When National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe instructed lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Friday that the administration would no longer give personal briefings about threats to the U.S. election, congressional staffers figured out why the director was suddenly fired. Back from their commitment to be present for the inquiry.
They still don’t have a solid answer.
But two administration officials and three others familiar with the issue told the Daily Beast that White House officials, including National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien and Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, have had frequent discussions with staff and President Donald Trump. To control and regulate the flow of information on such sensitive topics on Capitol Hill. These conversations primarily focus on how the media leaks details and media from congressional briefings, on their beliefs as Democrats politicize briefings, and how it can be beneficial to limit the time some administrative officials spend against Congress.
Tuckleef’s announcement that he was postponing the election security briefing came just 70 days before the 2020 presidential election. People close to Trump and Meadows say they were unaware of the decision to return Ratcliffe’s briefing until ODNI sent a formal letter to Capitol Hill on Saturday. But the shared belief among senior officials about the need to reduce personal briefings shows the extent to which legislators’ access to sensitive national security matters through the Trump White House is a political impediment.
On August 10, Ratcliffe’s fee, according to a person familiar with the matter, offered to brief the House Intelligence Committee on election security risks. And the committee had already booked a room and time for September 17 a, in which Rat Takliff spoke with legislators about the latest findings of his office fees, primarily on how Russia is trying to interfere in the 2020 elections, how Iran wants democratic institutions. Trying to weaken and see how China looks. Candidates. The office also agreed to give a briefing to all House members on September 24 and 25.
But two weeks after those offers, Ratcliffe studied the opposite. Former acting intelligence chief Rick Greenell slammed officials for escalating his decision to skip an election security briefing in March, instead sending William Ivanina, head of the National Counter-Tolerance and Security Center.
In a cell phone call to legislators on Capitol Hill, Ratcliffe expressed frustration that, according to two individuals familiar with the matter, information from previous briefings had brought him to the press. Even after those calls and letters Ratcliffe sent to Hill on Saturday, legislators were still unclear as to what caused ODNI’s announcement.
On two occasions in the last several months, O’Brien told his office fees at meetings that he did not want the National Security Council to engage with Congress on the issue of election security, telling officials he did not think the matter was something the council needed. Take action because it is largely the work of other agencies. He also told his team officials that he wanted to limit congressional briefings, said two people familiar with the conversation. It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post.
Another person familiar with O’Brien’s thinking said the National Security Adviser believes the Congress briefing caused a political rift between the legislators. The members learned a little from the personal interactions they could not get from any briefing document, the person said.
A White House official told the Daily Beast that Meadows has been wary of the type of briefing on Capitol Hill for months that Democratic sources could potentially try to discredit Trump through secret leaks in media outlets. Meadows has discussed the issue with President Trump on at least two occasions this summer, the official said.
“Since the grasslands have become the main staff, there is a strict control over what people can do on the hill compared to the people. [Mick] The era of value, “said a Republican close to the White House.” Meadows has used it in a wide range of issues, including foreign policy and national security, as well as budget issues. “They don’t want to scream at the Oval Office fees because Trump saw something The New York Times Possibly, it was leaked from the hill. “
On Tuesday afternoon, a senior administration official cited Meadows’ previous work on the Oversight Committee, a congressional task force overseeing the FBI and the Justice Department, and the impeachment hearing as evidence of his authority over the matter. “He has seen for himself how these hearings or interviews have been surgically leaked,” the official said, “especially during the impeachment outside of Chairman Schiff’s Intel Committee.”
The official added, “It is safe to say that he delivered the message [to others] This concerns and attempts to better protect confidential information so that forward and forward or clips of information cannot be shared out of context. “
The decision by Ratcliffe to eventually pull out personal briefings has angered Democrats on Dungar, who see it as a protest against Congress’ role in election security, and are running a scandal to keep any news private. Worst of all, the Russian involvement in the 2020 elections. Chair of the House Intelligence Committee Rep. With Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Tuesday. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Rep. Peter. Wiskowski (D-IN), chairman of the subcommittee on defense in the House Appropriations Committee, sent a letter to Ratcliffe demanding that he re-establish the previously scheduled election security briefing.
“If you are not prepared to resume election-related intelligence briefing to Congress, we will have no option but to consider a full range of mandatory tools to comply,” the letter said.
Citing dozens of international meetings to secure the 2020 election last year alone, NSC spokesman John Ulliot said in a statement to the Daily Beast that “election security is more focused than under any previous administration under President Trump.”
“Ensuring safe elections is the first priority for the NSC,” he noted.
The NSC is the coordinating body for the government on issues of national security such as election interference, but that does not mean that the Council is actively involved in election security.
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