Russia has denied claims that it is in possession of compromising material on US president elect Donald Trump, calling them fake and aimed at damaging Moscow's relations with Washington.
"The Kremlin does not have compromising information on Trump," President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Wednesday, calling the claims a "total fake" and "obvious attempt to harm our bilateral relations".
Earlier, it was reported that the top intelligence official last week briefed President-elect Donald Trump about an unsubstantiated report that Russia had compiled compromising personal and financial information” on him, a US official with knowledge of the briefing said.
The briefing about the document was first reported by CNN. A summary of the allegations was separate from a classified assessment of Russia's attempts to meddle in the U.S. presidential election. Trump and President Barack Obama were briefed on the intelligence community's findings last week.
Shortly after news reports were published about the briefing, Trump tweeted: "FAKE NEWS - A TOTAL POLITICAL WITCH HUNT!"
Trump was expected to hold a previously scheduled news conference Wednesday to discuss his future plans regarding his role with the Trump Organization.