Sen. Udall(D)- CIA IG Report Raises Grave Concerns About Constitutional Separation of Powers

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____ Mark Udall, a champion for transparency and accountability in U.S. intelligence operations, said CIA Director John Brennan's failure to fundamentally change the culture of the agency shatters Udall and the public's confidence in CIA leadership. Udall's announcement follows a CIA statement issued today indicating that agency officials improperly accessed U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence staff computers.

"During CIA Director John Brennan's confirmation hearings, he promised to fundamentally change the culture at the CIA and to respect vigorous and independent congressional oversight. His actions and those of CIA officials whom he oversees have proven otherwise," said Udall, who serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee. "From the unprecedented hacking of congressional staff computers and continued leaks undermining the Senate Intelligence Committee's investigation of the CIA's detention and interrogation program to his abject failure to acknowledge any wrongdoing by the agency, I have lost confidence in John Brennan."

"I will be briefed on the Inspector General report soon, but assuming the findings confirm what John Brennan himself admitted to the committee — that the CIA conducted this unauthorized search — I am concerned about the director's apparent inability to find any flaws in the agency he leads. Earlier this year he referred to the chairman's and my publicly stated concerns about the CIA search as 'spurious allegations that are wholly unsupported by facts' and urged us to 'refrain from outbursts.' Brennan needs to account for these statements. I also believe the administration should appoint an independent counsel to look into what I believe could be the violation of multiple provisions of the Constitution as well as federal criminal statutes and Executive Order 12333."

Udall pressed Brennan during his February 2013 confirmation hearing on the need for greater transparency in intelligence operations and the need for the agency to work with — and not against — the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Udall also noted during a March 2013 hearing his concerns about leaks by "unnamed CIA officials" undermining the Senate Intelligence Committee's study on the CIA's detention and interrogation program.

Following the revelations in March 2014 that the CIA hacked into Senate Intelligence Committee staff computers, Udall said he had serious questions about Brennan's leadership.


read: http://www.markudall.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=4444

related:

DiFi's NSA transparency "reform" effort codifying worst of govt hacking makes her look a fool today
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025317613

[grasswire]

1. thank you Senator Udall. eom

[bigtree]

2. Udall's absolutely correct

. . .It's not only that the CIA spied on the committee, they were actively working to undermine a senate investigation into their agency's conduct. In that effort, they actually attempted to initiate a criminal investigation of staffers, claiming that their information was obtained illegally. That action represents a blatant attempt to intimidate the Senate Intelligence Committee' to disrupt the course of their investigation into CIA crimes.

You have to wonder what was at stake for the present organization to make such an effort? After all, it was, presumably, past crimes that were being investigated. What compelled Brennan's CIA to do that much heavy lifting?

[kelliekat44]

3. Do any of you out there believe this was the first time the CIA has spied on

Congress? Most minority members of Congress. And the Senate have been spied on by either the FBI or the CIA. And you better believe they spy on Obama.