Declassified emails expose Obama intel chief’s role in Russiagate hoax

The newly released records show how James Clapper pushed to stick to the claim that Russia meddled in the 2016 US election

US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has declassified new documents revealing that former President Barack Obama’s administration “manufactured” intelligence to create the 2016 Trump-Russia collusion narrative and push the Russiagate probe.

The top-secret correspondence, released on Wednesday, shows former DNI James Clapper directing intelligence chiefs to “compromise on normal” procedures to rush a politicized 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA), despite concerns from then-National Security Agency (NSA) Director Mike Rogers.

On December 22, 2016, Rogers warned Clapper, then-FBI Director James Comey, and then-CIA Director John Brennan that the NSA lacked “sufficient access” to all the intelligence and had not had “enough time” to be “absolutely confident” in its assessment of Russian involvement in the election.

Hours later, Clapper dismissed the call for more time, writing that “more time is not negotiable.” He stressed it was “essential that we (CIA/NSA/FBI/ODNI) be on the same page, and are all supportive of the report – in the highest tradition of ‘that’s OUR story, and we’re sticking’ to it.’” Clapper added: “This is one project that has to be a team sport.” 

The exchange took place shortly after a meeting between Obama, Clapper, Brennan, and other senior officials, during which Obama ordered a report detailing “the tools Moscow used and actions it took to influence the 2016 election.”