DNI Denies House Intel Whistleblower Demand | Talking Points Memo

discobot · September 18, 2019, 11:25am

The Director of National Intelligence refused Tuesday to comply with a House subpoena for a mysterious whistleblower complaint made last month.

This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1249195

epicurus · September 18, 2019, 11:31am

Klitenic wrote that after receiving the whistleblower complaint from the inspector general, his office “determined, in consultation with DOJ,” that the inspector general had erred in finding that the whistleblower stated an urgent concern.

Barr is starting another coverup operation. Impeach the m’fer already!

castor_troy · September 18, 2019, 11:32am

Nancy, about time to start moving on things… We may not have a country much longer.

bobcanuel · September 18, 2019, 11:33am

This is just another example of the lawless attitude of President Trump’s administration. The law is clear that they ‘shall’ turnover such complaints…I’m not even sure a request is necessary. I can only hope that Mr. Schiff will be able to compel the DNI to comply, whether through court action or through fines and such.

bboerner · September 18, 2019, 11:34am

But the reason that Klitenic gave for disagreeing with the intelligence community watchdog’s decision could prove to be revealing: he wrote that the allegations in the complaint concern “conduct by someone outside the Intelligence Community” and that they involve “confidential and potentially privileged communications by persons outside the Intelligence Community.”

So if someone outside of IC is treasoning and claims confidential and potentially privileged communications then it’s not an urgent concern?

IANAL but looks to me like he just pointed the finger at the Origin Menace or someone very close to him.

southerndem · September 18, 2019, 11:34am

Well here you have it…When there is no penalty for non compliance why comply
This whole government is going to shit!!!

morrigan_2575 · September 18, 2019, 11:35am

What’s the next step? Have the Sgt at Arms Drag his ass before cameras? Can we bypass the DNI and, get the report from the IG? Get the IG to testify? Get the whistle blower to testify in close session?

I really don’t know so just throwing everything out there

thecaptain · September 18, 2019, 11:57am

Has there been any consequences for anyone refusing to comply with a Dem subpoena yet? Then why would they start complying now?

ralph_vonholst · September 18, 2019, 11:37am

Klitenic asserted that the DNI had complied with “all applicable law” in refusing to hand over the whistleblower complaint to Congress.

Narrator:

But it was a carefully planned ruse.

michaelryerson · September 18, 2019, 11:38am

Get this thing in front of a federal judge already! Stop screwing around. Goddamn it.

steviedee111 · September 18, 2019, 11:38am

SCOTUS will ultimately back the DNI, DOJ and Executive on all this.

“No man is above the law” is well and truly a canard.

brooklyndweller · September 18, 2019, 11:39am

After seeing that scumbag yesterday, I don’t think that dragging him before the cameras would be worthwhile. At least, it wouldn’t do any good in terms of getting information. I don’t even think jail time would do any good they’d just wear it like a badge of honor. They’ll pay a fine, tho and not care.

ignoreland · September 18, 2019, 11:39am

Hillary needs to be out in front telling the world that she complied with every congressional subpoena as both a public official and a private citizen.

Schiff ought to refer this to the house and have the entire budget for the DNIs office cut. No chauffeur, no protection detail, no lunch in the employee lounge. Unprecedented? You bet. But we’ve sailed past unprecedented.

Sergeant at arms? Time to put away the ceremonial stuff and send him in to do the job.

brooklyndweller · September 18, 2019, 11:40am

Which Federal judge? You mean, one of the 150 that Rump has appointed to the courts?

juliagrey · September 18, 2019, 11:41am

Jared.

southerndem · September 18, 2019, 11:42am

O/T but look who is hiding Dump will be so disapointed

ralph_vonholst · September 18, 2019, 11:44am

Can you imagine Barr, though, thinking:

“Jesus Christ, what the fuck has this moron done now? I thought the job of turning over the country to the dominionists, Opus Dei, and the Federalist Society would be easy. But no. Every time I turn around, I have to pull his sweaty balls out from under the paper cutter.”

txlawyer · September 18, 2019, 11:43am

Adam Schiff’s playbook is to immediately go on MSNBC to look like he’s doing something about it, then months later he files a lawsuit that he allows to languish on the court docket. Schiff is a problem, not a solution.

castor_troy · September 18, 2019, 11:43am

It’s Jared and MBS, count on it.

morrigan_2575 · September 18, 2019, 11:43am

i never realized how easy it was to break the system