Conservatively, we have about 80% of the FReepers on this thread shooting off in all directions like a bad batch of Chinese made bottle rockets, which unfortunately obscures some very important issues involved here, and questions regarding such. Some FREepers have touched on many; the questions that stand out to me are:
When my wife came here from overseas, to live with a “nobody” (me), as part of the legal immigration process she had to pass a FBI background check. What are the security precautions for those hired as Congressional staff, and in particular what are the precautions for staff serving Congress-critters on sensitive committees, and so on? This issue goes way beyond this particular episode. I as a citizen would DEMAND that anyone working for and in significant contact with a Congressperson on sensitive committees undergo yearly review, and for the Chairman/woman or ranking member on an Intelligence Committee, those precautions had better be as good as the requirements for top (top!) level security clearances. Anything less is sheer incompetence.
If checks were done, who signed off on them? The initial background check should have been done, I believe, by Bill Clinton’s FBI?
5 years ago, this was swept under the rug. Who in the FBI signed off on that?
We are told no sensitive information was passed on. Huh? We are supposed to believe anyone would admit any damage, at this point? “CYA” needs to be in 50 ft. tall letters tacked onto the Golden Gate Bridge.
Regardless of whether any information was passed on, if this guy was a Chinese “spy”, how the heck was he not prosecuted, and how in God’s name does he get a gov’t pension? Who all arranged for or signed off on that? Who all knew but kept quiet?
I’d say “no chance” this (spying by Congressional staff for foreign governments) is an isolated incident. I think we as citizens should demand by 8/7/2018 a press conference headed by Mitch McConnell, Kevin McCarthy, Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi (oh, that should be interesting!) and Jeff Sessions, where an investigation to find other past offenses is launched, and steps to prevent future occurrences are also announced - an hour of questions from the press on only these subjects to follow.
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I agree with everything you said. I’m still horrified by all the implications.