Attorney General William Barr accused the media in a new interview of being uninterested in finding out about the origins of the Trump-Russia probe,…
Attorney General William Barr accused the media in a new interview of being uninterested in finding out about the origins of the Trump-Russia probe, and of shirking their duty as watchdogs for the public.
“Normally the media would be interested in letting the sunshine in and finding out what the truth is,” Barr said in an interview with CBS News. “And usually the media doesn’t care that much about protecting intelligence sources and methods. But I do and I will.”
Barr was discussing his plans for declassification of documents related to the surveillance activities against the Trump campaign during the Russia investigation.
President Donald Trump ordered the heads of various government agencies, including the FBI and CIA, to provide materials to Barr. He also granted Barr the authority to declassify documents as he sees fit.
The decision generated heavy criticism from former intelligence officials, TV pundits and some journalists.
The New York Times, Politico, The Washington Post, and other outlets published stories that quoted former intelligence officials fretting that the declassification order would allow Barr to disclose the identities of confidential sources used in the Russia investigation. The Times article asserted that the CIA is concerned that the declassification order will lead to the unmasking of a sensitive Kremlin source close to Vladimir Putin.
The Times reported that the source, which the CIA has cultivated for years, provided the information that Putin directed the election interference in 2016.
WATCH:
Former CIA Director John Brennan responded to Trump’s order on May 24, saying that he was worried that Barr would release information on sources and methods in “willy nilly” fashion.
