New Emails Show FBI and DOJ Discussing Dossier Briefing For CNN Release

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A day later, Jan. 8, FBI Deputy Director McCabe emailed Comey and Rybicki with the subject title: “Flood is coming.”

“CNN is close to going forward with the sensitive story,” McCabe wrote. “The trigger for them is they know the material was discussed in the [presidential] brief and presented in an attachment.”

Also included on that email were FBI associate deputy director David Bowdich and FBI assistant director for public affairs Michael Kortan. (Bowdich was recently appointed FBI Deputy Director. Kortan retired in February and had also served as an aide to Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who’s investigating alleged Trump-Russia collusion.)

Within an hour of the “Flood is coming” email, McCabe emailed then-Deputy General Sally Yates and her top aide, Principal Deputy Attorney General Matthew Axelrod, with the subject title “News.” (Yates has since been fired and Axelrod resigned.)

“Just an FYI, and as expected, it seems CNN is close to running a story about the sensitive reporting.” On Jan. 10, CNN published a story headlined, “Intel chiefs presented Trump with claims of Russian efforts to compromise him.” The same day, BuzzFeed News published the contents of the “Steele dossier.”

Sen. Johnson’s letter to FBI Director Wray about all of this also asks for details about President-elect Trump’s briefing and communications between Comey and Clapper.

Clapper reportedly told Congress he never discussed the Steele dossier or any other intelligence related to Russia election interference with journalists. However, Clapper subsequently reportedly acknowledged discussing the dossier with CNN journalist Jake Tapper, and admitted that he might have spoken with other journalists about it.”

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