US Spy Leaders Won't Brief Electors Even as Poll Shows Majority Want Vote Delay
New poll shows majority public support for delaying Electoral College vote on Monday
Amid a nationwide protest effort aimed at convincing members of the Electoral College to reject Donald Trump and serious concerns about alleged interference in the U.S. election by Russia's government, a new poll out Sunday reveals majority support for delaying Monday's scheduled vote until electors are given an official intelligence briefing on the matter.
According to a YouGov poll conducted on behalf of the advocacy group Avaaz, 52% percent of respondents either "strongly agree" or "somewhat agree" that Monday's "vote should be delayed until the Electors can be briefed about the allegations of Russian hacking."
Demands for Electors to receive such a briefing have been growing steadily since several high-profile news stories said U.S. intelligence officials have determined with a "high level of confidence" that the Kremlin was involved with obtaining emails from the Democratic National Committee's computer systems as well as emails from John Podesta, the powerful D.C. lobbyist who served as Hillary Clinton's campaign chair. Additional reporting claimed the CIA also believes that Russia specifically intervened to improve the chances of Donald Trump and NBC News used unnamed sources in its reporting that Russian President Vladimir Putin was "personally" involved in the operations.
But despite lingering and serious questions about the actual "evidence" which might support those claims, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) on Friday said it would not brief Electors prior to Monday's vote due to an ongoing review of the alleged Russian interference ordered by President Obama. "This effort is ongoing and involves sensitive classified information," the ODNI said in a statement. "Once the review is complete in the coming weeks, the Intelligence Community stands ready to brief Congress and will make those findings available to the public consistent with protecting intelligence sources and methods."
On Sunday, former CIA director James Woolsey appeared on ABC's 'This Week' and said it will ultimately be up to the National Security Agency (NSA) to determine whether or not Russia was behind the targeting of the DNC and Podesta emails. "This is really an NSA decision," Woolsey said, "...and if NSA is confident that it's the Russians, then it almost certainly is. Depends on them."
Unfortunately, the NSA leadership--and the intelligence community overall--have a mixed record when it comes to releasing relevant information in a timely manner or being honest with the American public.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Amid a nationwide protest effort aimed at convincing members of the Electoral College to reject Donald Trump and serious concerns about alleged interference in the U.S. election by Russia's government, a new poll out Sunday reveals majority support for delaying Monday's scheduled vote until electors are given an official intelligence briefing on the matter.
According to a YouGov poll conducted on behalf of the advocacy group Avaaz, 52% percent of respondents either "strongly agree" or "somewhat agree" that Monday's "vote should be delayed until the Electors can be briefed about the allegations of Russian hacking."
Demands for Electors to receive such a briefing have been growing steadily since several high-profile news stories said U.S. intelligence officials have determined with a "high level of confidence" that the Kremlin was involved with obtaining emails from the Democratic National Committee's computer systems as well as emails from John Podesta, the powerful D.C. lobbyist who served as Hillary Clinton's campaign chair. Additional reporting claimed the CIA also believes that Russia specifically intervened to improve the chances of Donald Trump and NBC News used unnamed sources in its reporting that Russian President Vladimir Putin was "personally" involved in the operations.
But despite lingering and serious questions about the actual "evidence" which might support those claims, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) on Friday said it would not brief Electors prior to Monday's vote due to an ongoing review of the alleged Russian interference ordered by President Obama. "This effort is ongoing and involves sensitive classified information," the ODNI said in a statement. "Once the review is complete in the coming weeks, the Intelligence Community stands ready to brief Congress and will make those findings available to the public consistent with protecting intelligence sources and methods."
On Sunday, former CIA director James Woolsey appeared on ABC's 'This Week' and said it will ultimately be up to the National Security Agency (NSA) to determine whether or not Russia was behind the targeting of the DNC and Podesta emails. "This is really an NSA decision," Woolsey said, "...and if NSA is confident that it's the Russians, then it almost certainly is. Depends on them."
Unfortunately, the NSA leadership--and the intelligence community overall--have a mixed record when it comes to releasing relevant information in a timely manner or being honest with the American public.
Amid a nationwide protest effort aimed at convincing members of the Electoral College to reject Donald Trump and serious concerns about alleged interference in the U.S. election by Russia's government, a new poll out Sunday reveals majority support for delaying Monday's scheduled vote until electors are given an official intelligence briefing on the matter.
According to a YouGov poll conducted on behalf of the advocacy group Avaaz, 52% percent of respondents either "strongly agree" or "somewhat agree" that Monday's "vote should be delayed until the Electors can be briefed about the allegations of Russian hacking."
Demands for Electors to receive such a briefing have been growing steadily since several high-profile news stories said U.S. intelligence officials have determined with a "high level of confidence" that the Kremlin was involved with obtaining emails from the Democratic National Committee's computer systems as well as emails from John Podesta, the powerful D.C. lobbyist who served as Hillary Clinton's campaign chair. Additional reporting claimed the CIA also believes that Russia specifically intervened to improve the chances of Donald Trump and NBC News used unnamed sources in its reporting that Russian President Vladimir Putin was "personally" involved in the operations.
But despite lingering and serious questions about the actual "evidence" which might support those claims, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) on Friday said it would not brief Electors prior to Monday's vote due to an ongoing review of the alleged Russian interference ordered by President Obama. "This effort is ongoing and involves sensitive classified information," the ODNI said in a statement. "Once the review is complete in the coming weeks, the Intelligence Community stands ready to brief Congress and will make those findings available to the public consistent with protecting intelligence sources and methods."
On Sunday, former CIA director James Woolsey appeared on ABC's 'This Week' and said it will ultimately be up to the National Security Agency (NSA) to determine whether or not Russia was behind the targeting of the DNC and Podesta emails. "This is really an NSA decision," Woolsey said, "...and if NSA is confident that it's the Russians, then it almost certainly is. Depends on them."
Unfortunately, the NSA leadership--and the intelligence community overall--have a mixed record when it comes to releasing relevant information in a timely manner or being honest with the American public.