On Aug. 13, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released declassified intelligence documents demonstrating the treasonous role of former DNI James Clapper in concocting false intelligence assessments to “prove” that Russia had intervened in the 2016 presidential election on behalf of Donald Trump. The release of two emails, dated Dec. 22, 2016, exchanged between Clapper and Mike Rogers, then head of the National Security Agency, reveal Clapper’s insistence that unverified intelligence on Russia’s alleged role in hacking the DNC/DCCC (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) be rammed through and incorporated into the 2017 intelligence community assessment to be presented to President Barack Obama.
This, despite Rogers’ argument that his team hadn’t had time “to fully access all the underlying intelligence or had an opportunity to review and weigh in … given the expedited nature of this activity,” and doesn’t feel “100% comfortable [with it] before we present it to the President.” To be clear, he continued, “I am not saying that we disagree substantively, but I do want to make sure that, when we are asked in the future whether we can absolutely stand behind the paper, that we don’t have any reason to hesitate because of the process.”
“We have one chance to get this right and it is critical that we do so,” Rogers warned, particularly if the final product is jointly authored by the CIA, FBI, ODNI and NSA. In the latter case, he stipulated, “I personally expect to see even the most sensitive evidence related to the conclusion.” He added, however, that if the final product is intended to be a CIA-only, or a CIA/FBI-authored product “then I will stand down on these concerns.”
