Former CIA Director John Brennan hopes “individuals of conscience” will stymie President Trump’s order to declassify Justice Department and FBI documents related to the federal Russia investigation.
“A number of individuals are trying to protect Mr. Trump and abusing their authorities and their powers, whether it be in Congress or within the executive branch,” Brennan said Tuesday during an interview with MSNBC.
“And this is something that I am hoping that individuals of conscience are going to stop and prevent because I am concerned that this is just one indication that Mr. Trump is going to increasingly look for steps to take in order to further try to subvert the Mueller investigation,” Brennan continued, referring to the special counsel’s inquiry.
Trump on Monday ordered the DOJ, FBI and Office of the Director of National Intelligence to declassify key materials to the Russia probe, including pages from the June 2017 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court warrant application to gather information on former Trump foreign policy adviser Carter Page, as well as text messages from current and former officials, including fired FBI Director James Comey.
[Adam Schiff: ‘Clear abuse of power’ for Trump to have Russia-related documents declassified]
The move was an attempt to “arbitrarily, capriciously, and recklessly” disclose facts discrediting agencies investigating him for “craven political purposes,” Brennan said. He added that foreign adversaries may obtain insight about U.S. sources and methods through the release.
“If Mr. Trump and the White House does not relent, well then I think they have some decisions to make, whether or not they are going to just not follow that direction and be fired, or to resign,” Brennan said, name-checking FBI Director Christopher Wray, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
“But if they really believe this is going to have serious impact on national security, law enforcement, and [the] judicial process, they have an obligation, since they took an oath of office to the Constitution of the United States and not to Mr. Trump, to uphold their responsibilities and the agencies’ and the departments’ authorities,” he said.
Trump’s announcement Monday came at the behest of Republican lawmakers calling for the documents to be made widely available. The materials covered are being examined by the varies bodies that possess them.
Brennan was stripped of his security clearance by Trump in August for “erratic” behavior. Brennan, an MSNBC commentator, has used his public platform to criticize Trump as being “abnormal. He has served a bipartisan collection of presidents over the course of his career.
