Intelligence experts are responding to Wednesday night’s announcement by Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe claiming that election interference emails that appear to from the U.S.-based hate group known as the Proud Boys are actually from Iran.
The emails threaten recipients to vote for President Donald Trump.
Shortly after Ratcliffe announced the emails were designed to harm President Trump, not influence Americans to vote for him, intelligence experts denounced his claims as “too convenient to be believable.”
U.S. Naval War College Professor of International Relations and National Security:
CNN National Security and Legal Analyst, Former Intel Community attorney says “Ratcliffe isn’t a credible actor”:
Former federal prosecutor, NBC News and MSNBC Legal Analyst:
U.S. Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA) who sits on the Foreign Affairs Committee and is a Colonel in the Air Force Reserves:
Head of Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism’s digital security initiative questions Ratcliffe’s intentions:
Managing Director for National Security at the Center for American Progress. Formerly National Security Council, DOJ, ODNI, NCTC also questioning Ratcliffe’s motives:
Update:
On Tuesday The New York Times ran an opinion piece calling Ratcliffe “among the most destructive intelligence officials in U.S. history.” The title: “The Intelligence Director Who Is Undermining Trust and Truth.”