Ben Rhodes Emerging as ‘Person of Interest’ in House Intelligence Committee Unmasking Probe

Ben Rhodes Emerging as ‘Person of Interest’ in House Intelligence Committee Unmasking Probe

by Kristina Wong 1 Aug 2017

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/08/01/ben-rhodes-emerging-as-person-of-interest-in-house-intelligence-committee-unmasking-probe/

Former Obama White House National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes is emerging as a person of interest in the House Intelligence Committee’s unmasking investigation, according to a letter obtained by Circa.

The letter sent from the House intelligence committee to the National Security Agency (NSA) on Tuesday requests the number of unmaskings made by Rhodes between Jan. 1, 2016 to Jan. 20, 2017, congressional sources told Circa.

The committee is requesting that the NSA deliver the information on Rhodes by August 21.

Unmasking refers to the practice of having the identity of an American caught up in surveillance of a foreign target revealed. Their names are hidden — or masked — because U.S. intelligence agencies are prohibited from spying on Americans.

An intelligence consumer, however, can request that an American’s name be unmasked, or revealed, through a formal process. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes recently said in a letter to Director for National Intelligence Dan Coats that Obama aides made “hundreds” of requests in their final year in office.

Some of the unmaskings were followed by leaks in the press, he said. While unmasking is not illegal, leaking classified intelligence is illegal.

Nunes has been conducting an investigation to see whether Americans — including Trump campaign associates — were improperly unmasked before and after the election.

Nunes said in the letter to Coats that the committee has “found evidence that current and former government officials had easy access to U.S. person information and that it is possible that they used this information to achieve partisan political purposes, including the selective, anonymous leaking of such information.”

U.S. officials told Circa on condition of anonymity that the intelligence reports included some intercepts of Americans talking to foreigners and many more involving foreign leaders talking about the future president, his campaign associates, or his transition team. They noted that most of the intercepts had little to do with the Russian election interference scandal, and some appeared to have nothing to do with national security.

The intelligence panel has requested information related to its investigation on unmasking for former National Security Advisor Susan Rice, former CIA Director John Brennan, and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power.

An intelligence source, with direct knowledge of the type of requests made by the Obama aides, told Circa:

It’s like hell and high water to fill out and gain approval for these types of unmaskings. It’s something analysts take seriously and could entail filling out 80 pages of paperwork to prove there is a need to unmask. If top officials were unmasking without oversight it’s something everyone should be concerned about and it puts our intelligence community in a very bad place.

During his last year in office, the Obama administration significantly expanded efforts to search National Security Agency intercepts for information about Americans, according to a previous Circa report.

According to data from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, government officials conducted 30,355 searches in 2016 seeking information about Americans in NSA intercept meta-data, which include telephone numbers and email addresses.

The activity was a 27.5% increase over the prior year and more than triple the 9,500 such searches that occurred in 2013, the first year such data was kept, the report said.

In 2016 the administration searched for data related to 5,288 Americans — an increase of 13 percent over the prior year.

Ben Rhodes

Benjamin J. Rhodes is a co-author for Without Precedent, David Rhodes’s brother, was a special assistant to the president for the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and a deputy national security adviser for the Barack Obama administration.

Note: Lee H. Hamilton is a co-author for Without Precedent, an honorary trustee for the Brookings Institution (think tank), David F. Hamilton’s uncle, and was a president & director Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank), the International Rescue Committee, the Harlem Children's Zone, and the Aspen Institute (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, a benefactor for the Harlem Children's Zone, and is a board member for the International Crisis Group.

Susan E. Rice was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and the former U.S. ambassador to UN, White House national security adviser for the Barack Obama administration.  

Cass R. Sunstein is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and married to Samantha Power. 

Samantha Power is married to Cass R. Sunstein, was a board member for the International Crisis Group, United Nations U.S. ambassador, and a director at the International Rescue Committee.

International Rescue Committee is a partner with the ONE Campaign.

Michael R. Bloomberg was an advocate for the ONE Campaign, a benefactor for the Harlem Children's Zone, and is the founder of Bloomberg LP.

David Rhodes was the head of US television for Bloomberg LP, and is Benjamin J. Rhodes’s brother.

Benjamin J. Rhodes is David Rhodes’s brother, a co-author for Without Precedent, was a special assistant to the president for the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and a deputy national security adviser for the Barack Obama administration.

Thomas H. Kean is a co-author for Without Precedent, and the chairman for the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Newton N. Minow is an honorary trustee at the Carnegie Corporation of New York, a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP.

Michelle Obama was a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP, and an advocate for the ONE Campaign.  

Barack Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP, and the attorney for ACORN vs. Illinois State Board of Elections.

Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) was the plaintiff in ACORN vs. Illinois State Board of Elections.

David F. Hamilton was a canvasser for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), and is Lee H. Hamilton’s nephew.

Sidley Austin LLP was the legal adviser for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN).

R. Eden Martin is counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, and the president of the Commercial Club of Chicago.     

Commercial Club of Chicago, Members Directory A-Z (Past Research)

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

http://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2013/12/commercial-club-of-chicago-members.html

Robert S. Osborne is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and an EVP & general counsel for Booz Allen Hamilton.

Booz Allen Hamilton is a contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA).

James R. Clapper was an executive director, military intelligence programs at Booz Allen Hamilton, and a director at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Melissa Hathaway was a principal at Booz Allen Hamilton, and a cyber coordination executive for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

John Michael McConnell was a director at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and is a senior executive adviser & former vice chairman for Booz Allen Hamilton.

Booz Allen Hamilton is a contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA).

R. James Woolsey was a VP for Booz Allen Hamilton, and a director for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

John O. Brennan was a director for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and a chairman for the Intelligence and National Security Alliance.

Joan A. Dempsey was a deputy director at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), a director at the Intelligence and National Security Alliance, and is an EVP for Booz Allen Hamilton.

Keith R. Hall was a director at the Intelligence and National Security Alliance, and a VP for Booz Allen Hamilton.

Garnett R. Stowe Jr. was a director at the Intelligence and National Security Alliance, and a principal at Booz Allen Hamilton.

Booz Allen Hamilton is a contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA).

Robert S. Osborne is an EVP & general counsel for Booz Allen Hamilton, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

James S. Crown is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and the vice chairman for the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Lester Crown is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, a VP at the Crown Family Foundation, and was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).   

Jane Lakes Harman is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank), and the president & CEO for the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Benjamin J. Rhodes was a special assistant to the president for the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a deputy national security adviser for the Barack Obama administration, is David Rhodes’s brother, and a co-author for Without Precedent.

Thomas H. Kean is a co-author for Without Precedent, and the chairman for the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Newton N. Minow is an honorary trustee at the Carnegie Corporation of New York, a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, and the president of the Crown Family Foundation.

Lester Crown is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, a VP at the Crown Family Foundation, and was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).   

James S. Crown is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and the vice chairman for the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Jane Lakes Harman is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank), and the president & CEO for the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Benjamin J. Rhodes was a special assistant to the president for the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a deputy national security adviser for the Barack Obama administration, is David Rhodes’s brother, and a co-author for Without Precedent.

Thomas H. Kean is a co-author for Without Precedent, and the chairman for the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Newton N. Minow is an honorary trustee at the Carnegie Corporation of New York, a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP.

Michelle Obama was a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP, and an advocate for the ONE Campaign.  

International Rescue Committee is a partner with the ONE Campaign.

Michael R. Bloomberg was an advocate for the ONE Campaign, a benefactor for the Harlem Children's Zone, and is the founder of Bloomberg LP.

David Rhodes was the head of US television for Bloomberg LP, and is Benjamin J. Rhodes’s brother.

Benjamin J. Rhodes is David Rhodes’s brother, a co-author for Without Precedent, was a special assistant to the president for the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and a deputy national security adviser for the Barack Obama administration.

Lee H. Hamilton is a co-author for Without Precedent, an honorary trustee for the Brookings Institution (think tank), David F. Hamilton’s uncle, a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council, and was a president & director Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Frances Fragos Townsend was a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council, and the chair for the Intelligence and National Security Alliance.

Joan A. Dempsey was a director at the Intelligence and National Security Alliance, a deputy director at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and is an EVP for Booz Allen Hamilton.

Keith R. Hall was a director at the Intelligence and National Security Alliance, and a VP for Booz Allen Hamilton.

Garnett R. Stowe Jr. was a director at the Intelligence and National Security Alliance, and a principal at Booz Allen Hamilton.

Booz Allen Hamilton is a contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA).

Robert S. Osborne is an EVP & general counsel for Booz Allen Hamilton, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Garnett R. Stowe Jr. was a principal at Booz Allen Hamilton, and a director at the Intelligence and National Security Alliance.

R. James Woolsey was a VP for Booz Allen Hamilton, and a director for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

John O. Brennan was a director for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and a chairman for the Intelligence and National Security Alliance.

Charles E. Allen was an assistant director for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), a director at the Intelligence and National Security Alliance, the undersecretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and is a principal at the Chertoff Group.

Michael Chertoff was a secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, is a co-founder & chairman for the Chertoff Group, and the chairman for BAE Systems Inc.

BAE Systems plc is a subsidiary of BAE Systems Inc., and the producer of components for Nuclear weapons.

Lee H. Hamilton is a director at BAE Systems Inc., an honorary trustee for the Brookings Institution (think tank), David F. Hamilton’s uncle, a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council, a co-author for Without Precedent, and was a president & director Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Benjamin J. Rhodes is a co-author for Without Precedent, David Rhodes’s brother, was a special assistant to the president for the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and a deputy national security adviser for the Barack Obama administration.