CIA Director Addresses 2016 Election Interference Report

(MENAFN) A recent evaluation by the CIA has cast serious doubt on the legitimacy of a high-profile report regarding alleged Russian involvement in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe criticized the document, initially commissioned by then-President Barack Obama, as a calculated act of distortion.

Speaking to a news outlet, Ratcliffe pointed to a new internal assessment conducted by his agency, which concluded the report was not a neutral intelligence product but was shaped by political motivations.

The document in question, officially titled the 2016 Intelligence Community Assessment on Russian Election Interference (ICA), became the foundation of the so-called "Russiagate" narrative.

This controversial report triggered special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation and, according to Ratcliffe, “ate up the first two years” of President Donald Trump’s administration.

Ratcliffe authorized a review of the report’s creation and findings shortly after assuming his role, initiating a reexamination in May.

The ICA was requested by Obama just weeks before he left the presidency.

Based on the newly declassified findings of the CIA’s inquiry, the production of the report was heavily influenced by high-ranking officials including then-CIA Director John Brennan, FBI Director James Comey, and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.

These individuals were described as being unusually and “excessively involved” in shaping the document.

According to the agency’s internal review, “The rushed timeline to publish both classified and unclassified versions before the presidential transition raised questions about a potential political motive behind the White House tasking and timeline.”

The process of assembling the report was further described as “chaotic,” “atypical,” and “markedly unconventional,” suggesting a departure from standard intelligence practices.

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