Sean Davis, co-founder of The Federalist, reported on Wednesday night that CIA Director Gina Haspel is reportedly blocking the declassification and release of critical documents related to the FBI’s surveillance of the Trump campaign in 2016.
“I can report here tonight that these declassifications that have come out, those weren’t easy to get out and there’s in fact far more waiting to get out,” Davis told Fox News host Tucker Carlson. “Unfortunately, those releases and declassifications, according to multiple sources I’ve talked to, are being blocked by CIA Director Gina Haspel, who herself was the main link between Washington and London as the London station chief for John Brennan’s CIA during the 2016 election.”
“Recall it was London where Christopher Steele was doing all this work,” Davis continued. “And I’m told that it is Gina Haspel personally who’s blocking continued declassification of these documents that will show the American people the truth of what actually happened.”
Davis said that he believes that one reason that certain U.S. officials are making it difficult to declassify documents is because they are “likely implicated by” the documents, adding that their careers could be damaged based on what is contained in the documents.
WATCH:
Federalist co-founder Sean Davis reports that CIA Director Gina Haspel is blocking releasing and declassifying critical documents related to Obama’s FBI surveilling the Trump campaign in 2016 pic.twitter.com/BSckBzRYNb
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) October 1, 2020
Davis’ report comes after Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe declassified a document yesterday that stated U.S. officials had referred then-Democrat presidential nominee Hillary Clinton for investigation to the FBI regarding her alleged “approval of a plan concerning U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump and Russian hackers hampering U.S. elections as a means of distracting the public from her use of a private mail server.”
The news came in a letter that Ratcliffe sent to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Ratcliffe’s letter contained three major points:
- In late July 2016, U.S. intelligence agencies obtained insight into Russian intelligence analysis alleging that U.S. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton had approved a campaign plan to stir up a scandal against U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump by tying him to Putin and the Russians’ hacking of the Democratic National Committee. The IC does not know the accuracy of this allegation or the extent to which the Russian intelligence analysis may reflect exaggeration or fabrication.
- According to his handwritten notes, former Central Intelligence Agency Director [John] Brennan subsequently briefed President Obama and other senior national security officials on the intelligence, including the “alleged approval by Hillary Clinton on July 26, 2016 of a proposal from one of her foreign policy advisors to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by Russian security services.”
- On 07 September 2016, U.S. intelligence officials forwarded an investigative referral to FBI Director James Comey and Deputy Assistant Director of Counterintelligence Peter Strzok regarding “U.S. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s approval of a plan concerning U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump and Russian hackers hampering U.S. elections as a means of distracting the public from her use of a private mail server.”
“As referenced in his 24 September 2020 letter to your Committee, Attorney General [William] Barr has advised that the disclosure of this information will not interfere with ongoing Department of Justice investigations,” Ratcliffe added. “Additional declassification and public disclosure of related intelligence remains under consideration; however, the IC welcomes the opportunity to provide a classified briefing with further detail at your convenience.”
This story has been updated to include additional information.