According to a report, the US Intelligence Community requested foreign spy agencies to surveil 26 associates of Donald Trump in the lead-up to the 2016 election. This action sparked allegations that Trump’s campaign had colluded with Russia.
Former CIA Director John Brennan identified and briefed the targets to the intelligence-sharing allies within the “Five Eyes” agencies – the intelligence-gathering entities spanning the US, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
According to one source, the US intelligence community had “identified” the 26 Trump associates as individuals to “bump,” meaning to establish contact with or manipulate.
Britain’s Government Communications Headquarters intelligence apparatus, known as GCHQ, began establishing contacts with Trump’s associates as early as March 2016.
Intelligence related to the purported surveillance effort is stored in a “10-inch binder.” Trump reportedly ordered its declassification at the end of his presidency. The binder could contain evidence suggesting that “multiple US intelligence officials broke laws against spying and election interference.”
The location of the purported binder remains unknown.
