Aug 23, 2017

Report: Trump aide referred to possible Putin meeting in campaign email

Dave Lawler

Dearborn (L) with Trump policy adviser Stephen Miller . Photo: AP / Susan Walsh

A senior Trump aide sent an email during the campaign referring to an effort to arrange a meeting between Trump campaign officials and Vladimir Putin, CNN reports.

Rick Dearborn, Trump's deputy chief of staff who at the time ran the campaign's policy shop, seemed to suggest in the email that someone identified as "WV" wanted to connect the campaign and the Kremlin, according to the report.

Why it matters: The email was found by Congressional investigators, per CNN. As yet another Russia connection, it's likely to lead to a host of new questions.

Worth noting: A source told CNN that Dearborn "appeared skeptical of the requested meeting," and so little is known about the story behind the email that it's difficult to draw any conclusions.

The Sessions connection: Dearborn was also then-Senator Jeff Sessions' chief of staff when Sessions was leading the Trump campaign's foreign policy team. Sessions' meetings with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak have already drawn scrutiny.

White House response: Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told CNN, "we aren't going to comment on potentially leaked documents." The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Axios.

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Report: Trump aide referred to possible Putin meeting in campaign email

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