There were reportedly at least 18 previously undisclosed exchanges between the Trump campaign and Russian officials


President Trump's campaign advisers exchanged at least 18 previously undisclosed calls or emails with Russian officials during the last months of the presidential campaign, Reuters has learned from U.S. officials familiar with the situation. Six of those conversations were with Russia's ambassador to the U.S., Sergey Kislyak.
Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn was often on the other end of communications. "Conversations between Flynn and Kislyak accelerated after the Nov. 8 vote as the two discussed establishing a back channel for communication between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that could bypass the U.S. national security bureaucracy," Reuters writes, noting that was a system "both sides considered hostile to improved relations, four current U.S. officials said."
Flynn is at the heart of the government's ongoing investigation into the extent of Russia's influence over the 2016 election; in a bombshell report earlier this week, The New York Times found that President Trump apparently tried to talk his former FBI director, James Comey, out of probing Flynn's connections.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In January, the White House claimed it had no contact with any Russian officials during the campaign. People familiar with the content of the undisclosed conversations at least agree that there is no obvious evidence of collusion. But "it's rare to have that many phone calls to foreign officials, especially to a country we consider an adversary or a hostile power," said former Republican Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage.
The Justice Department on Wednesday appointed a special prosecutor to oversee the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Trump DOJ indicts New York AG Letitia James
Speed Read New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted as Trump’s Justice Department pursues charges against his political opponents
-
Judge blocks Trump’s Guard deployment in Chicago
Speed Read The president is temporarily blocked from federalizing the Illinois National Guard or deploying any Guard units in the state
-
Trump urges jail for Illinois, Chicago leaders
Speed Read The Texas National Guard begin operations in the Chicago area
-
Bondi stonewalls on Epstein, Comey in Senate face-off
Speed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi denied charges of using the Justice Department in service of Trump’s personal vendettas
-
Court allows Trump’s Texas troops to head to Chicago
Speed Read Trump is ‘using our service members as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation’s cities,’ said Gov. J.B. Pritzker
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in Oregon
Speed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats