Trump guys told me to downplay white supremacy
Trump-appointed top officials at the Homeland Security Department told subordinates to tinker with intelligence reports on domestic extremist groups so that the threat of white supremacist violence appeared “less severe,” according to a whistleblower complaint released Wednesday.
By contrast, the whistleblower, career homeland security officer Brian Murphy, alleged the officials, Acting Secretary Chad Wolf and Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli, instructed him and others to exaggerate threat assessments about “anarchist” organizations like Antifa.
“Mr. Cuccinelli stated that Mr. Murphy needed to specifically modify the section on white supremacy in a manner that made the threat appear less severe, as well as include information on the prominence of violent ‘leftwing’ groups,” states the complaint, released by the House Intelligence Committee. “Mr. Murphy declined to make the requested modifications, and informed Mr. Cuccinelli that it would constitute censorship of analysis and the improper administration of an intelligence program.”
Murphy said he was demoted last month from his senior-ranking intelligence post after repeatedly rebuffing politically motivated requests from the Trump officials.
He said the demotion was “illegal” and is asking to be reinstated.
Wolf and Cuccinelli embarked on the suppression effort so that the department’s intelligence reports didn’t anger President Trump or contradict his public statements, Murphy said.
In addition to white supremacist groups, Murphy said the department brass pressured him in July to slam the brakes on an intelligence notification about Russia’s interference in November’s presidential election.
“Mr. Wolf stated to Mr. Murphy the intelligence notification should be ‘held’ because it ‘made the president look bad,’ ” the complaint says. “Mr. Murphy objected, stating that it was improper to hold a vetted intelligence product for reasons [of ] political embarrassment.”