A former Trump campaign adviser who is one of the central figures in the controversy over alleged ties between Russia and the campaign claims the allegations have led to significant violations of his civil rights.
“I’ve been the victim of the one of the most horrendous civil rights violations in recent US election history,” Carter Page told CNN’s Chris Cuomo Thursday on “New Day.”
CNN previously reported that the FBI gathered intelligence last summer suggesting that Russian operatives tried to use Trump advisers, including Page, a national security adviser, to infiltrate the Trump campaign, according to US officials.
Page dismissed a leaked dossier of unverified information, including allegations of Russian ties to the Trump campaign, compiled by a former British intelligence official for Trump’s political opponents, as untrue.
“Without question, this cloud, which has been out there for many months going back to even before the election, has been a major drag on the administration and again based entirely on lies,” he said.
“There’s been such a complete firestorm based on this completely false narrative,” Page added.
Cuomo asked Page if he ever worked with or communicated with Michael Flynn, the Trump administration’s former national security adviser who the House oversight committee said may have broken the law after he did not properly disclose payments from Russia.
“Never,” Page replied. “I never had the opportunity to meet him.”
Flynn’s lawyer says Flynn has not hidden anything about the trip.
Page also said he never provided foreign policy advice about Russia directly to then-Republican candidate Donald Trump.
CNN previously reported that Page gave a speech critical of US policy toward Russia in July 2016 at a prominent Moscow university, which drew the attention of the FBI and raised concerns he had been compromised by Russian intelligence, according to US officials. They also feared that Russian operatives maintained contact with him both in the United States and Russia, US officials have said.
Page dismissed the idea that the speech was critical of American foreign policy.
“Nothing I said was destructive to American policy,” he said. “I actually was focusing on mutual respect and how a new approach in foreign policy could have a positive impact on the future of the US’s positions in the world.”
“This was a very pro-American speech,” Page added.