New Name Surfaces in FBI's Russia Probe

The Guardian is floating the name of UK politician Nigel Farage as a figure in the FBI's Russia investigation. The newspaper reports that Farage—who was a big backer of Brexit, as well as a supporter of then-candidate Donald Trump—is a "person of interest" in the agency's investigation. But the report quickly points out that Farage himself isn't accused of wrongdoing. So why the scrutiny? Because of his contacts with some principal players, including Julian Assange (whose WikiLeaks group published a trove of emails from the Clinton campaign) and Trump associates such as Roger Stone and Steve Bannon. He has also expressed deep admiration for Vladimir Putin, notes Politico.

"One of the things the intelligence investigators have been looking at is points of contact and persons involved," one source tells the Guardian. "If you triangulate Russia, WikiLeaks, Assange, and Trump associates, the person who comes up with the most hits is Nigel Farage." And what does Farage, who stepped down as leader of the UK Independence Party in the wake of the Brexit vote, say to all this? "In response to the Guardian article, it has taken me a long time to finish reading because I am laughing so much," he says in a statement, per the BBC. "This hysterical attempt to associate me with the Putin regime is a result of the liberal elite being unable to accept Brexit and the election of President Trump." (More Nigel Farage stories.)