The National Intelligence Director told the legislators that amid concerns of sensitive information being leaked – his office fee (ODNI) would personally give an election security briefing to Congress in favor of written reports.
In a letter to the legislature on Friday, Director John Ratcliffe wrote that the intelligence community Congress has provided more than 600 defensive briefings and election security updates, many of which are not required by law. And more than a dozen in the last month.
Intel community says Iran is looking for Trump “internally”, Russia is working to “digitalize” elections
“While many of these engagements and products have been successful and productive, others have been fewer,” he wrote in the letter.
Going forward, he said, his office would “primarily fulfill its responsibility to keep Congress fully informed and to provide information through the currently finished written intelligence products of the presidential election.” He writes that it will better protect resources and methods, while ensuring that “the highest analytical standards.”
“Sensitive information has been disclosed after a recent briefing,” Oxfish, an official with the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), told Fox News.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schfana, immediately received a letter from Ratcliffe in anger, calling the move “shameful.”
“The current legitimate obligation to provide information to Congress is a shocking abandonment, and the people’s right to know how foreign powers are trying to undermine our democracy is being betrayed,” the statement said.
The legislators said ODNI had requested a briefing of the intelligence committees and the House in mid-September, but it was rejected.
“This is a shame and – just weeks before the election – it shows that the Trump administration is engaged in a political effort to block election-related information from Congress and the American people at certain times that requires more transparency and accountability,” he said.
Foreign interference in the election has long been a concern, since the intelligence community concluded that Russia had tried to interfere in the 2016 election.
Odney sought to join the ‘2020 elections’ with China, Iran and Russia
Earlier this month, the intelligence community warned that with Iran working to deny President Trump and Russia the Democratic nominee Joe Biden, various countries wanted to influence policy and elections. Officials also said China “likes” that Trump will not win in November.
Democrats on Saturday accused the Trump administration of “misrepresenting peers.”
Click here to get the Fox News app
“The objectives and actions of Russia, China and Iran are not the same,” he said. “Only one country – Russia – is actively taking steps to undermine the presidential election and secure the outcome that the Kremlin sees as best serving its interests.”
“We expect the administration and the intelligence community to keep us fully informed and to resume briefings,” a statement said. If they are not willing to do this we will consider the full range of tools available to the House to force compliance. ”
Abby Grossberg, Brooke Singman and Chad Pergram of Fox News contributed to this report.
