Collins: Clinton camp needs to fully explain dossier payment

WASHINGTON – A Senate Intelligence Committee member says Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman and the former Democratic Party head need to explain what they knew about a dossier of allegations about President Donald Trump’s ties to Russia.

Maine Sen. Susan Collins says the committee should further question John Podesta and Debbie Wasserman Schultz following disclosures last week that the Clinton campaign and DNC helped fund research that ended up in the dossier.

Collins tells CBS’ “Face the Nation” that “it’s difficult to imagine” that Podesta didn’t know about the funding.

Podesta and Wasserman Schultz last month denied knowledge about payments when interviewed by congressional investigators. Sitting next to Podesta was his attorney Marc Elias, who worked for the law firm that brokered funding, CNN reported.

Collins says Elias should also be questioned.