Clapper: Roger Stone Indictment Shows ‘Connection, Coordination, Synchronization’ Between Trump Campaign and Russia

James Clapper, who served as the Director of National Intelligence as Russia interfered in the 2016 election, said the indictment of Roger Stone reveals “coordination” between the Trump campaign and those efforts.

Clapper told CNN’s Jim Sciutto and Poppy Harlow that the allegation Stone was in contact with former Trump campaign head Steve Bannon about Wikileaks’ release of stolen emails shows “a connection” between Russia and the campaign.

“Clearly it does show a connection,” Clapper said, noting this was his personal observation and not a legal one. “Coordination, synchronization, whatever you want to call it.”

Clapper pointed out the “striking parallels and similarities between what the Russians were saying and doing, and what the Trump campaign was saying and doing, particularly and specifically about Hillary Clinton.”

The retired lieutenant general also swiped at the “increasingly hollow” denials from the White House that the Mueller indictments have nothing to do with the administration — a claim pushed by Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Friday.

“I think to assert that this has nothing to do with the president, either as a president or as a candidate or the White House, is just silly,” Clapper said.

Watch above, via CNN.

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