Gavin Howe
In 2017, Susan Rice, the national security adviser to President Barack Obama, was accused of breaking federal law by spying on Donald Trump and his team. Rice was alleged to have requested the identities of US persons in raw intelligence reports on dozens of occasions. However, national security experts have said that Rice likely did not commit a crime, as she would have had to purposefully leak such information to the media or knowingly place it in the hands of someone not entitled to possess it.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Committed a crime | Unlikely |
| Reason | Requested identities of U.S. persons in raw intelligence reports |
| Law broken | Federal law |
| Condition for breaking the law | Purposefully leaking information to the media or knowingly placing it in the hands of someone not entitled to possess it |
| Action | Asking to see the names of persons close to Trump whose communications were captured after the election in surveillance of foreigners by U.S. spy agencies |
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What You'll Learn
- Susan Rice's handling of intelligence reports related to Donald Trump
- Susan Rice's request to see the names of persons close to Trump
- Susan Rice's 'unmasking' of names in reports involving Trump people
- Susan Rice's alleged playing of politics with classified information
- Susan Rice's alleged unethical requests to the NSA
Susan Rice's handling of intelligence reports related to Donald Trump
Rice's actions were revealed by White House staffers, including Ezra Cohen-Watnick, who tipped off Nunes. According to US officials, Rice had requested the identities of US persons in intelligence reports on multiple occasions, which connected to the Trump transition and campaign.
However, national security experts have stated that Rice likely did not commit a crime by asking to see the names of persons close to Trump. To have broken federal law, Rice would have had to purposefully leak such information to the media or knowingly place it in the hands of someone not entitled to possess it.
While Rice's actions may not have broken the law, some have criticised her handling of classified information. John R. Schindler, a conservative columnist and former NSA analyst, wrote that Rice had "perfectly legitimate reasons" for her actions. However, others have claimed that Rice was a deeply unpopular figure in the intelligence community, known for pushing the boundaries of what was ethical and legal.
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Susan Rice's request to see the names of persons close to Trump
In the final days of the Obama administration, Susan Rice, then national security adviser, requested the identities of U.S. persons in raw intelligence reports on dozens of occasions. These reports were connected to the Donald Trump transition and campaign.
Rice's request to see the names of persons close to Trump was not illegal, according to national security experts. They said that Rice would have had to purposefully leak such information to the media or knowingly place it in the hands of someone not entitled to possess it to have broken federal law.
However, Rice was a "deeply unpopular figure" in the intelligence community. One source said that "Rice didn't like to play by the rules, including the top-secret ones". They added that Rice had asked the NSA to do things they regarded as unethical and perhaps illegal. When she was turned down, she kept pushing.
Rice's request to see the names of persons close to Trump was likely an attempt to gain political leverage. While it may not have been illegal, it does raise questions about her judgement and respect for the rules and procedures of the intelligence community.
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Susan Rice's 'unmasking' of names in reports involving Trump people
Susan Rice, former national security adviser to President Barack Obama, has been accused of breaking the law by requesting the identities of U.S. persons in raw intelligence reports connected to the Donald Trump transition and campaign. This process is known as "unmasking".
Rice's requests were discovered in a National Security Council review of the government's policy on "unmasking" the identities of individuals in the U.S. who are not targets of electronic eavesdropping but whose communications are collected incidentally. Normally, these names are redacted from summaries of monitored conversations and appear in reports as "U.S. Person One", "U.S. Person Two", etc.
According to national security experts, Rice would have had to purposefully leak such information to the media or knowingly place it in the hands of someone not entitled to possess it in order to have broken federal law. These experts said it is unlikely that Rice committed a crime by asking to see the names of persons close to Trump whose communications were captured in surveillance of foreigners by U.S. spy agencies.
However, Rice has been described as a "deeply unpopular figure" in the intelligence community, with one source claiming that she "didn't like to play by the rules, including the top-secret ones". It is alleged that Rice asked the NSA to do things they regarded as unethical and perhaps illegal, and that she played politics with classified information.
In conclusion, while Susan Rice's unmasking of names in reports involving Trump people may have been standard practice, her motives and intentions remain unclear.
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Susan Rice's alleged playing of politics with classified information
Susan Rice, the former national security adviser to President Barack Obama, was accused of asking for the identities of people close to Donald Trump to be unredacted in intelligence reports. However, national security experts have said that she likely did not commit a crime, as she would have had to purposefully leak such information to the media or knowingly place it in the hands of someone not entitled to possess it.
Rice was a "deeply unpopular figure" in the intelligence community, and was known for playing politics with classified information. She asked the NSA to do things they regarded as unethical and perhaps illegal. When she was turned down, she kept pushing.
Despite this, Rice was given unfettered access to classified information by President Donald Trump's National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster. In a letter sent to her home in April 2017, McMaster waived the requirement that Rice must have a "need-to-know" to access any classified information contained in items she "originated, reviewed, signed or received while serving". The letter also confirmed that the National Security Council would work with Rice to ensure she had access to classified information.
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Susan Rice's alleged unethical requests to the NSA
Susan Rice, former national security adviser to President Barack Obama, has been accused of making unethical requests to the NSA.
Rice allegedly asked the NSA to reveal the identities of US citizens in raw intelligence reports on dozens of occasions. These reports were connected to the Donald Trump transition and campaign.
National security experts have stated that Rice would have had to purposefully leak such information to the media or knowingly place it in the hands of someone not entitled to possess it to have broken federal law.
However, Rice has been described as a "deeply unpopular figure" in the intelligence community, with one source claiming that she "didn't like to play by the rules, including the top-secret ones". It is alleged that Rice asked the NSA to do things they regarded as unethical and perhaps illegal. When the NSA refused, Rice reportedly kept pushing.
Despite these allegations, it is important to note that Rice likely did not commit a crime by asking to see the names of persons close to Trump whose communications were captured in surveillance of foreigners by US spy agencies.
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Frequently asked questions
It is alleged that Susan Rice broke the law by unmasking members of the Trump campaign team. However, it would only be illegal if she did it for political purposes, which is difficult to prove.
The normal practice for the NSA is to redact the names of Americans caught up in signals intercepts.
USSID 18 provides the legal process for handling signals intercepts that inadvertently scoop up information on American citizens and ensures their constitutional rights are protected.
Susan Rice allegedly asked the NSA to modify the normal protocol and include the names of Americans in intelligence reports.
