Politics

Clapper Goes After Ryan And McConnell In New Book, Says They Didn’t Care About Russian Interference

James-Clapper | On Wednesday, September 16, 2015, the Central Intelligence Agency released previously classified daily briefings given to Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and John F. Kennedy in the 1960s. A companion event held at the LBJ Presidential Library, “The President's Daily Brief: Delivering Intelligence to the First Customer,” included a panel discussion and remarks by CIA Director John O. Brennan and Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper. LBJ Presidential Library photo by Jay Godwin |By Jay Godwin [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

James Clapper, former director of National Intelligence for former President Obama, claims in his new book Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to sign a statement condemning foreign interference in elections.

In his book, “Facts and Fears, Hard Truths from a Life in Intelligence,” Clapper claims the two Republican leaders did not want to sign anything that would hurt their party’s nominee. Clapper was “disappointed, but not surprised,” he also wrote. Ryan and McConell have not responded to the claims.

During his appearance on “The View,” Clapper insisted the FBI was not spying on President Donald Trump’s campaign rather “on what the Russians were doing.” This was in response to Trump’s recent tweet calling for a Department of Justice investigation into whether or not his campaign was under unethical surveillance by the FBI and the Department of Justice. (RELATED: Clapper Defends Spying On Trump Campaign As ‘A Legitimate Activity’)

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