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Ric Grenell Hits Senator Mark Warner With Sunlight Hammer as He Exits Role as DNI

Oh my, acting DNI Ric Grenell was/is buckets of brutally honest awesome.

In a departing letter to SSCI Vice-Chair Mark Warner, Grenell responds to a Warner inquiry demanding justification for his blitz of sunlight and naming of unmaskers.

Specifically pointing to the release of names that unmasked Trump administration officials Grenell notes “the decision to declassify the names of individuals who sough to unmask the identity of General Flynn poses absolutely no risk of compromise of either sources or methods.” Grenell also tells Warner, “cherry picking certain documents for release while attacking the release of others that don’t fit your political narrative is part of the problem the American people have with Washington DC politicians.”

The Daily Caller has compiled a partial list of Grenell’s accomplishments to include:

— Directed the IC to change the way they protect the identities of U.S. citizens contained within intelligence reporting

— Completed the IC review of 53 transcripts from the House Intelligence Committee’s investigation into alleged Russian collusion in the 2016 election and made the transcripts publicly available

— Declassified previously redacted footnotes from the Justice Department Inspector General’s report into the origins of the Russian collusion investigation

— Declassified a list of government officials who requested the unmasking of National Security Advisor Michael Flynn

— Replaced FBI with ODNI as the primary group responsible for briefing presidential campaigns on information derived from national intelligence

— Declassified former national security adviser Susan Rice’s email to herself regarding a January 2016 Oval Office where progress on the Russia investigation was discussed

— Declassified additional transcripts in ODNI’s possession for potential public release by incoming DNI John Ratcliffe

(READ MORE)

And even that list doesn’t include the declassification of the Rosenstein/Mueller scope memos and several more important contributions during his tenure.

Grenell’s greatest contribution as DNI was personifying a belief that government, including the intelligence apparatus, works for the people; and as a direct result the intelligence apparatus has a responsibility to provide sunlight upon all aspects of their function that does not impede national security.

The way to keep politics out of intelligence matters is to keep as much of their activity as public as possible. Sunlight is the best disinfectant.

I hope we see more of Ric Grenell in another capacity soon. (For more from the author of “Ric Grenell Hits Senator Mark Warner With Sunlight Hammer as He Exits Role as DNI” please click HERE)

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Top Dem Wants to Know Why Trump’s Classified Conversations Were Leaked

Congress needs to investigate the “disgraceful” leaks of President Trump’s private conversations with world leaders, a top Democratic senator said on Thursday.

“A president of the United States, a governor would tell us they’ve got to be able to have confidential conversations,” Virginia Sen. Mark Warner told The Daily Beast. “And I think it was disgraceful that those [came out].”

Warner is the top ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

“Whether that is Intel or Judicial [committees] looking into it, somebody ought to,” the senator told The Daily Beast.

The Washington Post published Thursday morning leaked classified transcripts of Trump’s private conversations with the leaders of Mexico and Australia. The phone calls took place shortly after Trump’s inauguration but were just now leaked to the Post. (Read more from “Top Dem Wants to Know Why Trump’s Classified Conversations Were Leaked” HERE)

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