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CIA Director Mike Pompeo Defends His Meeting With Russian Spy Chiefs

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer raised concerns about the timing of the meeting and the Trump administration declining to impose sanctions.

By: Lindsey Pulse

Posted at 8:09 AM, Feb 02, 2018

and last updated 2018-02-02 08:09:55-05

CIA Director Mike Pompeo and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer aren't exactly seeing eye to eye on a recent meeting Pompeo had with Russian spy chiefs.

Schumer suggested that a meeting between Pompeo and the Russian intelligence officials may be tied to the Trump administration declining to impose new sanctions on the country.

One of those officials is the head of Russia's foreign intelligence service and is under U.S. sanctions from 2014.

Pompeo wrote a letter to Schumer saying he met with the Russians "to keep Americans safe." He also said he and his U.S. colleagues didn't pull any punches in the meeting.

But Pompeo reportedly skirted around mentioning whether sanctions came up at the meeting, and Schumer said he finds that "troubling." He said "if this administration is ignoring sanctions, that's very serious."

Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.