Trump issues order directing intelligence communities to cooperate with AG probe News
(Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour)
Trump issues order directing intelligence communities to cooperate with AG probe

US President Donald Trump issued an order to eight agency officials on Thursday directing full cooperation with Attorney General William Barr’s probe into activities relating to the 2016 presidential election.

The order was addressed to the following agency heads: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin, acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Michael Shanahan, Attorney General William Barr, Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and Director of the CIA Gina Haspel.

Specifically, the order grants Barr the power to “declassify, downgrade, or direct the declassification or downgrading of information or intelligence” relating to the “intelligence activities relating to the campaigns in the 2016 Presidential election and certain related matters.”

According to a White House statement, the Attorney General has “been delegated full and complete authority to declassify information.”