GOP lawmakers: Stop Hillary’s security briefings now to protect Americans’ lives

loretta_lynch_national_sealIn a congressional statement published after the FBI announced Friday that it was reopening its investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is considered by the Democratic Party and most of the news media to be the heir apparent to the White House, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan demanded that Clinton’s eligibility for classified intelligence briefings be terminated.

The request follows the concerns of many members of the intelligence, military and law enforcement communities that she has shown at best a lack of understanding, at worst a total disregard for laws and regulations governing the handling of top secret, secret and confidential material.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Speaker Ryan wrote, “Yet again, Hillary Clinton has nobody but herself to blame. She was entrusted with some of our nation’s most important secrets, and she betrayed that trust by carelessly mishandling classified information.”

“This decision, long overdue, is the result of her reckless use of a private email server, and her refusal to be forthcoming with federal investigators. I renew my call for the Director of National Intelligence [James Clapper] to suspend all classified briefings for Secretary Clinton until this matter is fully resolved,” Ryan stated.

Meanwhile House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy released a statement of his own blasting Clinton: “I call upon the FBI to conduct this investigation expeditiously, and thoroughly brief the American people of its findings in a completely transparent manner. This is due to her fundamental lack of judgment and disregard for protecting and handling of our nation’s highly classified secrets.”

paul ryan photoBut Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, a loyal Obama minion, replied to Speaker Ryan: “Nominees for president and vice president receive these briefings by virtue of their status as candidates, and do not require separate security clearances before the briefings. Briefings for the candidates will be provided on an even-handed nonpartisan basis.”  

Ashley Strong from Speaker Ryan’s office told the news media, “We disagree with [Clapper’s] decision and want to know what precautions will be taken and what assurances the [Director of National Intelligence] can give that Secretary Clinton won’t mishandle classified information. She has proven herself untrustworthy.”

A number of retired law enforcement officers, intelligence officers and military veterans have called for a more thorough investigation for what they’ve viewed as a dangerous trend within the government: the disregard for security protocols and protection against unlawful disclosure of secrets.

“For 20 years, I worked undercover in the Central Intelligence Agency, recruiting sources, producing intelligence and running operations. I have a pretty concrete understanding of how classified information is handled and how government communications systems work,” said former CIA operations officer Charles Faddis. “Nobody uses a private email server for official business,” he declared. “Period. Full stop.”

Faddis labeled Hillary’s using a private Internet server to conduct top level government business “insane” and “mind-boggling” and complained about those government officials who are okay with letting her get away with it. He described simply as “nauseating.”

“The liberal-left politicians, activists and news media have little regard for U.S. national security. When [in the 1980s] Senator Patrick Leahy, a staunch anti-Reagan Democrat, leaked classified information to a newsman because he disagreed with a President Ronald Reagan policy, he was removed as a Senate Intelligence Committee member but no other action was taken,” said former U.S. Marine and police detective Michael Snopes. “It’s become progressively worse,” he added.

While most clear-thinking Americans understood the reasons for FBI Director James Comey’s decisions, the Democrats and many within their news media echo chamber began to trash Comey and accused him of reopening the investigation for political purposes.

Democratic Party political guru James Carville began to visit the usual Democratic television strongholds and complains about a huge conspiracy that included the KGB, Vladimir Putin, the Republican Party, Donald Trump, hackers, Fox News and others of colluding to bring down Hillary Clinton.

“These people are either totally mental or possess an abnormal amount of chutzpah with their wild, unsubstantiated claims. It harkens back to the words of Karl Marx when he advised activists to ‘accuse others of what you do,'” said political strategist and former police officer Mike Baker. “If Hillary does manage to get elected, be prepared for eight years of intrigue, drama, crime and mystery that appears to follow the Clinton family,” he added.

Jim-Kouri

Jim Kouri, CPP, is founder and CEO of Kouri Associates, a homeland security, public safety and political consulting firm. He's formerly Fifth Vice-President, now a Board Member of the National Association of Chiefs of Police, a columnist, and a contributor to the nationally syndicated talk-radio program, the Chuck Wilder Show.. He's former chief of police at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City" by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at St. Peter's University and director of security for several major organizations. He's also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country.

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