A newly declassified report from the House Intelligence Committee raises serious concerns about the Obama administration’s 2017 intelligence assessment regarding Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The report suggests that the conclusion that Russian President Vladimir Putin preferred Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton was based on questionable evidence and did not meet proper intelligence standards.
The House report, released by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, claims that the assessment was flawed from the start. It states that the judgment that Putin had a "clear preference" for Trump and aimed to help him win was not supported by reliable information. Investigators found that the assessment relied on substandard reports that were presented as credible without acknowledging their significant flaws.
According to the report, CIA Director John Brennan ordered the publication of three problematic intelligence reports. These reports formed the basis for the claim that Putin wanted Trump to win. However, the House investigators noted that this claim stemmed from a vague and unverifiable fragment of one of those reports. They pointed out that the intelligence community ignored other reliable reports that contradicted the idea that Putin sought to elect Trump.
The report also highlighted that the assessment was rushed, prepared by just five CIA officers, and published despite warnings from senior CIA officials that there was no direct evidence to support the claim. It even mentioned that some intelligence indicating Putin may have preferred Clinton was suppressed.
Interestingly, the House report suggests that Putin may have kept damaging information on Clinton in reserve, believing it could be useful if she were elected. This indicates that he might have preferred a Clinton presidency, viewing her as a more vulnerable target compared to Trump.
While the report acknowledges that there was credible evidence of Russian cyber operations aimed at undermining confidence in the election, it questions the narrative that Putin actively sought to help Trump win.
In light of these findings, the report recommends improvements in how intelligence assessments are conducted, including greater peer review and ensuring that political appointees do not influence these reports during transition periods. Gabbard has also referred the matter to the Justice Department for further investigation into the new revelations regarding the Russia-collusion narrative.