"Intelligence gate" in the US, sweetened intelligence products to please Trump

The former chief of intelligence at the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Brian murphy yesterday filed a complaint with the DHS Inspector General's Office, claiming he was forced to manipulate his analyzes for purely political reasons.

The content of the complaint is available online on the website of the US House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Murphy says his superiors, including senior DHS officials, allegedly committed the offense of "attempted abuse of authority", possibly violating federal law.

The "heavy" accusation against Trump

Murphy claims that his bosses have elaborated, and sweetened them, important intelligence products on national security matters. These officials, according to Murphy, have sought to "censor and manipulate intelligence" produced by DHS analysts in order to advance President Trump's agenda.

In his complaint, Murphy identifies interim national security secretary Chad Wolf, his predecessor, Kirstjen Nielsen, and Wolf's deputy, Ken Cuccinelli, as those who would have lobbied to change his intelligence products. The pressures began with reference to Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election. According to Murphy, his supervisors ordered him to "to terminate the intelligence activity on the threat of Russian interference in the United States, and instead begin to report on the interference of China and Iran ”.

Another pressure that Murphy received was to downplay the domestic terrorist threat posed by far-right organizations. Instead, he was specifically asked to emphasize the alleged links between terrorism and immigration to the United States from Latin America.

In late 2018, then DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen told Congress that nearly 3.800 documented terrorists had crossed the US border from Mexico. Murphy argues, however, that the actual number was only three confirmed cases.

Murphy was removed from his post in August this year and was "demoted".

"Intelligence gate" in the US, sweetened intelligence products to please Trump

| EVIDENCE 4, INTELLIGENCE |