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FBI DIRECTOR JAMES Comey confirmed for the first time today that the agency is investigating Russian interference in last year’s presidential election and notably Moscow’s possible collusion with President Donald Trump’s campaign.
The FBI “is investigating the Russian government’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election,” Comey told a hearing by the House Intelligence Committee.
“And that includes investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia’s efforts,” he said.
Comey’s disclosure confirmed longstanding reports that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was probing the explosive charges that Trump’s stunning election victory over Hillary Clinton last November came on the back of Russian meddling.
US intelligence chiefs said in January they were convinced that Russian President Vladimir Putin was behind that effort.
But they had not commented on whether they were examining links between members of Trump’s campaign and Russian officials.
Republican committee chair Devin Nunes opened today’s hearing – the first public hearing into the issue – by saying the panel had “seen no evidence to date that officials from any campaign conspired with Russian agents.”
But Adam Schiff, the Democratic vice chair of the committee, detailed a list of alleged links and communications between the Trump team and Russia.
“Is it possible that all of these events and reports are completely unrelated, and nothing more than an entirely unhappy coincidence? Yes, it is possible,” he said.
“But it is also possible, maybe more than possible, that they are not coincidental, not disconnected and not unrelated, and that the Russians used the same techniques to corrupt US persons that they have employed in Europe and elsewhere.”
Wiretapping
Comey also shot down Trump’s tweeted claims that his predecessor Barack Obama had wiretapped the phones at Trump Tower ahead of the election.
“With respect to the president’s tweets about alleged wiretapping directed at him by the prior administration, I have no information that supports those tweets,” Comey told the US congressional intelligence panel.
National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers also strongly rebutted the suggestion, repeated by Trump’s administration, that the NSA had asked Britain’s GCHQ intelligence agency to spy on the US president.
“That would be expressly against the construct of the Five Eyes agreement that’s been in place for decades,” Rogers told the hearing, referring to the intelligence network grouping the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
The combined remarks were perhaps the strongest on-record repudiation yet by senior government officials of the president’s extraordinary accusation against Obama.
Comey described the “rigorous” US statutory framework, which involves all three branches of government, under which courts grant permission for electronic surveillance.
Asked by the committee’s top Democrat, Adam Schiff, whether Obama could have unilaterally ordered a wiretap of anyone, Comey responded: “No president could.”
Trump created a firestorm early this month in a series of accusatory tweets.
“Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my ‘wires tapped’ in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!” Trump tweeted.
Last Friday, he repeated his claim, rejecting rising calls from Republicans and Democrats to withdraw the charge and apologise.
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It’s illegal to not allow a 15 minute paid break after 4 1/2 hours work. Disappointing to see tesco dragging their feet about breaking the law
It’s simple folks, if you disagree with this – and you damn well should, don’t shop there. When these stores begin to see even a tiny drop in their profits they’ll suddenly find their conscience.
Or they will close it and all the jobs are gone.
@Ger As long as it’s profitable they won’t, but would you seriously want this threat held over our heads forever? We have to allow jobs like this, with low pay and illegal conditions, we have to take the crumbs from the table and suffer in silence, be grateful for it or else we’ll have no jobs at all. Seriously???
Meanwhile these stores won’t reveal their profits in Ireland, they won’t let us know just how much they’re making here but they have to do so in the UK by law. Why do you think that is?
If we enforced our legislation properly (which we more or less are above) there won’t be a need to boycott anything
No 2 FF/FG while it’s illegal not to allow a break, it’s my understanding that it doesn’t have to be a PAID break in all cases. It depends on the contract.
Ger
They won’t close.
They will pay up and they all should pay up. In the meantime we should boycott Tesco or at least spend less there.
Every little helps!
@Ger. People will not stop shopping – they’ll just go elsewhere, and the staff will follow them to where there is better working conditions.
Tesco have been making huge profits here for many many years – way above the rate in UK arm of company. They can afford to pay the staff.
Tesco should be fined as well as forced to give back pay.
Thats correct Jimmyjoe. But in this case they were treating one group of employees different. They were discriminated against in that all the other people who do the exact same job in the company get paid breaks, yet they were singled out.
Had it been in your job and two people sit side-by-side doing exactly the same work, and one gets paid for the 15min break and the other doesnt, that would be discriminatory too.
The Conrad hotel does not pay staff for breaks ,also pays normal rates for working Christmas Day ,it’s been getting away with this for years .
Report them
Conrad hotel is no different so to the rest of the Hospitality Sector. Most of them anyway.
No hotel or restaurant pays breaks, I haven’t had a paid break in 15 years, get over it!!
I even worked in one place, who took the hour pay out of your wages, and still no break was given!! Ha!!
On another note, are all employees entitled to Sunday premium pay in all employment sectors, does anyone know?
There are some exemptions. Chefs for instance. Chefs also never get a decent break and eat standing up in the kitchen when things quieten down for 2 mins. Its an industry wide thing in chefing.
No
I think companies can decide to pay you extra on Sundays, but they’re not obliged to.
They should pay up in total, if they don’t it’ll set a precedent and the likes of tescos will say no pay for breaks and when brought to court pay a percentage of the pay due and be financially better of than if they pay the full amount.
They should Tesco and sue the miserable b’stards!
Any improvements over at Dunne’s?? I’ve boycotted them for about 2 years now. Miss my vouchers. Wouldn’t mind a rummage round.
Full time contracts are still “on the table” no indication whether they’ll ever be picked up and actually given to staff
My boycott amounted to nothing so Ryan….
Tescos ‘Every little helps ‘ except if you work for them !!
Should everybody get paid breaks.my two breaks are unpaid on a 9 hour shift ? If so I’ll be due 10 years compensation
Yeah you’re supposed to get fifteen minutes paid break if you’ve worked 4.5 hours.
Just sent an email to siptu to try clarify it
Yes, you are entitled to a break of 15 minutes after a 4 ½ hour work period but there is no entitlement to be paid during these breaks and they are not considered part of your working time.
As it says in the article the paid breaks are part of Tesco’s own company guidelines, hence the legal action.
I doubt that the Bailieboro store is even making a profit…unlike the Tesco store in Cavan town where the workers appear to take their break outside on the pavement.
have your say