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President Trump wrote on Tuesday that he had ordered the publication of classified documents on the ongoing investigation into Russian electoral interference because "very bad things were happening".
The White House said Trump was taking the measure for the sake of "transparency", but former law enforcement and intelligence officials warned that the directive threatened to update sources and sensitive methods.
The release of documents intensified the White House's attack on the Justice Department just days after former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort agreed to plead guilty and cooperate. at the inquiry of the special council.
Trump has ordered the release of communications involving people on his list of enemies and sections of an application under the Foreign Intelligence Oversight Act – something that has never happened before.
"The publication of FISA like this is not on the agenda," wrote David Kris, former Deputy Attorney General for National Security, about the secret orders.
"It is particularly unprecedented in view of the fact that the FISA have already been subjected to a declassification review and that the president overturns the judgments of his subordinates to require more extensive disclosure."
Feds, spies charged with declassifying
The Justice Department said it was working with the FBI and the national intelligence director "to comply with the order of the president". This review process is ongoing and a DNI spokesperson said Tuesday that she is working "quickly with our inter-agency partners".
Trump demanded the "immediate declassification" in a statement Monday night, ordering the publication of pages of an FISA application on his former campaign advisor, Carter Page, as well as text messages on Andrew McCabe, a former FBI agent Peter Stzrok and former FBI lawyer Lisa Page.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., Is a Republican lawmaker with strong ties to the White House and who wants the documents to be published.
Gaetz said that they will reveal "some of the corruption and systemic biases that have occurred at the highest level of the DOJ and the FBI."
"Basically, you have a counter-terrorism tool used to spy on a presidential campaign, which is unprecedented in our history," Trump quoted Rep. Peter King, RN, as saying.
"What will be revealed is that these FISA mandates have no basis, that the important information has been removed from the court, there will be a disproportionate influence of the (false) record. Basically, you have a counterterrorism tool used to spy on a presidential …
– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 18, 2018
…. campaign, which is unprecedented in our history. Peter King, Congressman Things were really bad, but they are now exposed. Big thing!
– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 18, 2018
But FISA applications are prepared by career lawyers from the Department of Justice and the FBI, supported by underlying volumes of evidence, and require a high-level agreement in both institutions.
Nominations on Page, which have been exposed to law enforcement control over its links with Russia, have been approved four times – by political leaders of administrations representing both the Democrats and the Republicans.
The signing of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein on final demand – which was proposed by Trump and confirmed by the Republican Senate – has made Rosenstein a Conservative political target.
Carrie Cordero, a former national security lawyer with the Department of Justice who handled these requests, said she was "deeply concerned about the motives and timing of this upcoming release."
"While transparency on the operations of the intelligence community is important, the continued publication of information relating to the investigation in Russia, FISA Carter and related documents appears to be for political purposes while we are mid-term, "said Cordero. Center for a new American security.
"It does not build confidence in the intelligence community's activities or strengthen the security of the nation."
The highest officials of the Ministry of Justice involved in private opposition also, according to an account.
Representative Adam Schiff, D-Calif., The eminent member of the House's intelligence committee, said that he had been "previously informed" by FBI director Christopher Wray and Rosenstein that some of the materials that Trump had ordered to release line that should not be crossed as they may compromise sources and methods. "
"It is obvious that this has no consequence for a president who cares nothing about the country and anything that concerns his personal interest," Schiff said.
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