Material useful to Russia probe destroyed in US compounds: report
When the U.S. seized Russian compounds located in Maryland and New York last year, officials discovered destroyed information inside that would have been useful in the ongoing probe regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election.
The discovery raises the likelihood that Russians were conducting illegal intelligence operations on U.S. soil.
Among the destroyed materials discovered at the compounds were antennas, electronics, computers, file cabinets and other gear, according to CBS News in a Friday report.
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Former President Obama seized the two diplomatic compounds and expelled at least 35 Russian diplomats last December when the administration learned that Russians might be meddling in the election, including potentially hacking voting machines.
President Trump recently accused Obama of doing “nothing” about the Russian allegations before the election.
Trump is reportedly leaning toward returning the compounds to Kremlin control, a possibility a bipartisan group of senators led by Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) strongly opposes.
“These properties were seized because 17 U.S. intelligence agencies confirmed that Russia used covert cyberattacks, espionage, and harmful propaganda to try and undermine our democracy, in addition to the fact that U.S. diplomats in Russia faced repeated harassment from Russian security services,” the senators wrote.
The FBI is currently probing whether Trump campaign associates colluded with Moscow, as part of its broader investigation into Russia’s actions during the election.
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