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Former Trump Aide Questions Russia Spy Claims | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Carter Page speaks at the graduation ceremony for the New Economic School in Moscow in July. (AP)


Washington – Russian agents tried to infiltrate the electoral campaign of Donald Trump through his advisors, revealed US media.

CNN reported that agents tried to use Trump’s former foreign policy advisor Carter Page in order to influence the US presidential elections.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) explained that this issue came to light when it was gathering information on whether Moscow was aware of spying on the US. This led to investigating whether there was coordination between people who worked for Trump’s campaign and officials in Russia.

American officials said it was not clear if Page was aware that Russians were trying to use him.

It is likely that any Russian would have hidden his identity and his true role when talking to Page in an attempt to recruit him for their goals.

Page had repeatedly denied that he had collaborated with Moscow.

FBI agents had however raised their eyebrows at Page’s delivery of a speech at a university in Moscow last year during which he had openly criticized the US policy towards Russia.

This raised fears that he may have cooperated with Russian agents.

Page is only one of Trump’s aides that American and European intelligence said had contacted Russian agents in such frequency as to arouse suspicions, reported US media.

The Washington Post had reported that the FBI had obtained a legal order to monitor Page, a businessman and former US marine.

The former Trump advisor had lived in Russia for three years.

For his part, Page said that this legal order is evidence that the administration of former President Barack Obama “wanted to suppress” those who opposed his foreign policy.

It will be interesting to see what will happen when everything comes out in the open with time, he said.

Russia and Trump administration have repeatedly denied allegations that Moscow had influenced the US presidential elections.