Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell got snarky with House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff after the California Democrat sent him a pointed letter raising concerns about a shake-up of the spy community.
Grenell, who is concurrently serving as U.S. ambassador to Germany and is widely seen as a loyalist to President Trump, appeared to not take kindly to Schiff’s insinuation that he was engaged in the “politicization” of intelligence.
“Going forward, I encourage you to think of the relationship between your committee and the IC as that between the legislative and executive branches of government, rather than that between a hedge fund and a distressed asset, as your letter suggests,” he said in a Monday letter that was obtained by the Washington Examiner.
Grenell’s snappish tone was encapsulated at the very end of the letter, in which he wrote: “I strongly agree with your statement of a bipartisan legislative commitment to the IC. I would hope to see this commitment reflected on the signature line of your future letters.”
This was a swipe at Schiff’s letter, sent earlier this month, that was not signed by the ranking Republican member on the House Intelligence Committee, California Rep. Devin Nunes.
Grenell started his response by defending the recent leadership shift at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Schiff had expressed “concern that you are pursuing organizational and personnel changes at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence without consulting and seeking authorization from Congress and in a manner that undermines critical intelligence functions.” He claimed that “this effort appears to be proceeding despite the coronavirus pandemic and amid indications, exemplified by a March 10 briefing to members of Congress, of political interference in the production and dissemination of intelligence.”
Russell Travers, who took over as acting director of the National Counterterrorism Center after Grenell’s predecessor, Joseph Maguire, departed the role to become acting director of national intelligence in August, retired after more than 40 years of government service. Grenell denied a report claiming Travers was fired. Grenell selected Lora Shiao, a longtime counterterrorism intelligence veteran, to be the NCTC’s next deputy director, noting she will serve as the center’s first female director. Clare Linkins, who has also spent years in the counterterrorism arena, is the NCTC’s new executive director.
“I must begin by voicing my surprise that your four-page letter said nothing about the historic appointment of the first female Director of the National Counterterrorism Center,” Grenell told Schiff. “Instead, you expressed concerns regarding the retirement of the former male Director. You erroneously cast judgment on the reason of his departure while ignoring the accomplishments of NCTC’s new leadership, two highly qualified female officers serving as the Acting Director and Acting Deputy Director. Diversity of the IC workforce should always be celebrated, and I am proud that we increased diversity within the ODNI’s senior ranks, to include more women and members of the LGBT community.”
Schiff also said in his letter: “Reports indicate that one or more members of your staff may be inappropriately interfering with the production and briefing of intelligence information on election security to Congress.” The Democrat said, “This politicization of intelligence would constitute a grave breach of your duty as Acting DNI to preserve the independence of the IC.”
Grenell replied, “I am compelled to defend these career officers from unsubstantiated indictments of their motivations and judgment.” The spy chief added, “I must disagree with your proposals to divest the DNI of managerial competence and personnel decision-making authority, and to replace your committee’s mandate for Intelligence Community oversight with a mandate for IC administration.”
National security officials told lawmakers in March the intelligence community had not concluded Russia was backing any particular 2020 candidate while warning about meddling by China, Iran, and North Korea. An unclassified ODNI fact sheet rejected a stream of media reports on classified briefings on election security.
“The IC has not concluded that the Kremlin is directly aiding any candidate’s reelection or any other candidates’ election. Nor have we concluded that the Russians will definitely choose to try to do so in 2020,” the ODNI advised lawmakers.
Schiff also demanded Grenell to hand over by April 16 “any and all communications” related to the National Counterintelligence and Security Center Director William Evanina’s participation in the March 10 briefing. That intelligence briefing countered media reports by the Washington Post and others in which anonymous sources said the intelligence community concluded Russia was helping Trump with reelection and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont win the Democratic primaries.
In February, the intelligence community disputed information the media were given about another classified House Intelligence Committee briefing, with officials denying lawmakers were told Russia was attempting to help Trump in 2020.
Grenell said Tuesday he provided lawmakers with a declassified fact sheet on election interference threats after some members of Congress “requested publicly-releasable information to use with constituents and the media.” He said the unclassified election security details “also protect career intelligence briefers from any subsequent media reporting which might not otherwise do justice to the quality and integrity of their work.”
CNN tweeted on Tuesday that “President Trump’s acting intel chief flouts top Democrat’s demand for answers about watchdog firing.”
“Not true,” Grenell replied. “I answered him. He said we should act like we are a hedge fund and a troubled asset — I said no, we should act like the Executive Branch and the Legislative Branch … because that is what we are. #Facts.”
