US President-elect Donald Trump has again accused the country’s spy agencies of leaking “phony allegations” against him to the media “even knowing there is no proof.”
“It now turns out that the phony allegations against me were put together by my political opponents and a failed spy afraid of being sued,” Trump tweeted on Friday morning.
On Tuesday, CNN reported that top intelligence officials told Trump that Russia had "kompromat" -- compromising material intended to be used against someone – on the president-elect.
Hours later, BuzzFeed published a 35-page document containing unverified information from former MI6 operative Christopher Steele who claimed that Trump was caught in a compromising position in Russia. The document claimed that Russia is in possession of "compromising" personal and financial information about Trump.
The British spy reportedly had initially begun compiling the dossier on the behalf of Trump’s Republican primary opponent Jeb Bush.
Trump on Friday blamed “both Democrats and Republicans” for the disparaging reports, but he said they were “probably” leaked from US intelligence agencies.
“Totally made up facts by sleazebag political operatives, both Democrats and Republicans - FAKE NEWS! Russia says nothing exists,” he tweeted, adding, “Probably released by "Intelligence" even knowing there is no proof, and never will be. My people will have a full report on hacking within 90 days!”
Addressing a news conference in New York on Wednesday, Trump accused US spy agencies of using Nazi tactics to undermine him.
He said the published material about him is part of a “political witch hunt” campaign, and added that the leaks from the intelligence community were reminiscent of Nazi Germany.
Russia on Wednesday rejected the BuzzFeed document as “completely fake,” adding that Moscow does not possess any blackmail file on Trump containing footage of him in a “compromising” position in a Moscow hotel.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's chief spokesman and aide, Dmitry Peskov, said the BuzzFeed report is a "complete fabrication and utter nonsense."
On Thursday, even outgoing US Vice President Joe Biden rejected the claims of "kompromat” on Trump as “unsubstantiated”.
But, Biden condemned the president-elect for disparaging the country’s intelligence community, saying Trump’s statements casting doubt on US intelligence “play into the Russian narrative” of a beleaguered America.