Reports indicate that Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell has declassified a list of former Obama administration officials who ‘unmasked’ President Trump’s one-time national security adviser Michael Flynn.
Grenell visited the Justice Department last week armed with the list.
The officials involved ‘unmasked’ Flynn after he was identified from intercepts of a phone call with former Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. The calls could be seen as part of the natural duties of a national security adviser transitioning into a new administration.
The decision to release the list now falls on Attorney General William Barr.
A Felony?
Grenell was also a key figure in providing pressure last week which led to the release of transcripts from the House Intelligence Committee’s Russia probe showing the entire collusion investigation was a farce.
Revealing the list of those who outed Flynn could have even more of a detrimental effect on individuals from the Obama administration.
A 2017 report by Fox News states that FISA rules require “that if an American with Constitutional protections is collaterally caught in such surveillance, his or her identity must be protected.”
The report also indicates disclosing that American’s identity is “a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.”
Acting Director of National Intelligence @RichardGrenell has declassified a list of former Obama officials who were allegedly involved in so-called “unmasking” of Michael Flynn in his conversations with the former Russian ambassador during the transition https://t.co/GEFcbVaEBW
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) May 12, 2020
RELATED: Trump Shares Message Suggesting It’s Time To Investigate ‘Obamagate’
Who Could It Be?
After Flynn was identified, leaked calls were published by the Washington Post’s David Ignatius on January 12, 2017, which led to his firing.
Former congressman Trey Gowdy grilled former FBI Director James Comey in 2017 about who might have had knowledge that Flynn was on surveillance audio and who might have leaked it to the press.
Gowdy ran down a list including former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former CIA Director John Brennan, Obama’s former Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and his adviser Ben Rhodes.
Comey, according to Fox at the time, admitted all on that list had knowledge with the exception of Rhodes, who he could not say for certain.
Chaffetz says new Flynn documents are ‘smoking gun’: Obama, Biden are ‘scared’ the truth will come outhttps://t.co/qbqpU0ttok
— Jason Chaffetz (@jasoninthehouse) May 12, 2020
RELATED: Trey Gowdy Rips Adam Schiff and ‘Arrogant’ James Comey Over DOJ Complaints
Scared
Former National Security Advisor Susan Rice admitted in 2017 to unmasking members of the Trump campaign following the 2016 election.
She made the revelations before the House Intelligence Committee after originally denying any unmasking had taken place.
Serial LIAR #SusanRice Now ADMITS Unmasking And Spying On The #Trump Team
Where Is The Investigation⁉️@Varneyco pic.twitter.com/zXJT12lwYv
— Dr. Marty Fox ?? (@DrMartyFox) September 17, 2017
Barack Obama, meanwhile, sensing the truth is finally beginning to come out, said in a conveniently leaked conversation about the Justice Department dropping charges against Flynn, that the “rule of law is at risk.”
Former House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz said the release of documents in the Flynn entrapment case represents “the smoking gun” against the Obama administration.
Chaffetz also claimed that “at the core, the thing that scares Obama and Biden is the truth,” praising AG Barr and U.S. Attorney John Durham for leading an investigation attempting to uncover what happened.
