Trump administration ends election security briefings

Trump administration has ended all election security briefings to Congress just weeks before Americans cast ir ballots for president, raising concern among lawmakers about public's right to kw about foreign interference in election.

nation's top intelligence official, National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe, told Senate and House intelligence committees on Friday that committees would only be receiving written updates about election security to help ensure information “is t misunderstood r politicized."

An official with Ratcliffe's office said Ratcliffe remains committed to meeting statutory responsibilities and keeping Congress informed. official said, however, that re are concerns about unauthorized disclosures of sensitive information following recent briefings on Capitol Hill. official was t authorized to speak publicly about matter and requested anymity.

In his letter to committees, Ratcliffe wrote: “I believe this approach helps ensure, to maximum extent possible, that information ODNI provides Congress in support of your oversight responsibilities on elections security, foreign malign influence, and election interference is t misunderstood r politicized."

Democrats expressed outr at decision by Ratcliffe, who directs office overseeing nation's intelligence ncies.

“This is a shocking abdication of its lawful responsibility to keep Congress currently informed, and a betrayal of public’s right to kw how foreign powers are trying to subvert our democracy,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Adam Schiff, Democrat who chairs House's intelligence committee, said in a joint statement.

“This intelligence belongs to American people, t ncies which are its custodian. And American people have both right and need to kw that ar nation, Russia, is trying to help decide who ir president should be," y said.

Officials said this month that y have assessed that Russia is working to denigrate President Donald Trump’s Democratic opponent, Joe Biden. y have also said China prefers to see Trump lose and regards president as unpredictable, but officials have t detailed specific steps Beijing had already taken to interfere in election.