Former Director of National Intelligence (DNI) James Clapper overrode the objections of National Security Agency (NSA) Director Mike Rogers in order to advance the narrative that Russian President Vladimir Putin had interfered in the 2016 election with a clear preference for President Donald Trump, according to emails declassified by DNI Tulsi Gabbard Wednesday.
The emails involve Clapper and Rogers discussing the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) about Trump and Russia that touched off years of Russiagate media frenzy, consuming much of Trump’s first term.
Rogers expressed concerns about the sense of urgency, compressed timeline and compartmentalized intelligence involved in producing the ICA. The former NSA head relayed that some NSA analysts expressed concerns about not having access to the underlying intelligence nor the time to assess it.
Clapper could not be reached for comment.
“I’ve just returned from a TYD overseas and been updated on the current status of our efforts to produce a joint product related to Russian attribution and intent for the DNC/DCCC hacks. I know that this activity is on a fast-track,” Rogers wrote in a Dec. 22, 2016, email. “However I wanted to reach out to you directly to let you know of some of the concerns I have with what I’m hearing from my folks.”
“They were clear in saying that, at the staff level, folks have been forward-leaning and trying to ensure that we have an opportunity to weigh in, but I’m concerned that, given the expedited nature of this activity, my folks aren’t fully comfortable saying that we’ve had enough time to review all of the intelligence to be absolutely confident in their assessments,” he said.
“In addition, if NSA is intended to be a co-author on this product, I personally expect to see even the most sensitive evidence related to the conclusion,” he added.
Clapper overrode Rogers without defending the underlying intelligence and instead appealing to an ethos of intelligence being a “team sport.”
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Author: Dillon B
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