Biden offered Congress a classified files briefing when China spy balloon became public: Mike Turner

2 years ago 428

House Intelligence Chair accuses Biden of 'trying to change the news' by offering Congress a Trump classified documents briefing the SAME day as Chinese spy balloon uproar began

Republican Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio revealed that Congress will be briefed this week on classified documents improperly possessed by Trump, Biden, PenceHe has not yet heard about a Biden administration update about the spy balloon'There is nothing scheduled on the balloon, but they're scheduling Donald Trump,' the head of the powerful House Intelligence Committee said 

By Elizabeth Elkind, U.S. Political Reporter For Dailymail.Com

Published: 10:50 EST, 5 February 2023 | Updated: 10:59 EST, 5 February 2023

Republican House Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner revealed on Sunday that he was offered a Congressional briefing on Donald Trump's handling of classified documents last week - on the same day Americans first learned of a suspected Chinese spy balloon flying over the country.

'You can see they want to change the news,' the Ohio Republican told NBC News' Meet The Press. 

'There is nothing scheduled on the balloon, but they're scheduling Donald Trump.'

The alleged surveillance device was shot down off the coast of South Carolina by American fighter jets on Saturday after crossing over multiple U.S. states at a low enough altitude to be seen by the naked eye - alarming millions across the country. 

Turner said Sunday that he has not yet been made aware of any coming security assessments by the Biden administration for Congress on the incident.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner, a Republican, said there would be a Capitol Hill briefing this week regarding classified documents 

He said he has not yet heard about a briefing regarding the Chinese 'spy balloon' recently shot down off the East Coast

But officials are coming next week to brief lawmakers on classified files recovered from Trump's Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida, Turner said, where they had been improperly stored until an August FBI raid.

Additionally, Turner said Biden officials would brief lawmakers on classified documents recovered from former Vice President Mike Pence, as well as from the president himself.

Biden has been found in possession of as many as 30 classified files from his time as vice president and as a senator from Delaware, which were recovered from his Wilmington, Delaware residence and a Washingon, DC think tank where he'd previously kept a private office.

Bipartisan requests for more information came from both sides of the aisle in Congress - and Turner claimed Sunday that they'd all been stonewalled.

It's why the congressman now believes the Biden administration is offering the briefing now to distract from the diplomatic crisis caused by China's 'spy balloon.'

'The Biden administration told the American public that they raided Donald Trump's home because it was a national security risk. But what we found in the intelligence community and the intelligence committee is that the Biden administration had not engaged at all anyone who is in national security on the issue of threats from these documents,' Turner explained.

'It took Congress to step in and say, "We want a security threat." And then they tried to deny giving the briefing to us from that threat.'

He added, 'What's interesting is that the moment this balloon became public, I got a notice not from the administration that I'm going to get a briefing on this balloon, but they have to rush to Congress now to talk to us about Donald Trump's documents. You can see they want to change the news.'

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
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