US Senate Must Not Consider FBI Director Until Special Counsel Named - Lawmaker

The US Senate should not consider any nominee for FBI Director put forward by President Donald Trump until the Justice Department appoints a special counsel to investigate any connections between Russia and the Trump campaign as well as alleged meddling by Russia in the US 2016 election, US Senator Ron Wyden said in a statement on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — On Monday, the Washington Post reported that according to unnamed sources, Trump allegedly shared with Russian officials classified information about how terrorist organizations plan to use laptops as bombs on airplanes. The partner who gave the United States the information did not give Trump permission to share it with Russian officials, the report further alleged.

"The president's actions have made a special counsel necessary," Wyden posted in a Twitter message. "Absolutely no FBI Dir[ector] should be considered until special counsel is appointed."

The White House said the report's claims about Trump sharing the sensitive information with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak were false.

In a Twitter message posed on Tuesday, Trump said he had every right to share with Russian officials facts about the fight against terrorism and airline safety.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the report "nonsense."