Johnson: CIA 'withholding' information on Russian hacking
Senate Homeland Security Chairman Ron Johnson on Friday said the CIA denied his request for a briefing on its findings about Russian cyberattacks allegedly designed to influence the election.
“I’m not happy they denied a briefing to me,” the Wisconsin Republican told a public radio interviewer in his home state on Friday morning. “I need information from the administration, and right now they’re withholding it.”
He added in a statement: “It is disappointing that the CIA would provide information on this issue to The Washington Post and NBC but will not provide information to elected members of Congress.”
Johnson is the second congressional committee chairman in three days to charge that intelligence officials are leaving lawmakers in the dark as interpretations of Russian meddling in the election are leaked to the media. House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) on Wednesday wrote to Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, alleging that intelligence officials had declined his request for a committee-wide briefing.
Johnson suggested that the furor raised by the leak of the CIA’s secret report on Russian interference to help Donald Trump risks “delegitimizing” the election. Electors from six states have sought an intelligence briefing of their own before they vote Monday to officially enshrine Trump as president.
“I believe this is a fair election,” Johnson told Wisconsin Public Radio. “I believe it’s a legitimate result. The Electoral College certainly will vote, and Donald Trump will be our next president.”
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