WikiLeaks Founder Reveals a 'Bombshell' About Russian Hacking, Kellyanne Conway Says

January 3, 2017

CNBC - Americans should listen to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange 's denials that Russia was the source of hacked Democratic emails released by his group over the summer, said Kellyanne Conway, a senior advisor to President-elect Donald Trump .

"This was the information that [Assange] put forward. I think that's a bombshell," Conway told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Tuesday, referring to excerpts from a transcript released by Fox News of Assange's interview with Sean Hannity.

Assange told Hannity that his source was not the Russian government, and "not a state party," adding President Barack Obama is trying to "delegitimize the Trump administration" with accusations that Russia engaged in hacking to help Trump beat Democrat Hillary Clinton .

In remarks heading into a New Year's Eve celebration at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Saturday night, Trump once again expressed skepticism that Russia was responsible for hacking Democrat emails.

Trump is well-informed by various intelligence sources about such matters, said Conway, who stepped in late in the race as the billionaire's campaign manager. She's since been named by Trump as counselor to the president.

"[Trump] receives any number of different intelligence pieces of information from a number of different sources, including the ... presidential daily briefing," Conway said.

"He [also] receives regular briefings from his security team, from outside sources, and he ... has agreed to receive this top-level intelligence briefing from the nation's top, top intelligence officials," she added.