Oh my, acting DNI Ric Grenell was/is buckets of brutally honest awesome.
In a departing letter to SSCI Vice-Chair Mark Warner, Grenell responds to a Warner inquiry demanding justification for his blitz of sunlight and naming of unmaskers.
Specifically pointing to the release of names that unmasked Trump administration officials Grenell notes “the decision to declassify the names of individuals who sough to unmask the identity of General Flynn poses absolutely no risk of compromise of either sources or methods.” Grenell also tells Warner, “cherry picking certain documents for release while attacking the release of others that don’t fit your political narrative is part of the problem the American people have with Washington DC politicians.”
The Daily Caller has compiled a partial list of Grenell’s accomplishments to include:
— Directed the IC to change the way they protect the identities of U.S. citizens contained within intelligence reporting— Completed the IC review of 53 transcripts from the House Intelligence Committee’s investigation into alleged Russian collusion in the 2016 election and made the transcripts publicly available— Declassified previously redacted footnotes from the Justice Department Inspector General’s report into the origins of the Russian collusion investigation— Declassified a list of government officials who requested the unmaskingof National Security Advisor Michael Flynn— Replaced FBI with ODNI as the primary group responsible for briefing presidential campaigns on information derived from national intelligence— Declassified former national security adviser Susan Rice’s email to herself regarding a January 2016 Oval Office where progress on the Russia investigation was discussed— Declassified additional transcripts in ODNI’s possession for potential public release by incoming DNI John Ratcliffe
And even that list doesn’t include the declassification of the Rosenstein/Mueller scope memos and several more important contributions during his tenure.
Grenell’s greatest contribution as DNI was personifying a belief that government, including the intelligence apparatus, works for the people; and as a direct result the intelligence apparatus has a responsibility to provide sunlight upon all aspects of their function that does not impede national security.
The way to keep politics out of intelligence matters is to keep as much of their activity as public as possible. Sunlight is the best disinfectant.
I hope we see more of Ric Grenell in another capacity soon.
