials. The Associated Press had revealed that Paul Manafort secretly worked for a Russian billionaire with a plan to “greatly benefit the Putin Government.”
Mike Pence has told the media that these “bizarre rumors” have been created to delegitimize the Trump election victory, distract the nation, and the American people are smarter than that and can see right through it.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., called the disclosures “serious stuff.” He believes this prompts more evidence for an independent congressional committee to investigate the Trump administration. “Other shoes will drop,” McCain said.
Meanwhile, the lines of communication remain open between Manafort and President Trump. The two chat on the telephone.