Chad Wolf: Whistleblower complaint claiming DHS downplayed threats from Russia is ‘absolutely’ false

“We’ve been very clear about making sure that we call out Russia,” Wolf told Fox News host Bret Baier on Friday. “So, I have no idea what he’s talking about. That is not the case, that’s not any direction I’ve ever given. We’ve been very clear.”

Murphy was removed from his role as the undersecretary for the Office of Intelligence and Analysis in August after reports from the Washington Post revealed his office had compiled intelligence reports on U.S. journalists amid protests in Portland, Oregon.

In the days leading up to Murphy’s removal, his office compiled Open Source Intelligence Reports about the work of two journalists who had published leaked department documents. In a separate intelligence report, the office also analyzed the communications of protesters.

Murphy said Wolf demoted him in an act of retaliation, according to Politico.

But Wolf implied it’s him who is being retaliated against for the reassignment.

“You have to keep in mind, this is an individual in this office. If you go back to early August, I received credible and serious complaints that the INA office, our intelligence and analysis office inside DHS, was collecting information on American journalists,” Wolf said. “This individual was in charge of that office. I removed him. That’s a bright line for me. While an investigation, an OIG investigation, an inspector general investigation is ongoing on this individual. He didn’t like that, and so, we see now the results of that.”

Wolf also defended the department’s handling of foreign meddling in elections, saying there have been several reports released on concerns regarding China, Iran, and Russia interfering.

In a recent announcement by Microsoft saying there have been more cyberattacks originating from those three nations, Wolf praised the disclosure and said the company’s findings reaffirm his statements in the recent State of the Homeland Address that hackers from China, Iran, and Russia “are trying to undermine our democracy and influence our elections.”

In response to House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson issuing a subpoena for Wolf to testify on the matter, Wolf said he was “very disappointed,” adding that he had agreed to testify on two separate occasions in August on other matters. He said any accusation that he’s avoiding testimony is false, and he’s willing to testify once his confirmation process is completed.

“We’ve offered the No. 2 at the Department of Homeland Security to testify in my place and if not, then I’m happy to testify to the committee once my confirmation process goes through one way or another,” Wolf said. “So, we have been accommodating to the committee, and unfortunately, it’s come down to this.”

In a letter addressed to Thompson, Assistant Secretary Beth Spivey wrote that it would be “contrary to standard practice” to have Wolf testify in front of the Homeland Security committee on any matters unrelated to his confirmation.

The department offered Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli in place of Wolf, but said it could make Wolf available at a later date once the confirmation process was completed by the Senate.

“If this hearing was legitimately about threats to the homeland, @HomelandDems would immediately accept our offer to have @HomelandKen testify. Instead, this is just another example of DC swampland putting politics above public safety,” the DHS spokesperson tweeted on Friday.

The spokesperson added Wolf had agreed to testify on two other dates in recent months that were delayed by members of the committee.

President Trump formally sent the nomination of Wolf to the Senate on Thursday, a month after he announced Wolf as his pick.

Trump said it would be up to Wolf to answer any questions related to the complaint if they arose, telling reporters on Thursday he hadn’t seen it himself.

“Ask Chad Wolf,” Trump said. “He’s the one that would know something about it.”