Intel chief stonewalls Congress on Biden and Trump documents
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What is the most important similarity of the Joe Biden and Donald Trump classified documents investigations? Of course, there is the simple fact that both men, the current and former presidents, are accused of mishandling classified information. But just as critical, from the public’s perspective, is this: We don’t know what that information was. We don’t know if the classified material each allegedly mishandled involved the nation’s most sensitive and carefully guarded secrets, secrets that would do grave damage to national security if revealed, or whether it was minor stuff that should never have been classified in the first place.
That’s the single most important factor in assessing the seriousness of each case — and we have no idea what to think. Who is “we?” Certainly the general public has no idea. But the group of people in the dark about the documents includes members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, too.
On Wednesday, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines met with the Senate Intelligence Committee. The purpose was to update them on both the Trump and the Biden cases. Keep in mind that members of the committee have the highest security clearances, and the top Democrat and Republican on the committee are members of the so-called Gang of Eight, which receives briefings on the nation’s most sensitive intelligence.
But in this case, Haines refused to show the senators any of the classified documents in either the Biden or Trump cases. Haines also refused to discuss the nature of the material. Haines told the group she could not discuss any of the material until she gets the OK from the special counsels investigating the Biden and Trump cases.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), the chairman, said members were “unanimous” in saying the IC’s stonewall “is not going to stand.” Warner added that eventually “all things will be on the table” to force Haines to give the Senate what it wants.
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