It sounds old: my “half-century” employed in the “Mainstream Media”. One of the great take-aways was learning - too late - how few of my “colleagues” down the hall in the News Dept. had - and still have - such a paucity of integrity when it comes to doing their job: objectively reporting the facts formerly known as News.
One was Bob Madigan, (now retired) my partner on “Brian and Bob”, our sadly short-lived but award-winning AM drive show in Washington, DC. Once, Bob literally walked off the show rather than participate in a story to which he objected.
Two, my wife, Cassie Wilson. And it’s not prejudice. For the 7 years we worked together, she was News Director, I was Program Director. On oiccasion, we strongly disagreed on local stories but the question was never about reporting integrity. Local politicians just hated what I did with the information on my talk show and, dumbasses that they were, blamed her for reporting it. Her multiple AP Awards spoke volumes about her excellent work product and their incompetence.
Third, while we were never colleagues, I have always admired the straight-up, straight forward, no-frills reporting of Catherine Herridge. I’m a subscriber to her columns. The accuracy, honesty and integrity of her reporting are impeccable. In the wake of the 3 major networks, along with CNN and MS-Whatever‘s appalling and unprofessional refusal to carry the President’s recent address to the nation, I am re-posting Catherine’s outstanding analysis below.
BW
TOP LINE
In his primetime address, President Trump called it the “largest compromise of election data in history,” resulting in China’s acquisition of 220 million U.S. voter files.
Based on declassified records, career intelligence and law enforcement officials routinely suppressed the magnitude of China’s 2020 election influence operation because they apparently disagreed with Trump’s politics.
The President characterized the current voting system as “catastrophically flawed” and vulnerable to fraud, manipulation, and non-citizen voting. He cited roughly 278,000 non-citizens on American voter rolls.
Despite speculation by major TV networks that refused to carry the address, President Trump did not explicitly claim he won the 2020 election.
Instead, he made a compelling, document-driven case that the intelligence community was deeply politicized, biased, and had been weaponized.
Accountability is still possible. In this newsletter, I will document the applicable criminal statutes.
CHINA: ESPIONAGE, FRAUD, EXPLOITING U.S. VOTER DATA
The push to declassify records exposing the magnitude of China’s election operation began with an intelligence community whistleblower.
In April, I reported that multiple sources said a credible whistleblower complaint was filed alleging the CIA, FBI, and other IC agencies suppressed intelligence about China’s influence operations during the 2020 election—operations targeting President Trump and his campaign.
Based on my reporting, China’s goal was to “impede” President Trump’s re-election and “denigrate” him as a candidate. According to these accounts, the CIA—then led by Director Gina Haspel—would not formally document the Chinese influence operations out of concern that President Trump would use the intelligence to his advantage.
NOTE: Haspel was a career CIA officer, not a political appointee. She was part of the CIA enhanced interrogation program that took place at so-called black sites (waterboarding.)
China’s 2020 election influence operation was a “multi-domain” campaign involving trade, diplomacy, information operations, social media, and all levers of government power. According to declassified records and whistleblower accounts, China’s goal was to diminish—or even block—Trump’s re-election.
The Chinese Communist Party is a massive collector of personally identifiable information. China’s collection of U.S. voter data in 2020 is not an isolated event but part of a broader pattern.
In 2015, China was blamed for the theft of 22 million U.S. government security clearance applications (SF-86 forms). These applications provide a roadmap to an individual’s life, from birthplace and education to work history, friends, and family.
Having covered national security in Washington, D.C., for 25 years, I know China’s goal has been to harness AI and other technologies to exploit this information.
By combining hacked voter rolls, healthcare and credit agency data, and security clearance applications, the Chinese military and intelligence services can build detailed digital profiles of American citizens. These profiles can advance voter registration fraud, identity theft, and serve as a powerful tool for Chinese military intelligence to identify and recruit Americans for espionage.
For example, if hacked Equifax data shows long-overdue student loans or child support payments, and a security clearance application reveals rehab for gambling, an individual could become an ideal target for blackmail or recruitment.
THE SHADOW GOVERNMENT
Then FBI Deputy Assistant Director (DAD) for Counterintelligence Nikki Floris wrote, “I’m basically running a shadow government across the FBI at this point.” In the same exchange—appearing to be via an FBI instant messaging service—Floris stated that all 2020 election-related intelligence should come through FBI headquarters.
These reports are known as FBI Intelligence Information Reports (IIRs). The bureau uses IIRs to document and share unevaluated intelligence. While most IIRs are classified, they include a “tear line” version: unclassified but sensitive information that can be more widely shared. Think of it as an early warning system based on intelligence that has yet to be fully corroborated.
Floris’ directive can be seen as an effort to keep all election intelligence on a close hold—especially details about China’s influence operations. Under this scenario, the “shadow government” would decide what to suppress and what to share with other intelligence agencies as well as the Trump administration leadership.
Other emails between intelligence officials said the President’s Daily Brief (PDB) was “deliberately massaged” to remove direct links to the election.
In other words, these so-called intelligence professionals were disconnecting the dots by withholding evidence of China’s influence operations targeting the election from the Commander in Chief.
This internal email is from National Security Agency (NSA) personnel.
CONNECTING THE DOTS: HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP, AUGUST 2020
After the declassified records were released, Senator Ron Johnson confirmed to me that Nikki Floris was one of the FBI agents who gave him and Senator Chuck Grassley a “defensive briefing” in August 2020 about a Russian disinformation campaign targeting the Biden family.
An FBI defensive briefing is a specialized counterintelligence brief alerting recipients (in this case, members of Congress) that they may be targets of a foreign intelligence service.
Senator Johnson said he believes the briefing was designed to discourage the senators from pursuing the Hunter Biden laptop and to lay the groundwork for the false narrative in October 2020 that the laptop was part of a Russian information operation.
Based on her recent online profile, I have asked Floris’ employer, widely reported to be Microsoft for comment and to address an apparent conflict of interest. FWIW: Biden’s former Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco is Microsoft’s head of Global Affairs.
BURN BAGS
The President’s comments about so-called “burn bags”—used to destroy classified records—became another viral moment. President Trump claimed President Obama had ordered the burn bags and their sensitive contents destroyed, but incompetence left some intact.
“Recently we found significant numbers of ‘burn bags’... given by President Barack Hussein Obama to be burned. It was supposed to be burned,” Trump said in his primetime address.
The existence of five “burn bags” recovered at FBI headquarters first came to light in proceedings related to the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey for allegedly lying to Congress about his role in media leaks (later dismissed on procedural grounds after a federal judge ruled the interim U.S. Attorney was unlawfully appointed).
In November, FBI Director Kash Patel told me the burn bags were found in a SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility) on the 9th floor of FBI headquarters. Other highly classified documents were discovered in a closet off the Director’s office.
SCIFs have electronic access controls, so the FBI has likely identified individuals with access when the bags were left there. Patel indicated to me that he knows who placed them in the secure facility.
I have confirmed the records relate to some of the most sensitive and controversial investigations involving President Trump. They include documents from the 2016 Russia collusion probe (“Crossfire Hurricane”), the Mar-a-Lago investigation, and a highly classified CIA referral to the FBI about a “2016 Hillary Clinton plot” to portray Trump as a puppet of Putin.
The Clinton document is a Counterintelligence Operational Lead (CIOL). My understanding is that the paper copy of the lead sent to the FBI under Director Comey went missing. The CIOL about Clinton may have been the only copy, or one of a handful of copies.
MOST TV NETWORKS GAVE TRUMP’S ADDRESS A PASS
Most major TV networks did not carry the presidential address live. Executives cited Trump’s alleged history of election falsehoods. However, the networks are expected to apply the “equal time” provision.
I believe this decision reflects an archaic view: that Americans still rely primarily on network newscasts as their main source of information and the final word on events.
Fifteen years ago, this would have amounted to a near-total news blackout. Today, with abundant alternative sources—phones, computers, podcasts, cable and social media—it only underscores the diminished influence of legacy network news.
While legacy media will always have a role, Americans increasingly turn elsewhere. A recent Pew Poll found that a “large majority of U.S. adults (86%)” get some of their news from a smartphone, computer or tablet. More than half, 56%, said they often get their news from digital devices.
Unfortunately, I believe the networks’ decision also reinforced a recent Gallup Poll showing public trust in mass media at new lows.
In October, Gallup found just 28% of Americans had a “great deal” or “fair amount” of trust that major outlets would report the news fully, fairly, and accurately.
TIME TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT FOR THE WHISTLEBLOWER
For calling out the suppression of China intelligence targeting President Trump before the 2020 election, the whistleblower allegedly faced persistent and pervasive retaliation:
Changes in job responsibilities
Threats to destroy their reputation
Alteration of their “dissent” report challenging the suppression of China’s election activities, with the confidence level downgraded
It is time to do the right thing by the whistleblower.
RELEVANT CRIMINAL STATUTES
Accountability can also come through criminal prosecutions. Based on conversations over the weekend, several federal criminal statutes are relevant:
Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law (18 U.S.C. § 242) — intentional abuse of power by federal officials.
Conspiracy (18 U.S.C. § 371) — groups acting to commit an offense against or defraud the United States.
Violations of the Code of Conduct and Ethics for the Senior Executive Service (e.g., Subpart E on impartiality).
Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (criminal dereliction of duty).
THE Director of National Intelligence oversees entities under the Department of Defense (including military analysts at agencies like the NSA). Those who coordinated to suppress China intelligence in 2020 could face legal exposure.
Declassifying records is vital. Transparency falls short without accountability.
END IT
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