BTR News: Senator Rand Paul Is Right About Former Intelligence Officials Being Security Risks

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BTR News – Former intelligence officials that appear on news programs have come under fire for pushing Russian collusion stories to the American public and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul wants them to have their security clearance is revoked for fear that they are leaking classified information in highly partisan appearances on news networks and some have been profiting handsomely from their public service and security clearances that give them access to classified government documents.

Considering most people who leave government service lose their security clearances after two years unless they obtain employment with government contractors that require a security clearance, it is questionable whether or not retired intelligence officials who appear as Talking Heads in the news media should retain those clearances.

MSNBC a prolific promoter of the Trump Russia collusion conspiracy theory try to defend those clearances by saying that former officials are still consulted by those working in their former agencies.  that means that these people are not really retired and should be considered intelligence agency assets working in the news media to push propaganda on behalf of the deep state. It was only a few years ago that former LA Time reporter Ken Dilanian who now works for the AP was outed for seeking to clear stories with the CIA prior to publication.

These activities are right in line with the FBI’s Cointelpro media operations against Black and left-leaning activists and organizations during the 1950’s, 60’s and 70s and Operation Mockingbird which was a large-scale program of the CIA that began in the early 1950s that manipulated news media for propaganda purposes. Mockingbird became the subject of Congressional hearings in the 1970s. Senator Rand Paul is right, retired officials who retain security clearances are security risks. Trump should but probably won’t heed his advice.