Clapper pushed to 'compromise' 'normal' steps to rush 2017 ICA, despite concerns from NSA director

Fox News

2 days ago

EXCLUSIVE: Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper reportedly directed officials to "compromise" "normal" procedures to rush a politicized 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment — apparently despite concerns from then-Director of the National Security Agency Mike Rogers, who said his team did not have "enough time" to review the intelligence to be "absolutely confident" that Russia was involved in the 2016 election.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard declassified emails Wednesday. Fox News Digital obtained the declassified records.
"The leading figures in the Russia Hoax have spent years deceiving the American public by presenting their manufactured and politicized assessments as credible intelligence," Gabbard told Fox News Digital. "The email released today reinforces what we already exposed: the decision to compromise standards and violate protocols in the creation of the 2017 manufactured intelligence assessment was deliberate and came from the very top."
"Clapper's own words confirm that complying with the order to manufacture intelligence was a 'team sport,'" Gabbard said.
In July, Fox News Digital exclusively reported that Gabbard and intelligence officials said that the Obama administration allegedly "manufactured and politicized intelligence" to create the narrative that Russia was attempting to influence the 2016 presidential election, despite information from the intelligence community stating otherwise.
The email, exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital Wednesday, from Rogers was sent to then-Director of National Intelligence Clapper, then-CIA Director John Brennan, and then-FBI Director James Comey on Dec. 22, 2016, at 7:00 a.m.
"I've just returned from a TDY overseas and been updated on the current status of our efforts to produce a joint product related to Russian attribution and intent for the DNC/DCCC hacks," Rogers wrote. "I know that this activity is on a fast-track and that folks have been working very hard to put together a product that can be provided to the president."
"However, I wanted to reach out to you directly to let you know of some concerns I have with what I am hearing from my folks," Rogers continued. "Specifically, I asked my team if they'd had sufficient access to the underlying intelligence and sufficient Tim etc review that intelligence."
"On both points my team raised concerns," Rogers wrote. "They were clear that, at the staff level, folks have been forward-leaning and trying to ensure that we have an opportunity to review and weigh in, but I'm concerned that, given the expedited nature of this activity, my folks aren't fully comfortable saying that they have had enough time to review all of the intelligence to be absolutely confident in their assessments."
Rogers clarified, saying he is "not saying that we disagree substantively, but I do want to make sure that, when we are asked in the future whether we can absolutely stand behind the paper, that we don't have any reason to hesitate because of the process."
"I know that you agree that this is something we need to be 100% comfortable with before we present it to the President—we have one chance to get this right, and it is critical that we do so," Rogers wrote. "If the intent is to create an integrated product that is CIA/FBI/NSA jointly-authored that we can all defend, we need a process that allows us all to be comfortable, and I'm concerned we are not there yet."
Rogers added: "In addition, if NSA is intended to be a co-author of this product, I personally expect to see even the most sensitive evidence related to the conclusion."
Rogers said, though, if the "intent is to create a CIA-only or CIA/FBI-authored product, then I will stand down on these concerns."
"I would welcome your thoughts on these points and any adjustments we might make to the process to ensure that we all have the necessary level of confidence in the final assessment," Rogers wrote.
Hours later, at 7:43 p.m. that same day, Clapper replied to Rogers' email, copying Brennan and Comey.
"Understand your concern," Clapper wrote. "It is essential that we (CIA/NSA/FBI/ODNI) be on the same page, and are all supportive of the report—in the highest tradition of 'that's OUR story, and we're sticking' to it.'"
"This evening, CIA has provided to the NIC the complete draft generated by the ad hoc fusion cell," Clapper continued.
The "ad hoc fusion cell" was the small team Brennan put together to draft the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment, intelligence community officials told Fox News Digital.
"We will facilitate as much mutual transparency as possible as we complete the report, but, more time is not negotiable," Clapper wrote. "We may have to compromise on our 'normal' modalities, since we must do this on such a compressed schedule."
Clapper added: "This is one project that has to be a team sport."
The 2017 ICA ultimately assessed that "Russia was responsible for leaking data from the DNC and DCCC," but an official flagged to Fox News Digital that the ICA "failed to mention that FBI and NSA previously expressed low confidence in this attribution."
Documents revealed that in the months leading up to the November 2016 election, the intelligence community consistently assessed that Russia was "probably not trying…to influence the election by using cyber means."
Weeks before the emails were sent, on Dec. 7, 2016, Clapper's talking points stated: "Foreign adversaries did not use cyberattacks on election infrastructure to alter the U.S. presidential election outcome."
Last month, Fox News Digital obtained a declassified copy of the Presidential Daily Brief, which was prepared by the Department of Homeland Security, with reporting from the CIA, Defense Intelligence Agency, FBI, NSA, Department of Homeland Security, State Department and open sources, for Obama, dated Dec. 8, 2016.
"We assess that Russian and criminal actors did not impact recent US election results by conducting malicious cyber activities against election infrastructure," the Presidential Daily Brief stated. "Russian Government-affiliated actors most likely compromised an Illinois voter registration database and unsuccessfully attempted the same in other states."
But the brief stated that it was "highly unlikely" the effort "would have resulted in altering any state's official vote result."
"Criminal activity also failed to reach the scale and sophistication necessary to change election outcomes," it stated.
The brief noted that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence assessed that any Russian activities "probably were intended to cause psychological effects, such as undermining the credibility of the election process and candidates."
The FBI even had concerns with the inclusion of that information in the Presidential Daily Brief.
By Dec. 9, 2016, a meeting convened in the White House Situation Room, with the subject line starting: "Summary of Conclusions for PC Meeting on a Sensitive Topic (REDACTED.)"
The meeting included top officials in the National Security Council, Clapper, then-CIA Director John Brennan, then-National Security Advisor Susan Rice, then-Secretary of State John Kerry, then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch, then-Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, among others, to discuss Russia.
The declassified meeting record, obtained by Fox News Digital, revealed that principals "agreed to recommend sanctioning of certain members of the Russian military intelligence and foreign intelligence chains of command responsible for cyber operations as a response to cyber activity that attempted to influence or interfere with U.S. elections, if such activity meets the requirements" from an executive order that demanded the blocking of property belonging to people engaged in cyber activities.
After the meeting, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Clapper's executive assistant emailed intelligence community leaders tasking them to create a new intelligence community assessment "per the president's request," that detailed the "tools Moscow used and actions it took to influence the 2016 election."
"ODNI will lead this effort with participation from CIA, FBI, NSA, and DHS," the record states.
Later, Obama officials "leaked false statements to media outlets" claiming that "Russia has attempted through cyber means to interfere in, if not actively influence, the outcome of an election."
By Jan. 6, 2017, a new Intelligence Community Assessment was released that, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, "directly contradicted the IC assessments that were made throughout the previous six months."
Current intelligence officials told Fox News Digital that the ICA was "politicized" because it "suppressed intelligence from before and after the election showing Russia lacked intent and capability to hack the 2016 election."
Officials also said it deceived the American public "by claiming the IC made no assessment on the 'impact' of Russian activities," when the intelligence community "did, in fact, assess for impact."
Last month, Fox News Digital exclusively reported that Comey and Brennan are under criminal investigation.
Last week, Attorney General Pam Bondi directed her staff to act on the criminal referral from Gabbard earlier this month. The Justice Department is now planning to open a grand jury investigation into the alleged conspiracy to tie President Trump to Russia in the 2016 election.