Reporter describes how Mitch McConnell kept the door open for Russia to swing the election to Trump

A Washington Post reporter revealed new details about former CIA director John Brennan's efforts to counter Russian election interference -- and how Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell thwarted him.

Journalist Greg Miller, who first reported those behind-the-scenes efforts, has published a new book on Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election, and he told CNN about some of his findings.

"One of the things I was interested to read is that then-CIA director (Brennan) went right before the election to try to sound the alarm about what they were already seeing with Russia trying to interrupt the election," said "New Day" host Alisyn Camerota. "It was not well received by some Republican leaders in Congress, including Mitch McConnell."

Miller reported in the book that McConnell seemed to see Brennan as a greater threat than Russia, and the former CIA director and the Republican senator got into a shouting argument over election security.

"(McConnell) didn't want that to come out publicly," Miller said. "This is a scene in the book that I write about that happens before the election, as you said. The CIA has learned that (Russian president Vladimir) Putin is overseeing this operation. They're trying to help elect Trump."

"Brennan setting in motion a series of private briefings with all congressional leaders," Miller continued. "It is a crazy moment in our history. He's trying to get their attention."

"He's meeting with McConnell," he said, "and McConnell is basically telling him, 'You're telling us that Russia is trying to help elect Trump, (but) if you come forward with this, I'm not going to sign on to any sort of public statement that would condemn Russian interference, but I will condemn you and the Obama administration for trying to mess up this election.'"