Ex-CIA Director Brennan Blasts Trump Delegating Intel Declassification Powers to AG Barr: ‘Outrageous… Unprecedented’

Former CIA Director John Brennan blasted President Donald Trump’s decision to grant his attorney general unfettered access to sensitive intelligence material about agency sources in Russia as an “outrageous move” and an “unprecedented act.”

Appearing on MSNBC’s All In with Chris Hayes, Brennan warned that delegating so much authority to the Attorney General Bill Barr as part of the Justice Department’s investigation into the investigators of Trump’s 2016 campaign appeared to prioritize political expediency over national security. Brennan, a longtime, vocal critic of Trump’s, notably had his security clearance revoked by Trump last summer in a move broadly seen as payback by the president.

“Is [Barr] just going to be looking for information that…Mr. Trump can just give to some of his defenders on the right and cherry-pick information that could be taken out of context?” Barr asked. “More fundamentally, the concern is that very, very precious and sensitive sources and methods of the United States intelligence community as well as our papers and allies abroad. Those who share this sensitive information with us, is Mr. Barr, who doesn’t have the understanding, is he going to release information that he deems appropriate for Mr. Trump’s defense? This is very serious and know that my former colleagues in the intelligence agencies are looking upon this with great concern and worry.”

Addressing still-active members of the U.S. intelligence community, Brennan urged them to be vigilant against political manipulation of sensitive agency information. “I hope they stand up to this effort by Mr. Trump that does seem to go into the sensitive files, the very sensitive technical or human source files that they may see fit to defend Mr. Trump,” he said. “I implore them to stand up to this unprecedented act on the part of Mr. Trump, who doesn’t understand nor care about the national security concerns of the intelligence community.”

Pressed by Hayes about the scourge of over-classification among the U.S intelligence agencies, and their reputation for blindly defending their turf, Brennan said that the Congressional intelligence committees are the best vehicle for rigorous oversight. Not the president’s hand-picked attorney general.

“I am deeply, deeply concerned about what is going on right now,” Brennan added. “Mr. Trump is authorizing what appears to be his personal attorney to pursue these efforts in the agencies and uncover and to potentially release this information that could, in fact, put people’s lives in great jeopardy as well as put very sensitive and very exquisite U.S. intelligence capabilities at risk. This is something I think the committees of jurisdiction, Senate intelligence and House intelligence, need to exert their appropriate authorities and to stop any reckless and irresponsible release of information that could harm this country for years to come.”

Watch the video above, via MSNBC.