JAMES CLAPPER: There could be 'other shoes to drop' in the Russia investigation involving Trump's finances
- The former director of national intelligence James Clapper said he believes there could be "other shoes to drop" in the ongoing Russia investigation, and those forthcoming developments could involve President Donald Trump's finances.
- Clapper made that assertion Friday night, hours after deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein announced new charges against Russian operatives accused of meddling in the 2016 US election.
- Special counsel Robert Mueller is deep into a multifaceted probe of Russian interference, and whether the Trump campaign cooperated with the Kremlin, among other elements.
- Mueller is also looking into the financial dealings of several current and former Trump associates. Many of them, including Trump, have denied any wrongdoing. The president has previously suggested Mueller would be crossing a "red line" by digging into his personal finances.
James Clapper, the former director of national intelligence said he believes there could be "other shoes to drop" in the Russia probe, which took a dramatic turn on Friday after new charges against multiple Russian nationals and entities were announced.
"I think there are other shoes to drop here - notably finances," Clapper said during a CNN interview Friday night. "I think that's going to be another profound thing that's going to come out about this."
"What were the financial relationships between the Trump Organization before the election and the Trump campaign," Clapper said. He clarified that he isn't personally aware of any forthcoming developments, but highlighted what he called the "methodical, systematic, disciplined approach" Mueller's investigative team is taking with regard to the investigation.
Mueller is deep into a multifaceted probe of Russian interference, and whether the Trump campaign cooperated with the Kremlin, among other elements.
One of those elements is Trump's relationship with Deutsche Bank, which has been a subject of scrutiny, as have the financial dealings of Trump's associates, including Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law.
As part of an inquiry of Deutsche Bank, US investigators have also reportedly sought information about whether the German bank sold some Trump-connected debt to the Russian state-owned bank, VEB. Kushner met with the head of that bank, Sergey Gorkov, in New York during the transition period in December 2016.
Trump and many of his associates caught up in Mueller's investigation have denied any wrongdoing. The president, who has boasted publicly about his wealth but refused to publish his tax returns during his 2016 campaign, has previously suggested Mueller would be crossing a "red line" by digging into his personal finances.