Trump Has Full Right To Revoke Brennans Clearance If His Statements Political - Burr

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th August, 2018) President Donald Trump has a full right to take away the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan if his latest statement on collusion with Russia is political in nature, US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Richard Burr said in statement on Thursday.

"If, however, Director Brennans statement is purely political and based on conjecture, the president has full authority to revoke his security clearance as head of the Executive Branch," Burr stated.

On Thursday, Brennan said in an opinion text that Trump's claims he did not collude with Russia are "hogwash."

Burr pointed out that Brennans recent statements purport to know as fact that the Trump campaign colluded with a foreign power.

"If Director Brennans statement is based on intelligence he received while still leading the CIA, why didnt he include it in the Intelligence Community Assessment released in 2017?" Burr said.

Moreover, Burr noted that if Brennans statement is based on intelligence he has seen since leaving office, it constitutes an intelligence breach.

"If he has some other personal knowledge of or evidence of collusion, it should be disclosed to the Special Counsel, not The New York Times," Burr said.

Brenna said in the text that the only remaining questions in the ongoing Russia investigation are whether the collusion constituted criminally liable conspiracy; whether Trump obstructed justice to cover up collusion or conspiracy; and how many members of Trump's team tried to defraud the government through money laundering and concealing the movement of money into their pockets.

Brennan added that Trump made a politically motivated decision to revoke his security clearance in order to silence others as he gets more desperate to protect himself.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's denials of his country's interference in the 2016 election are also "hogwash," Brennan said.

Russia has repeatedly denied allegations of interfering in the election, and both Trump and the Kremlin have firmly rejected all accusations of collusion.

Trump revoked Brennan's security clearance on Wednesday, saying the former CIA director was using his status to make unfounded and outrageous allegations against the president and his administration. Trump said any benefits that senior officials glean from consultations with Brennan are now outweighed by the risks posed by his erratic conduct and behavior.

The White House is also reviewing the security clearances of other officials from former President Barack Obama's administration.

Brennan led the Central Intelligence Agency from 2013 to 2017 during the presidency of Barack Obama.