Former NSA Director Mike Rogers, left; DNI Tulsi Gabbard, center; former DNI James Clapper, right. (Getty)
"Clapper’s own words confirm that complying with the order to manufacture intelligence was a ‘team sport,’" Gabbard claimed.
In July, Fox News Digital exclusively reported that Gabbard and intelligence officials said that the Obama administration allegedly "manufactured and politicized intelligence" to create the narrative that Russia was attempting to influence the 2016 presidential election, despite information from the intelligence community stating otherwise.
The email, exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital Wednesday, from Rogers was sent to then-Director of National Intelligence Clapper, then-CIA Director John Brennan, and then-FBI Director James Comey Dec. 22, 2016, at 7:00 a.m.
"I’ve just returned from a TDY overseas and been updated on the current status of our efforts to produce a joint product related to Russian attribution and intent for the DNC/DCCC hacks," Rogers allegedly wrote in the email. "I know that this activity is on a fast-track and that folks have been working very hard to put together a product that can be provided to the president."
"However, I wanted to reach out to you directly to let you know of some concerns I have with what I am hearing from my folks," Rogers continued. "Specifically, I asked my team if they’d had sufficient access to the underlying intelligence and sufficient time to review that intelligence."
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"On both points my team raised concerns," Rogers reportedly wrote. "They were clear that, at the staff level, folks have been forward-leaning and trying to ensure that we have an opportunity to review and weigh in, but I’m concerned that, given the expedited nature of this activity, my folks aren’t fully comfortable saying that they have had enough time to review all of the intelligence to be absolutely confident in their assessments."
Former Director of U.S. National Intelligence James Clapper (R) listens to former CIA Director John Brennan (L). (REUTERS/Gary Cameron )
The 2017 ICA ultimately assessed that "Russia was responsible for leaking data from the DNC and DCCC," but an official flagged to Fox News Digital that the ICA "failed to mention that FBI and NSA previously expressed low confidence in this attribution."
Documents revealed that in the months leading up to the November 2016 election, the intelligence community consistently assessed that Russia was "probably not trying…to influence the election by using cyber means."
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Weeks before the emails were sent, on Dec. 7, 2016, Clapper’s talking points stated: "Foreign adversaries did not use cyberattacks on election infrastructure to alter the U.S. presidential election outcome."
Last month, Fox News Digital obtained a declassified copy of the Presidential Daily Brief, which was prepared by the Department of Homeland Security, with reporting from the CIA, Defense Intelligence Agency, FBI, NSA, Department of Homeland Security, State Department and open sources, for Obama, dated Dec. 8, 2016.
"We assess that Russian and criminal actors did not impact recent US election results by conducting malicious cyber activities against election infrastructure," the Presidential Daily Brief stated. "Russian Government-affiliated actors most likely compromised an Illinois voter registration database and unsuccessfully attempted the same in other states."
From left, FBI Director James Comey, CIA Director John Brennan, and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper sit together in the front row before President Barack Obama spoke about National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance, Friday, Jan. 17, 2014, at the Justice Department in Washington. The president called for ending the government's control of phone data from millions of Americans. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) (The Associated Press)
By Dec. 9, 2016, a meeting convened in the White House Situation Room, with the subject line starting: "Summary of Conclusions for PC Meeting on a Sensitive Topic (REDACTED.)"
The meeting included top officials in the National Security Council, Clapper, then-CIA Director John Brennan, then-National Security Advisor Susan Rice, then-Secretary of State John Kerry, then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch, then-Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, among others, to discuss Russia.
The declassified meeting record, obtained by Fox News Digital, revealed that principals "agreed to recommend sanctioning of certain members of the Russian military intelligence and foreign intelligence chains of command responsible for cyber operations as a response to cyber activity that attempted to influence or interfere with U.S. elections, if such activity meets the requirements" from an executive order that demanded the blocking of property belonging to people engaged in cyber activities.
After the meeting, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Clapper’s executive assistant emailed intelligence community leaders tasking them to create a new intelligence community assessment "per the president’s request," that detailed the "tools Moscow used and actions it took to influence the 2016 election."
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard talks to reporters in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on July 23, 2025, in Washington, DC., after releasing newly-declassified documents about the Trump-Russia collusion ‘hoax.’ ((Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images | Fox News Digital))
"ODNI will lead this effort with participation from CIA, FBI, NSA, and DHS," the record states.
Later, Obama officials "leaked false statements to media outlets" claiming that "Russia has attempted through cyber means to interfere in, if not actively influence, the outcome of an election."
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By Jan. 6, 2017, a new Intelligence Community Assessment was released that, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, "directly contradicted the IC assessments that were made throughout the previous six months."
Current intelligence officials told Fox News Digital that the ICA was "politicized" because it "suppressed intelligence from before and after the election showing Russia lacked intent and capability to hack the 2016 election."
Officials also said it deceived the American public "by claiming the IC made no assessment on the ‘impact’ of Russian activities," when the intelligence community "did, in fact, assess for impact."
In July, Fox News Digital exclusively reported that Comey and Brennan are under criminal investigation.
In early August, Attorney General Pam Bondi directed her staff to act on the criminal referral from Gabbard. The Justice Department is now planning to open a grand jury investigation into the alleged conspiracy to tie Trump to Russia in the 2016 election.
Fox News Digital reached out to Clapper for comment and has not received a reply.
Brooke Singman is a political correspondent and reporter for Fox News Digital, Fox News Channel and FOX Business.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/clapper-pushed-compromise-normal-steps-rush-2017-ica-despite-concerns-from-nsa-director