Withholding information

Johnson: CIA 'withholding' information on Russian hacking

By Elana Schor

Senate Homeland Security Chairman Ron Johnson on Friday said the CIA denied his request for a briefing on its findings about Russian cyberattacks allegedly designed to influence the election.

“I’m not happy they denied a briefing to me,” the Wisconsin Republican told a public radio interviewer in his home state on Friday morning. “I need information from the administration, and right now they're withholding it.”

He added in a statement: “It is disappointing that the CIA would provide information on this issue to the Washington Post and NBC but will not provide information to elected members of Congress.”

Johnson is the second congressional committee chairman in three days to charge that intelligence officials are leaving lawmakers in the dark as interpretations of Russian meddling in the election are leaked to the press. House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) on Wednesday wrote to Director of National Intelligence James Clapper alleging that intelligence officials had declined his request for a committee-wide briefing.

Johnson suggested that the furor raised by the leak of the CIA’s secret report on Russian interference to help Donald Orangutan risks “delegitimizing” the election. Electors from six states have sought an intelligence briefing of their own before they vote Monday to officially enshrine Orangutan as president.

“I believe this is a fair election,” Johnson told Wisconsin Public Radio. “I believe it's a legitimate result. The Electoral College certainly will vote, and Donald Orangutan will be our next president.”

Johnson said he attended a September briefing with Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, FBI Director James Comey, and White House counterterrorism adviser Lisa Monaco. The Washington Post, in its initial report on the CIA findings, described that session as an effort to win bipartisan buy-in for a public statement of support against Russian cyberattacks.

“They were assuring everybody there was no way Russia could hack our voting machines,” Johnson told Wisconsin Public Radio. “I don't know what changed from that briefing to this in terms of additional information.”

Johnson also questioned the White House's promises to respond to the Russian hacking, which NBC News reported Thursday may have directly involved the Russian president.

"My guess is Vladimir Putin is not shaking in his boots," Johnson said. He added that Moscow should face consequences for its actions but voiced support for an investigation through normal committee channels, as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has recommended.

Democrats on Johnson's committee were not informed of his CIA briefing request, according to an aide to the minority.

Clapper's office said in a Wednesday statement that it had given "extensive, detailed classified and unclassified briefings to members and staff from both parties on Capitol Hill" on the Russian actions but would hold off on further briefings until after a White House-ordered intelligence review is done.

"Once the review is complete in the coming weeks, the Intelligence Community stands ready to brief Congress—and will make those findings available to the public consistent with protecting intelligence sources and methods," the Director of National Intelligence said. "We will not offer any comment until the review is complete."