Watchdog Refuses to Detail Whistle-Blower Complaint About Trump

[Dennis Donovan]

Last edited Thu Sep 19, 2019, 11:59 AM - Edit history (1)

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/19/us/politics/intelligence-whistle-blower-complaint-trump.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur

By Nicholas Fandos, Eileen Sullivan, Julian E. Barnes and Matthew Rosenberg
Sept. 19, 2019, 11:12 a.m. ET

WASHINGTON — The internal watchdog for American spy agencies declined repeatedly in a briefing on Thursday to disclose to lawmakers the content of a potentially explosive whistle-blower complaint that is said to involve a discussion between President Trump and a foreign leader, according to two people familiar with the briefing.

During a private session on Capitol Hill, Michael Atkinson, the inspector general of the intelligence community, told lawmakers he was unable to confirm or deny anything about the substance of the complaint, including whether it involved the president, according to the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the closed-door conversation. The meeting was still underway.

The complaint, which prompted a standoff between Congress and Mr. Trump’s top intelligence official, involves a commitment that Mr. Trump made in a communication with another world leader, according to a person familiar with the complaint. The Washington Post first reported the nature of the discussion. The acting director of national intelligence, Joseph Maguire, has refused to give the complaint to Congress, as is generally required by law, the latest in a series of fights over information between the Democratic-led House and the White House.

Few details of the whistle-blower complaint are known, including the identity of the world leader. And it is not obvious how a communication between Mr. Trump and a foreign leader could meet the legal standards for a whistle-blower complaint that the inspector general would deem an “urgent concern.”

</snip>

WTF?? Was he "got to"???

On edit: more about Michael Atkinson

Michael K. Atkinson was sworn in as the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community on May 17, 2018, following his confirmation by the U.S. Senate. As Inspector General, Mr. Atkinson oversees a workforce of special agents, auditors, inspectors, attorneys, and support staff whose mission is to promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in the administration and implementation of programs and activities within the responsibility and authority of the Director of National Intelligence and to prevent and detect fraud and abuse in such programs and activities. He also serves as the Chair of the Intelligence Community Inspectors General Forum, which consists of the twelve inspectors general with oversight responsibility for elements of the intelligence community. The Forum serves as a mechanism for informing its members of the work of individual members of the Forum that may be of common interest and discussing questions that may involve or be of assistance to more than one of its members.

Prior to his Senate confirmation, Mr. Atkinson worked for the U.S. Department of Justice for over fifteen years. He worked as a Trial Attorney in DOJ’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section, from 2002 through 2006. He then served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia from 2006 through 2016, where he was the Acting Chief and Deputy Chief of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section. In 2012, he was awarded the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service for his work on a significant public corruption case. Thereafter, he served in DOJ’s National Security Division as the Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General for National Asset Protection and as Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General.

His awards also include the Executive Office for United States Attorneys’ Director’s Award for Superior Performance by an Assistant United States Attorney, and the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency’s Gaston L. Gianni Jr. Better Government Award for his work prosecuting the largest domestic bribery and bid steering scheme in the history of federal contracting.

Prior to his public service, Mr. Atkinson was a partner at Winston & Strawn, where he focused his practice on white collar defense, internal investigations, and complex civil litigation.

Mr. Atkinson earned his Juris Doctorate from Cornell University and his Bachelor of Arts from Syracuse University.

Is he the Bob Barr of the IC????

[RKP5637]

1. This gets stranger all the time! n/t

[BSdetect]

2. We are now in the situation of laws being flaunted by traitors.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

5. Russiapublicans do not recognize U.S. law

"Shall" apparently means "it is suggested".

[mopinko]

3. hold him in contempt.

[bluestarone]

4. I hope they make a SERIOUS decision here!

If they CAN hold him in contempt they SHOULD DO IT! Nancy said they should have the last time. So NOW could be the RIGHT TIME for them to make their move!!

[FBaggins]

6. I wonder what he COULD tell them?

Why show up at all if you're just going to say "we can't tell you"?

[gratuitous]

7. Dear NYT: Fuck your weasel words

" The acting director of national intelligence, Joseph Maguire, has refused to give the complaint to Congress, as is generally required by law, the latest in a series of fights over information between the Democratic-led House and the White House."

Reporting to the intelligence committees of the House and the Senate is not some optional I-don't-hafta-do-it-if-I-don't-wanna chore "generally required by law." It's the black letter of the U.S. Code. DNI Maguire isn't discharging the sworn obligations of his office. The excuse being proffered is that the Attorney General is stopping him, but the AG doesn't have that power or authority. This is stonewalling by the Trump administration, plain and simple. The NYT used to be able to recognize that; now, they're reduced to mewling "generally required by law," as if the dictate of the law is just one option of many.

[triron]

8. They are not doing their job. Chickenshits!

[Dennis Donovan]

9. That's definitely frustrating. It makes me think the reporter who wrote it...

...was too lazy to actually READ the law in question.

[NewJeffCT]

11. it's generally required if the Democrats control the House Intelligence Committee

it's mandatory if Republicans control it

[Lock him up.]

12. Can the orange mobster just 'classify' the whistle-blower info?

I don't know, I'm just asking.

If so, just lock him up before it's wayyyyyyyy too late!

He has caused wayyyyyyy too much damages already!!

[herding cats]

10. The problem here is the acting DNI has not submitted the complaint to Capital Hill

Which is required before it can go before Congress. Which left Atkinson unable to speak as to the contents.

Joseph McGuire is still the one stonewalling this moving forward.

[intrepidity]

13. Agreed nt