Hillary Clinton: Putin wanted me to lose, and Trump’s associates colluded with Russia

Hillary Clinton, in an interview published Monday night by USA Today, addressed Russia’s potential meddling in the election she lost last November.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin wanted me to lose and wanted Trump to win,” Clinton told USA Today. “And there’s no doubt in my mind that there are a tangle of financial relationships between Trump and his operation with Russian money. And there’s no doubt in my mind that the Trump campaign and other associates have worked really hard to hide their connections with Russians.”

When asked whether she believed there was collusion by Trump associates and Russia, Clinton responded: “I’m convinced of it. ... I happen to believe in the rule of law and believe in evidence, so I’m not going to go off and make all kinds of outrageous claims. But if you look at what we’ve learned since (the election), it’s pretty troubling.”

Robert Mueller, the FBI special counsel investigating Russia’s involvement in the election, issued grand jury subpoenas, The New York Times reported last month. Some of the subpoenas were related to Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser.

Trump’s former chief of staff, Reince Priebus, and current White House counsel, Don McGahn, have hired lawyers as Mueller’s probe extended to the two, Business Insider reported Sunday.

Former Press Secretary Sean Spicer, Communications Director Hope Hicks, and Jared Kushner hire Josh Raffel are also being interviewed, New York Magazine reported last week.

Meanwhile, Clinton announced Sunday that she would never again run for political office.

“But I am not done with politics because I literally believe that our country’s future is at stake,” she said in an interview with Jane Pauley.

This story was originally published September 12, 2017 at 10:30 AM with the headline "Hillary Clinton: Putin wanted me to lose, and Trump’s associates colluded with Russia."