Dems seeking in-person election security briefings
Racing WASHINGTON — the political clock, frustrated Democrats on Sunday searched for a way to force the Trump administration to continue briefing Congress in person about foreign attempts to interfere in the November election.
The director of national intelligence, John Ratcliffe, said most briefings onwhat the administration knows about efforts to influence the vote will now be given toCongress in writing. In the past, delivering “all-member” briefings in-person, he said, has resulted in “leaks” for political purposeswithin moments.
“A falsehood, yet again another lieby thepresident,” responded Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California, chairman of theHouse Intelligence Committee.
Ratcliffe said those lawmakers who are “entitled to the briefings and classified informationwill still get that information” and that the briefingswould be “primarily in writing.”
“Whatwewon’t be doing is all-member briefings, to all members of the House and all members of the Senate,” he said.
It was unclearwhich lawmakers would receive the intelligence material and howgiving them the assessments in writing would cut downon leaking. Therewas little time for Democrats to challenge the decision in the shadow of the Nov. 3 election and fewoptions to compel the administration to change course, though they mustered plenty of outrage.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden blasted the administration for trying to hidewell-documented efforts by Russia to help Trump politically. The decision on briefings, Biden said in a statement, shows that Trump is “hoping Vladimir Putin will once more boost his candidacy and cover his horrific failures to lead our country through the multiple crises we are facing.”
Schiff, D-Calif., said his committee could demand that Ratcliffe or other intelligenceofficials testify under oath, but that decision would be made by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
An official with Schiff ’s committee said Ratcliffe’s decision was unexpected because Ratcliffe’s office earlier had reached out to schedule an in-person briefing to the committeeonSept. 17. A room on Capitol Hill had already been reserved, according to theofficial, who wasnot authorized todiscuss thematterpubliclyandspoke on condition of anonymity.
“We will compel the intelligence community to give Congress the information that we need,” Schiff said.
Ratcliffe insisted that China is the graver threat to election security than Russia. Earlier this month, the nation’s counterintelligence chief, WilliamEvanina, issued a statement saying U.S. intelligence officials believe Russia is using various methods to denigrate Biden and that people linked to Russian President Putin are boosting Trump’s reelection bid. U.S. officials also believe China does not want Trumpto win a second term and has accelerated its criticism of the White House, Evanina wrote.
“This is not where you cut off Congress from getting the information. That’s whathappenedin2016, there wasn’t enough information out there. Now we know. We’ve learned a lesson,” said Sen. AmyKlobuchar, D-Minn. The need to subpoena Ratcliffe, she said, “is crazy. We are just a few months out of a major election.”
In a statement late Saturday, the acting chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee indicated the Senate may still have some access to some briefings. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said that the “grotestque criminal misconduct” of leaking does not release intelligence agencies fromfulfilling their legal requirements to keep Congress informed.