F.B.I. Warned Hope Hicks About Emails From Russian Operatives<br />The Russian outreach efforts show that, even after American intelligence agencies publicly accused Moscow of trying to influence the outcome<br />of last year’s presidential election, Russian operatives were undaunted in their efforts to establish contacts with Mr. Trump’s advisers.<br />But after a yearlong campaign in which the Russian government frequently succeeded in making contact with people around Mr. Trump, the overtures to Ms. Hicks also demonstrate<br />that Russian officials seemed intent on gaining access to Mr. Trump’s inner circle by any means they could.<br />American intelligence officials were alarmed about repeated contacts during the campaign between Mr. Trump’s staff and outside advisers and Russians, and feared<br />that Russia was trying to influence the Trump campaign.<br />In early January, American intelligence agencies formally accused Russian intelligence agencies of trying<br />to tip the presidential election toward Mr. Trump, who was reluctant to accept that conclusion.<br />According to former officials, American intelligence and law enforcement agencies became alarmed by introductory emails<br />that Ms. Hicks received from Russian government addresses in the weeks after Mr. Trump’s election.<br />On Thursday and Friday, investigators working for Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel, interviewed Ms. Hicks as part of his investigation into Russia’s efforts to influence the 2016 election<br />and whether any of Mr. Trump’s advisers assisted the Russian campaign.
