Trump Revokes Ex-CIA Chief Brennan’s Security Clearance

Partisan swamp creature can no longer leverage classified info, says WH

Jamie White | Infowars.com - August 15, 2018

The Trump administration has revoked the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan, according to a statement from the president.

“As the head of the Executive Branch and Commander-in-Chief, I have a unique constitutional responsibility to protect the nation’s classified information, including by controlling access to it. Today, in fulfilling that responsibility, I’ve decided to revoke the security clearance of John Brennan, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said reading Trump’s statement.

.@POTUS revokes security clearance for former CIA director John Brennan https://t.co/QZrKVuD4LY pic.twitter.com/847QEo2pW5

— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 15, 2018

“Historically, former heads of intelligence and law enforcement agencies have been allowed to retain access to classified information after their government service so that they can consult with their successors regarding matters about which they may have special insights and as a professional courtesy. Neither of these justifications supports Mr. Brennan’s continued access to classified information.”

“First, at this point in my administration, any benefits that senior officials might glean from consultations from Mr. Brennan are now outweighed by the risks posed by his erratic conduct and behavior,” Sanders continued.

“Second, that conduct and behavior has tested and far exceeded the limits of any professional courtesy that may have been due to him. Mr. Brennan has a history that calls into question his objectivity and credibility.”

As one example, Trump’s statement referred to when Brennan lied in 2014 about the CIA spying on Congress.

Additionally, Sanders pointed out that Brennan also lied to Congress under oath last year, claiming that the intelligence community did not utilize the infamous Steele Dossier to secure FISA warrants in the surveillance of Trump campaign officials in 2016.

Sanders also said Brennan’s “unfounded and outrageous allegations” and “wild outbursts” about Trump disqualifies him from retaining access to classified information which he “leverages” on MSNBC, where he now works as a commentator.

Donald Trump’s press conference performance in Helsinki rises to & exceeds the threshold of “high crimes & misdemeanors.” It was nothing short of treasonous. Not only were Trump’s comments imbecilic, he is wholly in the pocket of Putin. Republican Patriots: Where are you???

— John O. Brennan (@JohnBrennan) July 16, 2018

Your fear of exposure is palpable. Your desperation even more so. When will those of conscience among your Cabinet, inner circle, and Republican leadership realize that your unprincipled and unethical behavior as well as your incompetence are seriously damaging our Nation. https://t.co/n6ivjOYxzo

— John O. Brennan (@JohnBrennan) June 23, 2018

The announcement comes the day after Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani warned Brennan may face a grand jury for “quarterbacking” the phony Russia investigation.

“The guy running it is Brennan. And he should be in front of a grand jury,” Giuliani said on Hannity.

“Unless he’s the biggest idiot intelligence agent that ever existed—although he never really did much intelligence work—it’s false. You could look at it [the dossier] and laugh at it.”

Senator Rand Paul praised Trump’s decision Wednesday on Twitter.

“I applaud President Trump for his revoking of John Brennan’s security clearance. I urged the President to do this,” Paul said.

I applaud President Trump for his revoking of John Brennan’s security clearance. I urged the President to do this. Read more here: https://t.co/SAQNTJ1UAn

— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) August 15, 2018

Brennan later responded on Twitter, claiming the revoking of his clearance is meant to “suppress” his “freedom of speech.”

“This action is part of a broader effort by Mr. Trump to suppress freedom of speech & punish critics. It should gravely worry all Americans, including intelligence professionals, about the cost of speaking out. My principles are worth far more than clearances. I will not relent,” he tweeted.

This action is part of a broader effort by Mr. Trump to suppress freedom of speech & punish critics. It should gravely worry all Americans, including intelligence professionals, about the cost of speaking out. My principles are worth far more than clearances. I will not relent. https://t.co/TNzOxhP9ux

— John O. Brennan (@JohnBrennan) August 15, 2018

What a hypocrite. It's "ok" to deny someone like Alex Jones his right of free speech but how dare Trump deny a former gov employee who now works for msm and trashes the current administration non stop, access to gov secrets.

Good for Trump. There are a lot more who need to be cut off.

12 ex-intel officials slam Trump for 'ill-considered and unprecedented' action against Brennan

By Lukas Mikelionis | Fox News

Fallout from Trump revoking John Brennan's clearance

Former CIA director John Brennan fires back at President Trump, says he refuses to be silenced; reaction and analysis from the 'Special Report' All-Stars.

Twelve former senior intelligence officials issued a statement late Thursday criticizing President Trump’s “ill-considered and unprecedented” decision to strip former CIA Director John Brennan’s security clearance.

“The president’s action regarding John Brennan and the threats of similar action against other former officials has nothing to do with who should and should not hold security clearances — and everything to do with an attempt to stifle free speech,” the statement reads.

“As individuals who have cherished and helped preserve the right of Americans to free speech — even when that right has been used to criticize us — that signal is inappropriate and deeply regrettable.”
Former State Department Adviser Christian Whiton discusses President Trump's decision to revoke former CIA Director John Brennan's security clearance.

Among the signers are six former CIA directors -- including retired Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, who was a potential candidate for secretary of state in the early days of the Trump administration.

Also in the group: five former deputy directors of the CIA, and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, whose name reportedly appeared on a White House list of ex-officials who may soon join Brennan in losing their security clearances.

"As individuals who have cherished and helped preserve the right of Americans to free speech — even when that right has been used to criticize us — that signal is inappropriate and deeply regrettable."
- The joint statement from 12 former intelligence officials.

The dozen stressed that while they don’t necessarily agree with comments made by Brennan, who’s become a frequent guest on liberal news channels, they believe he has the right to voice them.

The statement came just a day after the White House revoked Brennan’s security clearance following a review of access granted to several top Obama-era intelligence and law enforcement officials.

The Trump administration said Brennan “has a history that calls his credibility into question,” and accused him of “leveraging” the clearance to make “wild outbursts” and claims about the administration.

“The president has a constitutional responsibility to protect classified information and who has access to it, and that’s what he’s doing is fulfilling that responsibility in this action,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said.

“....An incredibly corrupt FBI & DOJ trying to steer the outcome of a Presidential Election. Brennan has gone off the deep end, he’s disgraced and discredited himself. His conduct has been outrageous.” Chris Farrell, Judicial Watch.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2018

In a series of tweets, Trump also tweeted comments critical of Brennan, including that he “has gone off the deep end”.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Rand Paul says Trump should keep revoking Obama-era officials' security clearances. I agree.



Onward and upward,
airforce

Forget the security clearance, John Brennan should be prosecuted.



Onward and upward,
airforce

Senate intel chief blasts Brennan for Russian collusion claim

By Rowan Scarborough - The Washington Times - Friday, August 17, 2018

Sen. Richard Burr, who leads the Senate Selective Committee on Intelligence, issued a sharp rebuke of former CIA Director John Brennan, saying that if he has evidence of Russian collusion he should have presented it to his panel.

The North Carolina Republican’s statement was remarkable in that he has adhered to a strict nonpartisan approach as the committee pursues a more than yearlong investigation into Russia’s hacking Democratic Party computers and other interference.

After President Trump revoked Mr. Brennan’s security clearance Thursday, the ex-top spy claimed there is no doubt candidate Trump colluded with the Kremlin. On Twitter, Mr. Brennan has accused the president of committing felonies, such as treason. He has asserted Mr. Trump is being blackmailed by Vladimir Putin.

Mr. Burr suggested Mr. Brennan has become a partisan ex-director whose statements are “purely political and based on conjecture.”

Republicans, now including Mr. Burr, say Mr. Brennan spent hours before both the House and Senate intelligence committees and presented no confirmed evidence of collusion. The Republican majority of House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence issued a final report this spring that said they found no collusion.

Here is Mr. Burr’s statement:

“Director Brennan’s recent statements purport to know as fact that the Trump campaign colluded with a foreign power. If Director Brennan’s statement is based on intelligence he received while still leading the CIA, why didn’t he include it in the Intelligence Community Assessment released in 2017? If his statement is based on intelligence he has seen since leaving office, it constitutes an intelligence breach. If he has some other personal knowledge of or evidence of collusion, it should be disclosed to the Special Counsel, not The New York Times.

“If, however, Director Brennan’s statement is purely political and based on conjecture, the president has full authority to revoke his security clearance as head of the Executive Branch.”

Republican view Mr. Brennan as a supremely political figure who gets paid handsomely by MSNBC, an anti-Trump channel, to bash Mr. Trump.

Mr. Brennan was a prime mover in the FBI’s decision to open an investigation into the Trump campaign in July 2016.

During the election, he fed the FBI information on any Trump associate who reported contact with a Russian.

Mr. Brennan told the House intelligence committee in May 2017:

“I wanted to make sure that every information and bit of intelligence that we had was shared with the bureau [FBI] so that they could take it. It was well beyond my mandate as director of CIA to follow on any of those leads that involved U.S. persons. But I made sure that anything that was involving U.S. persons, including anything involving the individuals involved in the Trump campaign, was shared with the bureau.”

Asked by a Republican member what the Trump and Russians talked about, he answered that he did not know.

He also took information from the discredited dossier — financed by Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party — and briefed it to congressional leaders.

Then-Sen. Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, put the dossier allegations into a letter to the FBI and leaked it to the New York Times during the election.

Mr. Brennan wrote in the New York Times this week:

“The only questions that remain are whether the collusion that took place constituted criminally liable conspiracy, whether obstruction of justice occurred to cover up any collusion or conspiracy, and how many members of ‘Trump Incorporated’ attempted to defraud the government by laundering and concealing the movement of money into their pockets.”

In revoking his security clearance, Mr. Trump said, “Mr. Brennan has recently leveraged his status as a former high-ranking official with access to highly sensitive information to make a series of unfounded and outrageous allegations — wild outbursts on the internet and television — about this administration.

After Mr. Trump botched his press conference question in Helsinki on Russian hacking, Mr. Brennan tweeted, “It was nothing short of treasonous. Not only were Trump’s comments imbecilic, he is wholly in the pocket of Putin.”

Mr. Brennan was at the White House when Mr. Obama launched his “Russian reset” policy that met some of Mr. Putin’s demands, such as not stationing anti-missile interceptors in Poland. Mr. Obama defended Mr. Putin against charges from Mitt Romney that Russia was the U.S. No. 1 adversary.

Mr. Brennan is not alone among the Obama alumni in accusing Mr. Trump of criminal activity.

James Clapper, former director of national intelligence, is paid by CNN, another anti-Trump network. He has said that Mr. Trump is an illegal agent of Russia, but offered no proof.

Mr. Burr told the Associated Press that after 19 months of investigating there is “no factual evidence today that we’ve received” on Trump-Russia collusion.