AG William Barr given power to declassify documents on surveillance activities into Trump campaign

[Valin]

Washington Examiner

Daniel Chaitin & Jerry Dunleavy

May 23, 2019

President Trump has given Attorney General William Barr "full and complete authority to declassify information" related to the origins of the federal investigation into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

The move is the strongest sign yet that Trump is taking serious action to "investigate the investigators" and has found a willing champion in Barr, who rankled Democrats last month when he said "spying did occur" on the Trump campaign.

The White House issued a memorandum to the heads of several agencies Thursday instructing them to cooperate with Barr's inquiry, including the Central Intelligence Agency, Defense Department, State Department, and Energy Department.

Today, at the request and recommendation of the Attorney General of the United States, President Donald J. Trump directed the intelligence community to quickly and fully cooperate with the Attorney General’s investigation into surveillance activities during the 2016 Presidential election," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

(Snip)

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NBC Is Concerned

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This what you should really think!

 

You should always listen to people on TV

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Trump declassification move unnerves Democrats

Brett Samuels

May 24 2019

President Trump's decision giving Attorney General William Barr "full and complete authority" to declassify documents related to surveillance activities during the 2016 campaign has set off a wave of criticism in Washington.

Democrats and former intelligence officials are worried that the move could politicize the intelligence community and put sources and methods at risk, describing his action as "un-American" and "dangerous." 

(Snip)

Democrats have further raised concerns that Barr is acting more as Trump's personal attorney than the nation's top law enforcement officer. A number of Democratic senators called on Barr to resign after it became clear that Mueller felt Barr mischaracterized the special counsel's findings.

"Trump dangerously politicizes intelligence declassification—giving his henchman AG sweeping powers to weaponize classified info against political foes," Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) tweeted Friday. "No safeguards, no accountability, no respect for intel sources—a deeply perilous recipe to distract from mounting troubles."

(Snip)