Posted on 05/31/2019 1:11:29 PM PDT by ransomnote
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff demanded on Friday that the nation’s intelligence community report to Congress any effort by Attorney General William Barr to declassify national security secrets over its objections.
Schiff made his demand in a letter to Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, calling on Coats to brief his committee in person and to share any information that Barr has requested as part of a review of the origins of the FBI’s investigation of links between Russia and the Trump campaign. Last month, Barr announced his intention to review the decisions that led to the Russia probe, which later was taken over by special counsel Robert Mueller. But Democrats have argued the effort is a politically driven attempt to appease Trump and feed his unsupported claims that the FBI was attempting to mount a “coup” against him.
Earlier this month, Trump granted Barr broad authority to declassify any material he needs to conduct that review, prompting outrage among Democrats who say such sweeping authority could damage national security.
“This approach 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 wrote.
Mueller remarks put Barr back into harsh spotlight By ELIANA JOHNSON Schiff's letter came a week after Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) sent a similar letter to Coats, as well as the heads of the FBI, CIA and NSA. He urged the intelligence community leaders to inform the House and Senate Intelligence Committees if Barr's efforts threatened their agencies' morale, independence or capabilities.
Warner said he's particularly concerned that Barr's review could chill sources' willingness to work with U.S. intelligence or spook foreign intelligence agencies from cooperating with the United States.
In his letter, Schiff insisted his committee would conduct “rigorous oversight” of Barr’s efforts and asked that Coats keep him apprised of what material Barr has requested or any other information the attorney general conveyed to intelligence agencies about his review. He also asked Coats to provide to Congress any documents shared with Barr and to notify lawmakers prior to any declassification decision.
Schiff also asked Coats to identify specific moves by Barr to declassify material over the objections of the intelligence community — and to inform Congress of what harm might come to national security as a result.
The pathetic subhuman malignancy only has a cloaca .
Maybe kamala will loan her knee pads to this malignant oaf? Just sayin’...
One thing about Leftists, they never, ever, never ever quit. They always have a fresh supply of deception on the shelf ready to roll out. Now, Republicans will quit at the merest hint of opposition, or when they see their shadow.
I bet he wears a diaper and has a plastic nipple.
On the plus side there are many light posts and trees in America .
I generally drop a healthy Schiff every day.
‘Attempts’ to declassify documents? The president didn’t grant authority to Barr to attempt, he gave him the authority to determine the suitability and declassify as he deems appropriate. Anyone who refuses to produce requested documents needs to be fired, pronto.
And, Schiftless, maybe you can learn about it when you see them posted online...
SCHIFF needs to be investigated for his illegal leaks. Why hasn’t anyone started that?
What is he afraid of? Could it be he’s covering his butt? Definitely paranoid!
So he wants to leak it and taint his own jury pools ? Brazen criminals.
Suppose Coats leaked to Schiff or Warner (don't know if he would do that). Trump fires Coats and the Rino senators won't approve a decent replacement.
Too funny - they don’t realize that President Trump, who has authority to declassify every bit of it, has already said he wants it declassified and Barr is the safety to keep tings that shouldn’t be declassified from being in the mix...it’s Barr’s job to decide what shouldn’t be declassified.
With Dems, you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
Smells like obstruction
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