Lawmaker accuses U.S. Justice Department of blocking whistleblower disclosure

[webfact]

Lawmaker accuses U.S. Justice Department of blocking whistleblower disclosure

By Mark Hosenball and Jonathan Landay

 

U.S. President Donald Trump gestures during his visit to a section of the U.S.-Mexico border wall in Otay Mesa, California, U.S. September 18, 2019. REUTERS/Tom Brenner/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House Intelligence Committee chairman on Thursday accused the Justice Department of blocking intelligence officials from giving Congress a whistleblower complaint reported to involve communications between President Donald Trump and a foreign leader.

 

The Washington Post, which first reported the matter, said the country involved was Ukraine, citing unnamed sources.The House panel's Democratic chairman, Adam Schiff, charged the Trump administration with blocking a congressional inquiry after receiving a closed-door briefing from the inspector general for U.S. spy agencies.

 

A source familiar with the matter told Reuters the whistleblower complaint at the centre of the dispute alleged "multiple acts" by Trump, not just a phone call with a foreign leader. The source requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

 

Trump on Thursday called the Washington Post report "Fake News."

 

The dispute is the latest chapter of a power struggle in which the Trump administration has been resisting efforts by Democratic lawmakers investigating the president's business dealings and actions to obtain documents, records and testimony from White House and senior agency officials.

 

Reuters has not been able to confirm details of the whistleblower's complaint.

 

A spokeswoman for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment on the Washington Post report mentioning Ukraine. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

 

"I don't know whether the White House is directly involved, because we can't get an answer to that question, but we do know that they are making some claim that a privilege may apply," Schiff told reporters.

 

The dispute erupted after Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson told the committee in a Sept. 9 letter that he had received an Aug. 9 whistleblower complaint that he deemed urgent and credible, the legal threshold requiring its transmission to Congress.

 

But a Sept. 13 letter to the House panel and the Senate Intelligence Committee asserted that acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire - after consulting with the Justice Department - found that the complaint did not meet the legal definition of "urgent concern."

 

In the letter, Jason Klitenic, general counsel in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, also said the complaint was not subject to disclosure because it did not concern conduct by an intelligence official or an intelligence activity overseen by the DNI, as required by the law.

 

"Furthermore, because the complaint involves confidential and potentially privileged communications by persons outside the Intelligence Community, the DNI lacks unilateral authority to transmit such materials to the intelligence committees," he wrote.

 

Because of the findings, Atkinson was unable to provide details on the complaint in speaking with the committee, lawmakers said.

 

Schiff said the Justice Department had misinterpreted the law in blocking Maguire from disclosing the complaint.

 

Another Democratic member of the committee, Mike Quigley, was more direct, charging that Attorney General William Barr was seeking to protect the president.

 

"Mr. Barr and the Department of Justice's job in their mind is to protect the president," he told reporters. "And it doesn't matter if that violates the laws."

 

CNN said on Thursday both the White House and Justice Department were involved in advising Maguire not to give Congress a copy of the complaint.

 

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while a spokeswoman for the Justice Department referred to the two letters Atkinson had sent the committee. Maguire's office did not respond to a request for comment.

 

"Virtually anytime I speak on the phone to a foreign leader, I understand that there may be many people listening from various U.S. agencies, not to mention those from the other country itself," Trump said on Twitter.

 

"Knowing all of this, is anybody dumb enough to believe that I would say something inappropriate with a foreign leader while on such a potentially 'heavily populated' call," he said.

 

Schiff had issued a subpoena to Maguire last week in an attempt to force him to turn over the whistleblower's complaint.

 

He said on Thursday the committee could be forced to go to court to seek an order compelling officials to disclose the complaint.

 

"I hope that the director of national intelligence will reconsider because it's my understanding that by law he can provide this to us and by law he's required to provide this to us," Schiff said.

 

Maguire is scheduled to testify in public to the panel next week.

 

A congressional source told Reuters the complaint was filed with the inspector general on Aug. 12. Two congressional sources said the Senate Intelligence Committee had not been fully briefed on the complaint.

 

(Reporting by Mark Hosenball and Jonathan Landay; Additional reporting by Makini Brice and Lisa Lambert; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall, Tom Brown, Lisa Shumaker and Lincoln Feast)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-09-20

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[PatOngo]

So, does this mean they should exonerate Edward Snowden and Julian Assange as well!!!

[bendejo]

19 minutes ago, webfact said:

Adam Schiff

Great job he did with the Russia investigation (not).  

Me of little faith in this guy, but here's your chance to redeem yourself, Mr Schiff.

 

 

[ballpoint]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

"Knowing all of this, is anybody dumb enough to believe that I would say something inappropriate with a foreign leader while on such a potentially 'heavily populated' call," he said.

Rearranging that gives a resounding 'yes' answer:

 

"Knowing all of this, does anybody believe that I am dumb enough to say something inappropriate with a foreign leader while on such a potentially 'heavily populated' call,"

 

 

[Chomper Higgot]

Bill Barr has put himself center stage in obstructing the House Intelligence Committee’s legal right to see these documents, he’ll be brought to regretting that decision.

 

 

[metisdead]

A post in violation of fair use policy has been removed. 

 

Off topic posts and replies have been removed. 

[Paul Henry]

So much for draining the swamp,Donald has built a moat around himself with people who swore to uphold the constitution and who upon taking office forgot their oath and immediately started to play politics to serve the master.

[Tug]

Well the leakers are saying (this isent proven yet)that our Donald is using foreign aid to extort information to use against a political opponent.donalds ag Barr is trying to protect his master by not disclosing can we all say corruption?

[earlinclaifornia]

If you support having a Foreign government involved in American election then vote trump. Says alot.

[quandow]

On 9/20/2019 at 10:00 AM, Chomper Higgot said:

Bill Barr has put himself center stage in obstructing the House Intelligence Committee’s legal right to see these documents, he’ll be brought to regretting that decision.

Sadly, no. He got away with it during Iran/Contra and knows how to play this silly-ass game. If I were a godly man, I'd swear these traitors had sold their souls to the devil.

[puck2]

Because TV didn't present the main reason of Trump's problem, here from --->

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Trump Repeatedly Pressed Ukraine President to Investigate Biden’s Son

President Trump in a July phone call repeatedly pressured the president of Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden’s son, according to people familiar with the matter, urging Volodymyr Zelensky about eight times to work with Rudy Giuliani on a probe that could hamper Mr. Trump’s potential 2020 opponent.

.........

[MAGA 2020]

On 9/20/2019 at 10:00 AM, Chomper Higgot said:

Bill Barr has put himself center stage in obstructing the House Intelligence Committee’s legal right to see these documents, he’ll be brought to regretting that decision.

 

 

Doubt it, nothing to see anyway. It's another version of a the witch hunt by the cry baby libs.

[worgeordie]

So the cover up begins....Fake news ,never happened,I would never do something like that,

regards Worgeordie