Reuters
Donald Trump
During the 2016 presidential election, the Russian government, directed by President Vladimir Putin, waged an "influence campaign" aimed at undermining Hillary Clinton's candidacy and aiding Donald Trump, according to a report by US intelligence agencies.The campaign included cyber attacks on US political organizations, including the Democratic National Committee, with the intent to damage the reputation of the Democratic Party, the Clinton campaign, and the democratic process.
Following reports that some of Trump's campaign associates had contacts with Russian officials during the campaign, the FBI announced that it is investigating whether Trump campaign members colluded with the Russian government to influence the election as part of its broader investigation into Russian interference in the election. The House and Senate intelligence committees are also investigating Russian influence on the election.
And on Monday, a Senate Judiciary subcommittee is holding a hearing on Russian interference in the election. Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates is expected to confirm that she warned the White House in January about former national security adviser Michael Flynn's contact with Russia's ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak.
Here is a timeline of all of the major events in the relationship between Trump, his associates, and Russia.