Senator Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is blocking the nomination of former FBI agent Bill Evanina for the nation’s top counterintelligence position.
The back story here is — what else? — the Trump-Russia investigation.
Evanina was the government’s most senior counterintelligence official during Russia’s hack and release influence operation aimed at undermining the 2016 presidential election. Asked during a public appearance in April 2018 why no action was taken to stop the Russian intelligence activities in 2016, Evanina said counterintelligence agencies worked against the Russians but the lack of any response was “a policy decision.”
But Grassley and the Free Beacon are not objecting to Evanina’s lack of vigilance about Russia. The Republican party and the right-wing media outlets have displayed the same lack of concern, if not more.
They are objecting to the fact that Evanina worked for James Clapper, the former Director of the Office of National Intelligence, now a leading Trump critic.
Trump, of course, could pull Evanina’s appointment any time but he hasn’t, indicating Trump is more interested in having Evanina as a punching bag than in actually filling the position.
Grassley is seeking information about alleged anti-Trump bias in the national security agencies, and he’s not getting it.
“I continue to experience difficulties obtaining relevant documents and briefings from the Justice Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence related to 2016 election controversies,” Grassley said in placing the hold March 5.
Source: Controversial Counterintelligence Nominee on Hold In Senate
