DHS Acting Sec. Chad Wolf;
For. Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen;
Dep. Sec. Ken Cuccinelli
WASHINGTON (reports from Market
Watch via The AP, ABC
News, NY
Times, and The
Washington Post) with this headline:
“Whistleblower details alleged politicization of
intelligence
at DHS”
An official at the Department of Homeland Security said in a
whistle-blower complaint released Wednesday (September 9) that he was pressured
by agency leaders to suppress details in his intelligence reports that
President Donald J. Trump might find objectionable, including intelligence on
Russian interference in the election and the threat posed by white
supremacists.
The whistle-blower, Brian Murphy, former Chief of Intelligence
at the DHS says in his complaint filed with the DHS IG’s office that he was
demoted for refusing to alter his intelligence reports in an “illegal and
improper” manner.
Murphy is also a former FBI agent and Marine Corps veteran who
had served as principal Deputy Undersecretary in the Office of Intelligence and
Analysis. In August, he was demoted to Assistant to the Deputy Undersecretary
for DHS Management.
His complaint states: “Mr.
Murphy is, put simply, a dedicated public servant who has had a laudable career
prior to the recent events that have led to the submission of this package to
the OIG. Prior to his current circumstances, he had never had so much as a
negative fitness report in his professional career with the U.S. Government.”
In his complaint, Murphy alleges
that former DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, current Acting Secretary Chad Wolf, and his Deputy Ken Cuccinelli, repeatedly pressed him to change intelligence
assessments in ways that would support administration policies or avoid
offending the president.
Murphy said Nielsen and her
deputies pressed him to exaggerate the number of migrants with links to
terrorism who have been detained at the Southwest border. Murphy said Nielsen
then falsely used the higher figure in testimony to Congress.
Murphy said Wolf, Trump’s
nominee to be permanent Secretary, directed him cease providing intelligence
assessments on the threat of Russian 2020 interference because it “made the
President look bad.”
Murphy said Cuccinelli
directed him to modify a section of a report on white supremacy to make the
threat appear less severe, and to include information on left-wing groups to
echo administration talking points around civil unrest following the protests
over the killing of George Floyd.
Murphy said he declined the
pressure because it would be a violation of his sworn duties not to do it.
A copy of Murphy’s complaint
was released Wednesday (September 9) by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) who sits on the
House Intelligence Committee. Schiff says he has asked Murphy to testify before
Congress.
Note: DHS did not immediately
respond to a request for comment by The Associated Press.
My 2 cents: First of all, I
wonder why DHS is not responding.
Oh, yeah, the truth hurts doesn’t it Mr. Wolf, Mr. Cuccinelli, and Ms. Nielsen. At this point, Wolf and Cuccinelli should be removed from their government positions and service.
And, if legally possible, all three should be prosecuted
for witness tampering and any other charges that might stick in this very serious case.
This is a pitiful story but boy, it sure underlines the way Trump thinks and insists that those under him lie, cheat, deceive, deny, and hide the truth from
the public, thus protecting him while they fall and take any blame, however severe that blame turns out to be.
This report is serious, very serious and the public needs to pay close attention because it underscores the events we know about in 2016 and boy, here we go again.
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