httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X_CsHxcKkI
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper delivered some reassurance Thursday to Americans worried about the Trump transition – along with his resignation.
In interviews with NBC News over the last year, Clapper said he was counting down the days to stepping down at the end of President Obama’s final term in office.
In testimony to the House Select Intelligence Committee, Clapper said submitting the resignation “Felt pretty good.”
Clapper found himself fielding a question from Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat, about FBI director James Comey’s sudden announcement – in the final days of the presidential campaign – that he was reopening an investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails.
Calling Comey’s move an “Unprecedented intrusion by a director within our own intelligence community in our democratic process,” Castro asked Clapper if “You believe that Director Comey breached any protocol.”
“I have no reason to question Director Comey,” Clapper replied.
Clapper’s job is to oversee Comey’s FBI and 16 other intelligence agencies, including the CIA, NSA and the DEA. Appointed by Obama and confirmed by the Senate in 2010, Clapper’s tenure in office was marked by high profile showdowns over the government’s desire to protect its Americans and citizens’ civil liberties.
A Democrat, accused Clapper of “Not giving a straight answer.” And Rep. Justin Amash, a Michigan Republican, flat-out accused Clapper of committing perjury.
Despite having been personally briefed by U.S. officials on Russia’s role in the hacks, Trump during one of the debates said he didn’t know if Moscow was behind the hacking and insisted it “Could be somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds, OK?”. In a statement, Sen. John McCain praised Clapper’s leadership, saying he “Provided steady leadership for the Intelligence Community and wise counsel to the President and the Congress.”