Posted on 10/24/2019 6:14:40 PM PDT by Cboldt
Oct 24, 2019
Citing string of classified leaks, Grassley & Johnson call for public accountability
WASHINGTON - The Intelligence Community Inspector General (ICIG) is again refusing to provide any assurances that a steady stream of sensitive and classified leaks from the nation's intelligence personnel are being investigated. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) are voicing concern that the ICIG's failure to assure the public of any efforts to investigate the leaks will further erode public trust in critical intelligence agencies.
In a letter to ICIG Michael Atkinson, the chairmen cite previously-unreleased unclassified emails and texts acquired during the course of their oversight inquiries between intelligence community officials highlighting leaks as well as previous examples of inspectors general confirming the existence of ongoing investigations.
"As we have made clear in previous letters to you, since President Donald Trump's election there have been a number of leaks of highly sensitive information. These leaks are seemingly perpetrated to achieve partisan political ends at the expense of national security," the chairmen wrote. "Given the intense congressional and public interest surrounding the most recent leaks of sensitive and classified information, it is incumbent upon you to answer the simple questions that we have posed."
In early October, following new revelations of classified leaks, the chairmen renewed a previous inquiry about actions the ICIG is taking to investigate classified spills to the media. In response the ICIG outlined its responsibilities to detect and deter unauthorized disclosures of national security information. However, it declined to confirm, even in general terms any efforts to respond to those leaks.
In the most recent exchange, the chairmen detail public acknowledgements of ongoing and future investigations by the Justice Department Inspector General as evidence that the ICIG can provide transparency without jeopardizing the integrity of any probe.
'A Crescendo of leaks'
The chairmen's letter includes previously-unreleased unclassified communications between FBI officials discussing potential leaks. In one instance former FBI counter-espionage official Peter Strzok predicted a "crescendo of leaks." In another, Strzok expresses concern that a news report that apparently relied on CIA leaks conflicted with the FBI's public messaging. A separate text message reveals Strzok's effort to set up a Skype interview with a reporter. A 2017 Justice Department Inspector General report faulted the FBI for widely violating policies limiting unauthorized contacts with the media.
The chairmen's latest letter to the ICIG is available HERE. Strzok's exchanges referenced above are available HERE.
Text of the chairmen's letter follows: ... [punch the link!]
Hey Chuck,
Issue a few subpoenas. Put some folks under oath.
Quit writing useless letters.
L
any efforts to investigate the leaks will further erode public trust in critical intelligence agencies.
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What public trust?
There’s none left to erode.
Shut the CIA down.
We’d be safer without them.
Chuck and the Senate are fixing to go into full CYA mode.
I dunno. Hannity keeps telling us the FBI is 99% honorable people.
Some people are invested in the myth.
They can subpoena this IG any time they want to.
But they haven’t.
L
The Clinton Administration was hiring radical lefties into intel offices during the ‘90s. There was a complaint in an article back then about those offices having far more office personnel (more women) and far fewer field agents than before.
Few if any of Hannity’s viewers believe that.
Hannity is trying to keep the faith with the faithless.
Just call Schiff as a witness. And make sure Feinstein is available to discuss her driver.
Gee more stern letters to an official who clearly doesn’t act like he works for the Current Administration. Many parts of the Executive Branch are in rebellion against President Trump and those who elected him. Justice delayed and denied is rampant and the day approaches when decisions are going to have to be made.
But Hannity does, and I am sure that family and friends of nearly ALL federal workers are similarly invested in the myth. Likewise those around courts.
Likewise those around courts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That’s true and a big problem.
I’m no fan of Grassley, but he is head and shoulders above 90-95 other senators.
Not that this is saying much.
His press release page is a gold mine of information that doesn’t make the news.
He needs to be fired tomorrow and his desk cleaned out by 12 noon!
will this push the IG report back another year?
No. It's unrelated.
"The IG report" that is in the news is the IG for the DOJ. His name is Horowitz. He is charged with whitewashing FBI and DOJ misconduct. His upcoming report is supposedly on the subject of FISA abuse, lying to a court to legalize illegal snooping on the Trump campaign.
Grassley's letter is about ICIG Atkinson, who knowingly stepped outside of his jurisdiction to create a "whistleblower" claiming Trump should be impeached for strongarming Ukraine for US political advantage.
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