House Intelligence Committee Issues Some Unexpected Subpoenas in the Russia Probe

The Wall Street Journal reports that the House Intelligence Committee issued seven subpoenas today in its probe of the Trump-Russia collusion. The targets of four of these subpoenas remain unleaked, but that will probably change by tomorrow. The three that we know about are very interesting:

Advertisement

The committee has subpoenaed the National Security Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency for information about what is called “unmasking.” Republicans on the committee have been pushing for a thorough investigation of how the names of Trump campaign officials became exposed in classified intelligence reports based off intelligence community intercepts.

Those subpoenas seek information on requests made by former national security adviser Susan Rice, former CIA Director John Brennan and former United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power for names to be unmasked in classified material. The three didn’t personally receive subpoenas, the people familiar with the matter said. Mr. Brennan, Ms. Rice and Ms. Power didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

I’ve speculated before that Brennan is the Patient Zero of this entire collusion mythos. It was the CIA, alone, of the intelligence agencies who were flogging the Russia-stole-the-election story and eventually convinced the FBI to change its stance from YGBSM to okay. The NSA never bought the CIA’s story.

Susan Rice was obviously in the unmasking business up to her unibrow. It is uncertain whether she was doing it out of personal interest or if she was part of the “resistance” that boasted it was spreading information about Trump and Russia everywhere, but there is no doubt that she was involved in questionable if not outright illegal unmasking.

Advertisement

The new name in the mix is Samantha Power. This is the first time her name has come up in connection with anything not involving flaming incompetence or moral culpability in genocide. It is difficult to imagine a set of circumstances where the UN Ambassador would have the need to see intelligence transcripts involving Americans much less need to know their actual identities.

This action plus the statements by Lindsey Graham on the famous email former FBI Director James Comey used to justify meddling the 2016 election lead one to believe that by the time everyone loses interest in this investigation the Democrats might be sorry they started it.

Recommended

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Trending on RedState Videos