CIA Director John Ratcliffe and FBI Director Kash Patel, shown in Washington, D.C. on March 26, are working to support President Donald Trump’s claims of intelligence agencies conspiring against him. Recently declassified FBI and CIA documents were released this week, shedding light on efforts by Trump’s appointees at both agencies to reveal alleged wrongdoings. The FBI disclosed emails on Tuesday suggesting a cover-up by bureau leaders in 2020 regarding a claim of a Chinese plot to sway the presidential election in Joe Biden’s favor. Trump-appointed FBI director Kash Patel criticized the bureau leaders for withholding crucial information from the public. Meanwhile, CIA Director John Ratcliffe shared an internal analysis related to the 2020 election, alleging that Democratic appointees manipulated intelligence to undermine Trump.
Patel and Ratcliffe’s assertions extended beyond the contents of the released documents, which lacked definitive evidence of political motives or misconduct. The emails did, however, reveal concerns from an FBI official that conflicted with the bureau’s director’s testimony to Congress about Chinese election interference. Despite Patel’s reference to a seized batch of fake licenses from China and Hong Kong, the FBI did not comment on this matter.
Despite Trump and his allies’ claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, numerous judges, including those appointed by Trump, have found no substantial evidence to support these allegations. Following the release of the emails by Patel, Trump referenced them during a press conference, mentioning China and fake licenses allegedly used for voting. The emails highlighted the FBI analysts’ apprehension over an intelligence report, based on a single unverified source, alleging Chinese government involvement in voter fraud for Biden. Ultimately, the report was retracted due to concerns about accuracy.
The CIA analysis, referenced by Ratcliffe, highlighted procedural flaws in the agency’s assessment that Russia attempted to undermine Hillary Clinton and support Trump’s election in 2016. However, it did not challenge the overall conclusion, which was confirmed by two comprehensive congressional investigations. Despite this, Trump’s appointees and supporters swiftly seized upon the findings as validation of the President’s longstanding grievances against intelligence agencies investigating foreign election interference.
A headline in the New York Post by conservative columnist Miranda Devine proclaimed, “Obama’s Trump-Russia collusion report was corrupt from start,” citing the CIA review. Meanwhile, a press release from Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa described the FBI emails as a “bombshell” that revealed interference by FBI headquarters in a supposed investigation into Chinese election meddling to protect Director Christopher Wray from political backlash.
The FBI emails disclosed concerns raised by senior career officials at the bureau regarding the reliability of information from a confidential source who alleged that the Chinese Communist Party planned to use counterfeit IDs to cast votes for Biden in the 2020 election. The initial source of this information was an individual that an FBI agent in Albany, New York, had recently encountered, who in turn had obtained it from another undisclosed source. The emails also mentioned a claim circulating on social media alleging that the Chinese government intentionally spread Covid-19 in the U.S., a claim that has not been substantiated. One email from the FBI indicated that the information had not been corroborated through other intelligence-gathering means.
It was revealed in the emails that FBI intelligence analysts Nikki Floris and Tonya Ugoretz had ordered the recall of the intelligence report due to its lack of corroboration. Floris left the FBI earlier this year, while Ugoretz, who was promoted to a senior intelligence role, was recently placed on leave without an explanation. The emails documented an internal dispute on the credibility of the intelligence, with the Albany office supporting the agent’s findings and resisting the recall of the report, while senior FBI officials pressed for additional verification of the source’s claims.
An assistant section chief in the Criminal Intelligence Branch acknowledged in a September 25, 2020 email that the claim of Chinese election interference was gaining attention throughout headquarters and emphasized the importance of verifying the source before issuing any reports. Another official noted in a September 28 email that allegations of Chinese involvement in favor of Biden, along with previous incidents of fake driver’s licenses from China, were documented in open sources. The lack of specifics in the initial reporting led to concerns about the reliability of the confidential human source’s information.
The emails reveal that an FBI official, with expertise in Chinese foreign interference, advised the Albany office against re-issuing a report due to concerns over its credibility. The FBI’s Office of Congressional Affairs is now led by Marshall Yates, a former Republican congressional aide linked to individuals who support Trump’s false claims of election fraud. Despite inquiries, the FBI did not comment on Yates’ involvement. The CIA conducted an internal review, overseen by Ratcliffe, on the 2017 intelligence assessment of Russian interference in the 2016 election. While some procedural deviations were noted, the assessment’s conclusions were defended. The review acknowledged dissent within the CIA regarding Russia’s intentions but supported the assessment’s key findings. Ratcliffe criticized the assessment process under past leadership, citing political influences from Brennan and Comey. Investigations found no evidence of bias in the CIA’s assessment, with bipartisan support for its conclusions.
