The Republican National Committee last summer paid more than $34,000 to a firm started by ex-CIA officers to show conflicts of interests for Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation while she was secretary of state, Politico reported.
The payments attracted attention in political and intelligence circles because Virginia-based Hamilton Trading Group had expertise in Russia, which was becoming a campaign issue at the time, Politico reported.
RNC officials and the president and co-founder of Hamilton Trading Group, ex-CIA officer Ben Wickham, initially said payments totaling $41,500 had nothing to do with Russia – and were aimed at building security concerns at RNC headquarters, Politico reported.
RNC officials now acknowledge, however, $34,100 of the cash went toward gathering dirt on Clinton, Politico reported.
But Politico, citing unnamed sources, reported Hamilton Trading produced two dossiers trying to make the case Clinton intervened in Bulgaria and Israel on behalf of energy companies that had donated to the Clinton Foundation.
Wickham told Politico some work they "may have done" for the RNC was subject to a non-disclosure agreement. Both Wickham and the RNC denied the firm did any work related to Russia for the RNC.