CIA Director Says NY Times Got Played By Russians In Bombshell Story

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) brought up the Times’ report to Pompeo during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Tuesday, asking if the agency “categorically denied” it.

“Reporting on this matter has been atrocious,” Pompeo said in response to Collins’ question. “It’s been ridiculous, totally inaccurate. And in our view, the suggestion the CIA was swindled is false.”

“The people who were swindled were James Risen and Matt Rosenberg, the authors of those two pieces,” Pompeo continued. “Indeed, it’s our view that the same two people who were proffering phony information to the United States government, proffered that same phony information to these two reporters.”