Ryan formally asks DNI to block Clinton's access to classified info
By Deirdre Walsh, CNN Senior Congressional Producer
Updated 5:28 PM ET, Thu July 7, 2016
Washington (CNN)House Speaker Paul Ryan sent a letter to Director of National Intelligence James Clapper Wednesday requesting he deny any classified information to Hillary Clinton for the rest of the 2016 campaign.
After FBI Director James Comey called Clinton's handling of
classified material "extremely careless," Ryan argued in an
interview on Fox on Tuesday that the Democratic nominee
shouldn't be permitted to get top secret briefings, but the
letter formalizes that recommendation.
Ryan cites his own experience receiving classified
intelligence briefings as his party's vice presidential
nominee in 2012 in his letter, saying he understands Clinton
is set to begin getting similar briefings after her party
formally nominates her at the Democratic convention later
this month.
"There is no legal requirement for you to provide Secretary
Clinton with classified information, and it would send the
wrong signal to all those charged with safeguarding our
nation's secrets if you choose to provide her access to this
information despite the FBI's findings," Ryan writes.
Republican members of the House Intelligence Committee are
exploring legislative options to block Clinton's ability to
have classified briefings, but some GOP aides concede the
decision is mostly up to the intelligence community.
The top House Democrat on the committee, Rep. Adam
Schiff of California, called the move "as predictable as
it is absurd."
"Providing an intelligence briefing for the party
nominees is a sound practice, and is designed both to
prepare the candidates for office and to help them avoid
representations during the campaign that may adversely
affect the national interest before or after election,"
he said in a statement. "The call by the House GOP
leadership to cancel briefings for Secretary Clinton and
brief only Donald Trump is as predictable as it is
absurd."
He added: "With Trump, the question isn't whether the
briefings should occur, but whether they would do any
good."
Separately on Wednesday,
Ryan
sent a letter to FBI Director James Comey asking him
to release all the unclassified materials of his probe
of Clinton's email use.
The speaker's push comes as Comey testified Thursday
morning before the House Oversight Committee.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/07/politics/paul-ryan-hillary-clinton-emails-dni/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/07/politics/paul-ryan-hillary-clinton-emails-dni/index.html