Homeland Security officials altered intelligence reports about border security, white supremacy and Russian interference in the U.S., including ordering a focus on Iran and China rather than Russia, a senior department official claims in a new whistleblower complaint released Wednesday by congressional Democrats.
Brian Murphy, who used to lead the Office of Intelligence and Analysis and is facing controversy himself, says former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen disregarded his research and misled Congress by claiming thousands of potential terrorists have crossed the border, in an attempt to justify border wall construction. Mr. Murphy says his research showed at most three “derivative” terrorist suspects had crossed the border.
Mr. Murphy also says current acting Secretary Chad Wolf ordered him several months ago to “cease providing intelligence assessments on the threat of Russian interference” and instead provide information on Chinese and Iranian efforts. Mr. Murphy says Mr. Wolf said those directives came straight from the White House.
The whistleblower says Ken Cuccinelli, the No. 2 official at the department, asked him to fire employees who wrote a report on the security situation in Central America that Mr. Murphy says didn’t match President Trump’s needs.
And Mr. Murphy says Mr. Cuccinelli ordered him to change a homeland threat assessment that labeled white supremacy a serious danger
“Mr. Cuccinelli stated that Mr. Murphy needed to specifically modify the section on white supremacy in a manner that made the threat appear less severe, as well as include information on the prominence of violent ‘left-wing’ groups,” says the whistleblower complaint, filed with the Homeland Security inspector general and released by the House intelligence committee.
Mr. Murphy, in his complaint, also names Miles Taylor, a former deputy chief of staff, as being involved in some of the misleading intelligence. Mr. Taylor has since become a major backer of Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden, complaining that Mr. Trump was a bad manager.
Mr. Murphy was ousted from his intelligence job in August after it was revealed that his office had compiled reports on journalists covering the protests in Portland, Oregon.
In his new complaint Mr. Murphy says his ouster was retaliation for his disagreeing with Ms. Nielsen, Mr. Wolf and others.
Democrats, who a month ago had complained of Mr. Murphy and his office’s activities in Portland, now are championing him.
Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House intelligence committee, released the new complaint publicly and said Mr. Murphy has been called to testify.
“Mr. Murphy’s allegations are serious — from senior officials suppressing intelligence reports on Russia’s election interference and making false statements to Congress about terrorism threats at our southern border, to modifying intelligence assessments to match the president’s rhetoric on Antifa and minimizing the threat posed by white supremacists,” Mr. Schiff said.
