Ratcliffe Orders Investigation of 2017 Fake Clapper/Brennan ‘Assessment’ of Russian Collusion

Oct. 20, 2020 (EIRNS)—On Oct. 15, Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe formally requested the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community to conduct an investigation of the “Intelligence Community Assessment” of January 2017, which ICA, Patrick Lawrence characterized in his Consortium News article as “a worthless put-up job that purported to confirm Russian ‘meddling,’ ” and that President Donald Trump’s first order to declassify what he called “the Russia Hoax” in September 2018 was ignored.

The investigation, reported by Fox News will start with a review of the referral written in 2018 by then-House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes about “concerns” with the fake Assessment, which the traitors originally claimed was compiled by all 17 of the U.S. intelligence institutions, as is the normal policy, but later admitted it was only three, handpicked by Clapper to be certain of the desired result—CIA, FBI and NSA. The report was almost entirely redacted, other than an annex which was nothing but quotes from Russian media.

Ratcliffe wrote a letter, which was obtained by Fox News, to Acting Inspector General of the Intelligence Community Thomas Monheim, saying:

“Pursuant to the request of Ranking Member Nunes, and consistent with my obligation to transmit allegations of wrongdoing to your office for review, I am attaching the enclosed Oversight Investigation and Referral regarding concerns with the completion of the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) on Russia’s Influence Campaign Targeting the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election published on 5 January 2017 for your review. This referral was first provided to the Central Intelligence Agency Inspector General in December 2018 by the then-majority members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Since then, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has received numerous requests from senior oversight officials for the Intelligence Community IG to review whether all portions of the aforementioned ICA adhered to proper analytic tradecraft.”

Ratcliffe also requested that the document

“undergo a formal declassification review in response to a request from Ranking Member Nunes on 13 September 2020. I am committed to facilitating transparency that serves the public interest while balancing the imperative for protecting sources and methods. I look forward to receiving the results of your review and any recommendations you have for corrective action.”

The Senate Intelligence Committee, under Richard Burr, less than an arch supporter of the President, and Trump Derangement Syndrome victim, co-chair John Warner, reviewed the ICA and reported that it was just fine. But Nunes and other Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee issued a report which said:

“While the Committee found that most ICA analysis held up to scrutiny, the investigation also identified significant intelligence tradecraft failings that undermine confidence in the ICA judgments regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s strategic objectives for disrupting the U.S. election. Those judgments failed to meet long- standing standards set forth in the primary guiding document for IC analysis.”