WASHINGTON (CN) – Testifying about reports that Russian diplomats received classified U.S. information at the White House, former CIA director John Brennan told members of Congress on Tuesday that such disclosures by President Donald Trump would have violated protocol.
“If the reports in the press are true, that Mr. Trump decided to spontaneously share some intelligence with the Russians, I think he would have basically violated two protocols,” Brennan said.
Brennan’s appearance this morning before the House Select Committee on Intelligence marks his first public testimony since leaving the CIA after Trump took office in January.
The Washington Post broke the story earlier this month that Trump disclosed classified intelligence to the foreign diplomats about an Islamic State terror plot while meeting on May 10 with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
For Brennan, the worrying part is how Trump purportedly disclosed the classified information. Giving classified information about terrorism matters to Russia is not by itself remarkable — Brennan has done so himself, he said — but there are protocols for doing so.
To ensure that classified information is shared properly, and to make sure it does not get exposed, Brennan explained, it needs to be shared through intelligence channels.
In this case, the president would need to contact the agency that originated the intelligence, before sharing such information, to ensure it won’t reveal sources and methods or compromise future collection capability.
Brennan declined to give an answer about whether he saw, during his time at the CIA, any evidence that the Russian effort to skew the 2016 U.S. election in Trump’s favor involved collusion with the Trump campaign.
He did, however, call the FBI investigation well-founded.
[blockquote author="John Brennan, former director of the CIA" style="1"]By the time I left office on Jan. 20, I had unresolved questions in my mind as to whether or not the Russians had been successful in getting U.S. persons involved in the campaign or not to work on their behalf, again – either in a witting or unwitting fashion.”[/blockquote]
"I was aware of intelligence and information about contacts between Russian officials and U.S. persons that raised concerns in my mind," Brennan said.
“By the time I left office on Jan. 20,” the former CIA director continued, “I had unresolved questions in my mind as to whether or not the Russians had been successful in getting U.S. persons involved in the campaign or not to work on their behalf, again – either in a witting or unwitting fashion.”
Citing his long experience with Russian intelligence services, Brennan explained to Congress that the Russians are well practiced in trying to “suborn individuals.”
“They’ve been able to use individuals,” he said. “They’ve been able to use politicians, they’ve been able to use political parties, they’ve been able to use elements within the media – to try to make sure that their objectives are realized.”
With this in mind, Brennan said he worried that they were employing the same tactics to interfere in the 2016 U.S. election.
“They try to get individuals – including U.S. persons – to act on their behalf, either wittingly or unwittingly,” Brennan said.
Brennan stressed that his concern about contacts between U.S. persons and Russian officials did not constitute proof of collusion, but that it "served as the basis for the FBI investigation."
