Jun 30, 2020 - Politics & Policy

"It's not a hoax": Dem Sen. Chris Murphy claims to have seen Russian bounty intel

Murphy

Murphy. Photo: Toni L. Sandys-Pool/Getty Images

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said Monday that he reviewed intel alleging Russian operatives placed bounties on U.S. troops, telling President Trump in a tweet: "It's not a hoax ... if you continue ignoring the facts, more soldiers and marines are going to die."

Why it matters: House Democrats are set to review the intelligence Tuesday morning, and will specifically be looking into Trump's comments Sunday night that he was never briefed on the bounties because officials did not find intelligence on the matter to be credible.

  • House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) told CNN Monday night that it would not be "sufficient" for officials to have denied the president a briefing on the bounties just because it was inconclusive.
  • Schiff has called on the administration to provide a full House briefing on the matters and signaled that congressional hearings are likely.

What they're saying: White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has denied that Trump or Vice President Mike Pence were briefed, as first reported by the New York Times.

  • McEnancy said on Monday there is "no consensus within the intelligence community on these allegations." She would not say if information on the bounties was included in the President's Daily Brief.
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