Democrats demand briefings on election meddling

WASHINGTON — Racing the political clock, frustrated Democrats on Sunday searched for a way to force the Trump administration to continue briefing Congress in person on foreign attempts to interfere in the November election.

The director of national intelligence, John Ratcliffe, said most briefings on what the administration knows about efforts to influence the vote will now be given to Congress in writing. In the past, delivering “allmember” briefings inperson, he said, has resulted in “leaks” for political purposes within moments.

“A falsehood, yet again another lie by the president,” responded Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of Burbank, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

Ratcliffe said those lawmakers who are “entitled to the briefings and classified information will still get that information” and that the briefings would be “primarily in writing.”

“What we won’t be doing is allmember briefings, to all members of the House and all members of the Senate,” he said.

There was little time for Democrats to challenge the decision in the shadow of the Nov. 3 election and few options to compel the administration to change course, though they mustered plenty of outrage.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden blasted the administration for trying to hide welldocumented 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.”

An official with Schiff ’s committee said Ratcliffe’s decision was unexpected because Ratcliffe’s office earlier had reached out to schedule an inperson briefing to the committee on Sept. 17. A room on Capitol Hill had already been reserved, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“We will compel the intelligence community to give Congress the information that we need,” Schiff said.

Trump on Saturday said Ratcliffe “got tired” of intelligence about election security leaking from Congress. The president did not offer details to support his statement.

Ratcliffe was on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures,” and Schiff was on CNN’s “State of the Union.”