A folder containing top-secret intelligence concluding that Russia attempted to influence the 2016 US election in favor of Donald Trump disappeared in the final days of his presidency.
This was reported by a source familiar with the matter.
The Russian intelligence, along with other documents, was placed in a folder that the CIA sent to the White House at Trump’s direction shortly before the end of his presidency so that he could declassify material related to the FBI’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 elections. said the source.
The Russian materials included classified primary intelligence collected by the United States and its NATO allies. His disappearance has raised concerns that the methods used to gather information could be exposed, the source said.
The Trump campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
In January 2017, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released findings that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his government carried out a campaign of disinformation and cyberattacks to “improve Trump’s chances of being elected” by smearing his Democratic rival. Hillary Clinton.
Russia denies electoral interference.
The disappearance caused such concern that last year the government offered to inform the Senate Intelligence Committee, which agreed, the source said.
CNN was the first to report on the missing folder.
The source said the folder contained other information related to the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation into the Trump campaign’s alleged ties to Russia.
Most of the materials are not considered secret, the source said.
Its contents were described in a carefully redacted version of the folder, which was declassified and posted on the FBI website in 2022.
Trump has repeatedly called the FBI investigation a sham.
