Angus King Slams DNI For Ending In-Person Election Security Briefings: ‘It Looks Like a Pre-Cover Up’

Senator Angus King (I-ME) accused Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe of engaging in a possible “cover-up,” now that he will no longer give in-person election security briefings to Congress.

Speaking to CNN’s John Berman on Monday, King argued that the “outrageous” cancellation of in-person briefings would hinder members of Congress from fully understanding the findings and context of intelligence community matters. King hypothesized that members of the intelligence community are furious with the news, and he also noted that Ratcliffe is a “big supporter of President Trump.”

This is a fundamental right of the people to know what their government knows about foreign interference in the election. After all, our tax money paid for this collection of intelligence. We, all the people, members of Congress and the people, should know what they know. If the intelligence committee learns something really dangerous coming at us and they don’t tell us, what’s the point?

Berman continued the interview by asking King why the DNI would not want to continue in-person briefings amid reports that Russia and other foreign powers are once again attempting to interfere with America’s elections.

“I hate to say this but it looks like a pre-cover up. It looks like they don’t want to share the information, they’re covering up information,” King answered. “I don’t know what they have or don’t have, but it looks like they’re trying to keep this information from the public so when everybody goes to vote on November 3, they won’t know the extent to which they’ve been attempted to be influenced by the Russians or some other country.”

King went on by offering his underwhelmed reaction to Ratcliffe’s attempt to justify the briefings rollback because of leaks to the media.

Watch above, via CNN.