House Intelligence Committee chairmen, Rep. Adam Schiff, sent a letter to the heads of U.S. intelligence agencies in which he demands they turn over materials that are being sent to the Department of Justice as it reviews the origins of the FBI investigation in President Trump’s 2016 campaign. Rep. Schiff sent the letter to Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats, CIA Director Gina Haspel, FBI Director Christopher Wray and National Security Agency Director Paul Nakasone, as CNN reported.
Adam Schiff called President Trump’s directive to the agencies on May 23, ordering them to assist in the review “a disturbing effort by the President and the Attorney General to politicize the Intelligence Community and law enforcement, and raises grave concerns about inappropriate and misleading disclosures of classified information and IC sources and methods for political ends.”
That is a huge accusation coming from Rep. Schiff, who acted as a sieve for confidential information during Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation into whether President Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia to steal the 2016 election.
In his letter, Rep. Schiff is worried that the investigation and directive, which may declassify information relating to how the investigation in President Trump’s campaign began, “threatens national security by subverting longstanding rules and practices that obligate you and other heads of IC agencies to safeguard sources and methods and prevent the politicization of intelligence and law enforcement.”
Schiff called the move “unnecessary,” and claimed AG Barr’s review didn’t require such declassification of IC methods.
The problem is that the IC community and law enforcement were politicized by the Obama administration, which used them to spy on the Trump campaign. It was Hillary Clinton’s campaign that paid for the dossier from ex-British Intelligence officer Christopher Steele (then working as an opposition researcher) that was included as evidence to obtain warrants against President Trump’s campaign officials. AG Barr is trying to reveal that politicization.
It’s telling that Rep. Schiff doesn’t want this information revealed.
Rep. Schiff also claimed that his committee would “conduct rigorous, ongoing oversight” of the intelligence agencies “and others in the IC to ensure that the Attorney General does not abuse his new and sweeping authority.” Schiff attempted at every turn to stop former House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes from doing the same of Robert Mueller’s investigation.
If anyone is at risk for revealing classified information, it is Adam Schiff. He is known for leaving behind-closed-door meetings with congressional witnesses to leak information from those meetings to media like CNN. Rep. Lee Zeldin stated that Rep. Schiff left during Donald Trump Jr’s testimony very often. Shortly after that, CNN would have a “scoop” on what was being said in the meeting.
Donny Ferguson, who worked for former congressman Steve Stockman, claimed that Rep. Schiff did the same thing during closed-door Benghazi hearings.
Adam Schiff is now demanding an “in-person briefing” from the heads of U.S. intelligence agencies to explain what has been requested of them during the DOJ investigation and to provide his committee with all the materials that have been delivered. He also demanded they inform his committee of any impending declassification requested by the DOJ.
