Russian studies scholar and contributing editor to The Nation Stephen F. Cohen told Tucker Carlson Wednesday night that the intelligence community is the "fourth branch" of government. He said they leak to the media and influence what "voters think when we go vote."



Cohen also agreed there's still no evidence of Trump working with Russia but there is evidence suggesting Democrats and others tried to conspire against Trump.



"Are you aware of any collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government?" Carlson asked.











"No, none," Cohen answered. But, there are two documents that became the foundational sources for the Kremlin-gate narrative. It was first the Steele dossier which surely informed the so-called intelligence community assessment in January of 2017. We were told that was the judgment of 17 intelligence agencies. It now turns out to have been the judgment of no intelligence agency, just a few guys at the top. So that's all that's ever been produced and it's not credible."



Cohen said the intel community used FISA surveillance warrants for Carter Page and Paul Manafort to actually spy on Donald Trump



"Why did they, for example, get a warrant on Carter Page who on the very surface of it is no threat to American national security and then on Paul Manafort?" Cohen asked. "We might assume they did it because they thought these two men would be close, even in the same room as Donald Trump and wanted to surveil him."



Cohen on the intelligence community as the fourth branch of government:





STEPHEN F. COHEN: What interests me is not who paid for the dossier -- we know it was the Clinton campaign -- but where Steele got this information. In the article I write, I suggest that it's highly unlikely he got it from his so-called connections in the Kremlin. Now, there's a bit attempt underway to rehabilitate Steele.



On the front page of The Washington Post today there is a story that portrays him as a character out of a John le Carre spy novel. And he may well be. An anguished man without a purpose in life. Retired for some reason at an early age and for hire. So this is the guy who now enters our life and is used.



And the larger question that comes to my mind but you know the answer better than I do is how many branches of government do we actually have? I was taught we had three. But what's been going on above, with the intelligence services and not only the FBI, raises the question if there is a fourth branch of government that's influencing not only our politicians but because they were leaking to the media, what we voters think when we go to vote.