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Congressman Krishnamoorthi On President Trump’s Declassification of Russia Investigation Documents: “As Reckless As It Is Nakedly Political”

September 19, 2018

SCHAUMBURG, IL – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi of the Oversight Committee released the statement below in response to President Trump's directives to the Department of Justice and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to declassify materials related to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. These materials include 20 pages of a FISA surveillance application which targeted former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page as well as unredacted copies all text messages relating to the Russia investigation sent or received by James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, and Bruce Ohr.

"The declassification of any intelligence material, let alone documents directly related to an ongoing investigation into Russian election meddling, should be done with the utmost care. The President's unprecedented order to suddenly release this information without going through the standard declassification measures is as reckless as it is nakedly political. Our national security depends on trustworthy individuals who have been vetted and cleared for security clearances to assemble, analyze, and secure intelligence. President Trump has already repeatedly granted security clearances to those who do not deserve them and should not qualify. It now appears that he has extended his recklessness with classified material to this unprecedented and apparently self-serving declassification. If he continues to undermine our intelligence agencies, our security clearance protocol, and the work of the Justice Department, the President will only come even closer to publicly obstructing an ongoing investigation. Congress must act to ensure that the President's actions do not irreparably harm our intelligence infrastructure or national security."

Congressman Krishnamoorthi has been a leading voice on security clearance and background check investigations throughout his time in office and authored legislation, since signed into law, requiring the Director of the National Background Investigations Bureau to report to Congress on the processes by which senior administration officials apply for and receive security clearances