I don't understand why this whistleblower story hasn't the coverage it should.
It's Orwellian!
As background:
Brian Murphy was Principal Deputy Under Secretary in the Office of Intelligence and Analysis (“DHS I&A”) at DHS responsible for all intelligence activities in DHS.
08 Sept 2020. Like so many others before him in the Trump mis-administration, he filed a "Whistleblower" complaint with the DHS's OIG.
09 Sept 2020, his complaint was released to the public.
It's an amazing 24-pages!
His argument: That he was pressured by Chad Wolf and Ken Cuccinelli to lie about Russia and white supremacy. And for refusing to lie he was demoted. Just like Dr. Rick Bright who refused to lie and took a stand opposing the broad use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine.
Some snips.
Page 5. (KST = Known or suspected terrorists.)
Murphy was ordered "to ensure the intelligence assessments he produced for Secretary Nielsen’s review supported the policy argument that large numbers of KSTs were entering the United States through the southwest border. Mr. Murphy declined to censor or manipulate the intelligence information, viewing it as an improper administration of an intelligence program and stated to Mr. Glawe that doing what was being requested would constitute a felony."
Welcome back to 23 July 2002!! To quote a famous Downing Street memo on Iraq that year:
"..the intelligence and the facts were being fixed around the policy."
March 5, 2019; bottom of Page 6:
"During the session, Mr. Murphy provided Secretary Nielsen with documentation reflecting that the number of documented KSTs crossing the southwest border only consisted of no more than three individuals, not 3,755 individuals as she had previously attested to in her testimony on December 20, 2018."
THREE!!!!! And NOT 3,755!!! In Nielsen's 20 December 2018 testimony she claimed there were 3,755 known or suspected terrorists sneaking across the border from Mexico. How do you screw up like that? (Answer: It wasn't a screw-up. It was intentional!)
Page 9:
Regarding intelligence reports regarding conditions in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.
Ken Cuccinelli said he wanted changes to highlight corruption, violence, and economic conditions of those three countries.
"Mr. Cuccinelli expressed frustration with the intelligence reports, and he accused unknown “deep state intelligence analysts” of compiling the intelligence information to undermine President Donald J. Trump’s policy objectives with respect to asylum. Notwithstanding Mr. Murphy’s response that the intelligence reports’ assessments were consistent with past assessments made for several years, Mr. Cuccinelli ordered Messrs. Murphy and Glawe to identify the names of the “deep state” individuals who compiled the intelligence reports and to either fire or reassign them immediately."
Cuccinelli wanted to fix the intelligence around the policy! And because the facts don't match his policy, it was because of those "deep state intelligence analysts,” hell-bent on undermining Trump’s crazed policy objectives.
When Murphy said it was were consistent with past assessments, Cuccinelli demanded the names of the “deep state” intelligence people who compiled the reports so he could fire or reassign them. Immediately.
Murphy's response to that: Cuccinelli's orders were illegal, an abuse of authority, he would not comply, and that he would not fire intel professionals over "perceived political differences".
He also added that if this went any further he was going to go the the DHS OIG and report it.
On page 10 of his complaint, his immediate superior concurred with Murphy.
Page 10:
RUSSIA comes up.
Attempts by Wolf and Cuccinelli to censor the intelligence about Russia was " (undermining) United States interests."
Page 12.
"Mr. Wolf instructed Mr. Murphy to cease providing intelligence assessments on the threat of Russian interference in the United States, and instead start reporting on interference activities by China and Iran. Mr. Wolf stated that these instructions specifically originated from White House National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien. Mr. Murphy informed Mr. Wolf he would not comply with these instructions, as doing so would put the country in substantial and specific danger."
It gets worse. Bottom of the same page:
"On July 7, 2020, DHS Chief of Staff John Gountanis sent an e-mail to Mr. Murphy directing him to cease any dissemination of an intelligence notification regarding Russian disinformation efforts until Mr. Murphy had spoken with Mr. Wolf. The two men met on July 8, 2020, at which time Mr. Wolf stated to Mr. Murphy the intelligence notification should be “held” because it “made the President look bad”. Mr. Murphy objected, stating that it was improper to hold a vetted intelligence product for reasons for political embarrassment."
Because it “made the President look bad”? Because it would be a "political embarrassment"?
When Murphy refused, Wolf excluded Murphy from meetings on the subject.
Page 13, and another killer:
"Shortly after the distribution, Mr. Glawe was informed that further distribution of the (Homeland Threat Assessment) was prohibited due to concerns raised by Messrs. Wolf and Cuccinelli regarding how the HTA would reflect upon President Trump. Two sections were specifically labeled as concerns: White Supremacy and Russian influence in the United States."
How the threat assessment would reflect on Trump? White Supremacy? Russian influence in the United States?
Further down that page we see Cuccinelli telling Murphy he had to "...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 “left-wing” groups."
But not the truly violent right-wing groups?
Page 14, back to white supremacy groups:
"Murphy asked Mr. Wolf about the status of the (Homeland Threat Assessment). Mr. Wolf relayed the concerns previously outlined by Mr. Cuccinelli regarding the sections on White Supremacy and Russian influence. Mr. Wolf asked for a copy of the (Homeland Threat Assessment) so it could be reviewed by policy officials, and so that information regarding the ongoing unrest in Portland, Oregon, could be added into the HTA. Mr. Wolf asked Mr. Murphy if he would accept his edits."
He wants to edit the facts to "his" facts, and by "his" I mean Trump's. He wants to turn the threat assessment reports into political propaganda.
Same section:
"September 3, 2020, Mr. Murphy learned the new draft was provided to Mr. Wolf, who had ordered the HTA to be redesigned with the policy office completing the revisions. It is Mr. Murphy’s assessment that the final version of the HTA will more closely resemble a policy document with references to ANTIFA and “anarchist” groups than an intelligence document as originally formulated by DHS I&A."
"Redesigned" by the "policy office". Not the intelligence professionals, but the political hacks that litter and infest this administration. Because Trump and the racist bigots and imbeciles that love him want to hear that. Because they believe that. They were told to believe that.
Here it comes:
"During multiple meetings between the end of May 2020 and July 31, 2020, Mr. Murphy made protected disclosures to Messrs. Wolf and Cuccinelli regarding abuse of authority and improper administration of an intelligence program with respect to intelligence information on ANTIFA and “anarchist” groups operating throughout the United States. ...Mr. Murphy was instructed ...to modify intelligence assessments to ensure they matched up with the public comments by President Trump on the subject of ANTIFA and “anarchist” groups. Mr. Murphy declined to modify any of the intelligence assessments based upon political rhetoric, and advised both officials he would only report accurate intelligence information as collected by DHS I&A."
"...modify <he meant "lie"> intelligence assessments to ensure they matched up with the public comments by...Trump".
Paging Mr. Orwell.
And there's still 10 more pages of this crap!! Read it for yourself.
https://intelligence.house.gov/uploadedfiles/murphy_wb_dhs_oig_complaint9.8.20.pdf
= new reply since forum marked as read
