Trump transition team members directed to preserve records related to Russia
Members of President Trump's transition team have received a memo directing them to preserve any records related to several federal investigations into Russia's efforts to influence the 2016 election, CBS News confirms. Politico first reported the memo.
"In order to assist these investigations, the Presidential Transition Team and its current and former personnel have a responsibility to ensure that, to the extent potentially relevant documents exist, they are properly preserved," said a memo from a transition lawyer, obtained by Politico.
The memo instructed aides and volunteers Thursday to save the documents related to Russia, Ukraine and several campaign advisers: Paul Manafort, Carter Page, Roger Stone, Rick Gates and Michael Flynn, according to the report.
The memo also warned, Politico said, that "failure to follow these protocols could result in criminal or civil penalties, and could form the basis of legal claims, legal presumptions, or jury instructions relating to spoliation of evidence."
This comes as the federal investigation and congressional inquiries into Russian interference in the election moves along. On Thursday, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats met with lawmakers on the Senate Intelligence Committee behind closed doors to "to clear up a number of questions that remained from his appearance in open session last Wednesday"at a hearing that touched on Russia.
Meanwhile, former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson is set to testify in public before the House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday about Russia's efforts to meddle in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
CBS News' Steve Chaggaris contributed to this report.
