Trump official releases unverified Russian intel on Clinton previously rejected by Senate panel
Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe declassified a letter Tuesday that included unverified Russian intelligence about 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, which was previously dismissed by the Senate Intelligence Committee, a congressional source confirmed to The Hill.
Ratcliffe is coming under fire for releasing the unverified intelligence, which claims Clinton had approved a plan to “stir up a scandal” against Trump by trying to tie him to Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Asked about the allegations in the letter declassified by Ratcliffe and released by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the source added that the Senate Intelligence Committee had been “aware of this intel for years and dismissed it.”
Democrats blasted Ratcliffe for making public what they describe as disinformation being spread by one of the U.S.’s political foes. The intelligence chief denied in a statement that it was Russian disinformation.
https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/518853-trump-official-releases-unverified-russian-intel-on-clintonYeah, so a US intelligence director using Russian rumours to attack Americans. A bit scandalous, I feel. Also, $300 million that was diverted from actual coronavirus work to a feel-good campaign designed to benefit the business partner of the crazed Trump appointee is not even making people feel good:
HHS ad blitz sputters as celebrities back away
The health department’s $300 million-plus, taxpayer-funded vehicle to boost confidence in President Donald Trump’s response to the pandemic is sputtering. Celebrities are refusing to participate, and staff are arraying against it. Some complain of the unstated aim of helping Trump’s re-election. Others point to an ill-prepared video team and a 22-year-old political appointee who has repeatedly asserted control despite having no public health expertise, according to six people with close knowledge of the campaign and documents related to its operations.
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A central problem: The video firm recommended by HHS to execute the campaign has struggled to meet deadlines, retain staff and even find the contact information of celebrities to participate in the videos, said three people with knowledge of the operation and documents reviewed by POLITICO.
That firm, DD&T, is led by a filmmaker who had no prior experience making U.S. public health campaigns and is also the business partner of Caputo, the Trump loyalist who served as the health department's spokesperson before taking leave this month.
"They had no reason being the people working on this campaign," the person involved in the process added. "They did not have any connections to filming crews, companies or anything."
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/29/hhs-ad-blitz-sputters-as-celebrities-back-away-423274
= new reply since forum marked as read
