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Mueller Report: Burr briefed White House on Russia probe

Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina may have briefed the White House on the state of the FBI's Russian election meddling investigation within days of being briefed on the matter in 2017 by then-FBI Director James Comey, according to a report released Thursday.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina may have briefed the White House on the state of the FBI's Russian election meddling investigation within days of being briefed on the matter in 2017 by then-FBI Director James Comey, according to a report released Thursday.

According to a short passage buried deep in the report compiled by special counsel Robert Mueller:

"On March 9, 2017, Comey briefed the 'Gang of Eight' congressional leaders about the FBI's investigation of Russian interference, including an identification of the principal U.S. subjects of the investigation. Although it is unclear whether the President knew of that briefing at that time, notes taken ... on March 12, 2017, state, 'POTUS in panic/chaos. Need binders to put in front of POTUS. (1) All thing related to Russia.'

"The week after Comey's briefing, the White House Counsel's Office was in contact with SSCI Chairman Sen. Richard Burr about the Russian investigations and appears to have received information about the status of the FBI investigation."

Burr is chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, which has been conducting its own probe into the Russian meddling.

Caitlin Carroll, a spokeswoman for Burr, issued a statement in response to a request for comment, saying the senator "does not recall this specific conversation."

“However, any conversations between the two would have been in reference to the need for White House personnel to voluntarily comply with the Senate Intelligence Committee’s Russia investigation. If specific individuals were discussed, they would have been those known to the Committee, the White House, and the media. The Chairman’s stewardship over the Committee’s bipartisan and fact-based investigation over the last two years speaks for itself.”

Burr tweeted that he's reviewing the report and looks forward to releasing the findings of his committee's investigation.

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