CNN: Sources: Russia tried to infiltrate Trump campaign. Quoting,
These officials made clear they don’t know whether Page was aware the Russians may have been using him. Because of the way Russian spy services operate, Page could have unknowingly talked with Russian agents.
The pattern of Michael Flynn Resigns; echoes of Harry Dexter White, continues with Michael Page. In McCain, “Possible Unraveling of Post-WWII Peace”, I wrote,
The second Red Scare, post World War II, had the factual basis of significant infiltration of American government by communist sympathizers, exploited, and in some cases, directed, by the Comintern and successors. The highest level was not exempt. The controversy of Harry Dexter White, and what he told the Soviets, remains unresolved. The reality of penetration was deleted from our collective memory in reaction to the shameful actions of demagogue Joseph McCarthy, who created victims of innocents.
At the time, this may have struck some readers as too strong and even paranoiac. Sadly, it seems to have been realized in entirety. In the case of Carter Page, there is a strange reversal to the usual pattern. The infiltrators of the mid 20th century did not advertise their sympathies in public forums. But Carter Page has, most notably in a July ’16 address to Moscow’s New Economic School, in which he denigrated U.S. policy towards Russia.
This curious reversal, advertisement of pro-Russia/anti U.S. policy sentiments, prior, as far as we know, to recruitment as a Russian agent, has some possible explanations:
- An uncalcuated, naive, tentative desire to position himself for future back channel contacts with Russia.
- A self advertisement as recruitable, a subtle solicitation to Russia’s clandestine services.
- Oblique suggestion by Page of the existence of others in the campaign and future administration to whom Page could serve as a conduit.
It is not known whether Page actually rose to the level of misconduct of White, who actually passed confidential information to the Soviet Union. This may have been nipped in the bud.
The danger was certain. The question of a prosecutable offense remains.