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Just 24 hours after House Republican Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner issued what first sounded like a bombshell – possibly about an actual explosive device – a far-right freshman and fellow House Republican is calling for an investigation. Experts denounced the chairman’s claims, suggesting they were premature and inappropriate, and, some, including U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN), say they were “reckless.”
“On February 14, 2024,” Congressman Ogles’ letter to Speaker Johnson begins, “at approximately 11:35a.m., the Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence revealed to the American people an imminent and perhaps existential threat to the United States of America.”
“This revelation by the Chairman was done with a reckless disregard of the implications and was not to ensure the safety of our homeland and the American people, but rather to ensure additional funding for Ukraine and passage of an unreformed Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA),” wrote Ogles, who like many MAGA Republicans, opposes funding for Ukraine.
“This act constituted poor judgement at a minimum and a complete breach of trust influenced by the pursuit of a political agenda at a maximum. Mr. Speaker, it is with great reticence that I formally request an inquiry as to any impact the Chairman’s statements may have had on U.S. foreign and domestic policy. Furthermore, as the Chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence is solely appointed by the Speaker and under your direct purview, should the Chairman retain his post, you have a duty and an obligation to reassure this body (Congress) and the American people that the processes of the Intelligence Committee have not been corrupted by the very institutions they are charged with monitoring.”
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“Congress has a Constitutional obligation to conduct oversight, enshrined by the Founders of our nation. Now is the time to act,” Ogles concluded what is being called a “scathing” letter.
By Wednesday afternoon Chairman Mike Turner’s press release and related stories had made national and international headlines.
Turner has served in Congress for two decades, spent several years in leadership roles on the Intelligence Committee, and even once served as the president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Because of his reputation, his remarks were initially bolstered by figures who gained credibility on the left by breaking from the right, including former House Republican Adam Kinzinger.
News outlets investigated, with some, like ABC News, reporting its sources “said the intelligence has to do with the Russians wanting to put a nuclear weapon into space. This is not to drop a nuclear weapon onto Earth but rather to possibly use against satellites.”
Politico’s Erin Banco reported, “Per sources, this national security warning is not an urgent situation that the US needs to concern itself with ‘today.’ It is a longer-term problem. And this raw intel has existed on the Hill for some time. Not sure what prompted the Turner statement.”
Whatever Chairman Turner’s motivation in announcing what he called “a serious national security threat,” experts denounced his methods.
One, national security attorney Brad Moss, called for Turner to lose his chairmanship.
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Jon B. Wolfsthal, a former Obama administration national security affairs official, now the Director of Global Risk at the Federation of American Scientists, blasted Turner: “It remains unclear what Russia is doing and confusing as to when it may deploy anything.”
“What is clear,” Wolfsthal added, “is that Mike Turner acted in an unprofessional and alarmist way. And he is supposed to be one of the adults. Whether he did it to rally support for Ukr or not does not matter.”
Of note, House Democratic Ranking Member, Turner’s partner on the Intelligence Committee, was not included in Turner’s press release.
“Ranking member Jim Himes (D-Conn.) held back criticism of Turner Wednesday but said, ‘Thanks, Mike,’ when a reporter noted the panic being caused by the statement,” The Hill reports.
“Look, Mike is right to highlight this issue. But it’s so sensitive that [we’re] right now not publicly discussing. And I don’t want people thinking that, you know, Martians are landing or that your Wednesday is going to be ruined. But it’s something that the Congress, the administration does need to address in the medium to long run,” Himes told reporters.
The top Democrat and top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee handled Turner’s claims far differently. They issued a joint statement, saying their committee “has the intelligence in question, and has been rigorously tracking this issue from the start. We continue to take this matter seriously and are discussing an appropriate response with the administration. In the meantime, we must be cautious about potentially disclosing sources and methods that may be key to preserving a range of options for U.S. action.”
Read Congressman Ogles’ letter below or at this link.
Oh WOW — HFC Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn) is asking Speaker Johnson to formally open an inquiry into Intel Chair Mike Turner, a fellow R, claiming he was “reckless” in the way he approached publicly raising concern about a national security threat this week pic.twitter.com/QJQOjTzRl6
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) February 15, 2024
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