Calls for Brennan’s Ouster Emerge Along With Details of CIA Search of Senate Computers

(So good to see Dan Froomkin back writing in the clear informative style all of us remember before he wandered in the wasteland at Huff Post.)


https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/03/12/calls-brennans-ouster-emerge-along-details-cia-search-senate-computers/

The Constitution clearly gives the legislative branch the authority to investigate the executive branch — and not the other way around.

More even than the act itself, some critics see Brennan’s lack of recognition of the extent of his violation of key constitutional principles to be the biggest cause for him to be fired.

“The recent revelations that CIA Director Brennan reported the surveillance directly to Chairman Feinstein is stunning,” said Angela Canterbury, public policy director of the Project On Government Oversight (POGO).

“How can we hold such impunity accountable? Remove Brennan, for starters,” she said. “And then there must be a full investigation that is more independent than one might expect from DOJ.”

Shahid Buttar, executive director of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee, said that the concerns about the Senate investigation that led Brennan to launch his search were “ridiculous, as well as simply incorrect.”

Buttar continued: “Given his false assurances to the Senate Intelligence Committee about CIA drone strikes, and his continuing failure to let the public finally know the facts about CIA torture, Brennan should resign or be removed from office so the Committee can examine and confirm new leadership.”

Some senators appeared to be close to calling for Brennan to go. “I’ve lost confidence in Director Brennan, particularly because he won’t acknowledge the misdeeds and misconduct of the CIA,” Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) said on MSNBC on Tuesday. He added: “The CIA has an important role to play, but if the public doesn’t trust the CIA, if the Senate overseers don’t trust the CIA, I don’t know how Director Brennan can continue to lead the agency.”

“Despite Director Brennan’s commitment to ‘strengthen the trust’ between the CIA and the Intelligence Committee, the relationship between our respective bodies has only deteriorated during the first year of his tenure,” Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M), said in a statement.

Much More about other groups and media's reporting on this story at:

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/03/12/calls-brennans-ouster-emerge-along-details-cia-search-senate-computers/