Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe has asserted his belief that China interfered in the 2020 federal elections according to a letter that was sent to members of Congress.
In the letter DNI Ratcliffe stated that he does not believe “that the majority view expressed by the Intelligence Community (IC) analysts fully and accurately reflects the scope of the Chinese government’s efforts to influence the 2020 US federal election.”
Citing a report by the Intelligence Community Analytic Ombudsman Barry Zulauf, Director Ratcliffe said some analysts were reluctant to describe China’s actions as election interference because they disagreed with the policies of President Donald Trump.
“China analysts were hesitant to access Chinese actions as undue influence or interference. These analysts appears reluctant to have their analysis of China brought forward because they tend to disagree with the administration’s policies, saying in effect, I don’t want our intelligence used to support those policies.”
Ratcliffe’s letter went on expose the role of the Central Intelligence Agency in blunting the publication of reports on Chinese interference in November’s election;
“There was strong efforts to suppress analysis of alternatives in August, and associated IC products…National Intelligence Council officials reported that Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officials rejected NIC coordination comments and tried to downplay alternative analyses…”
“Additionally, the Ombudsman found that CIA management took action ‘pressuring [analysts] to withdraw their support’ from the alternative viewpoint on China in an attempt to suppress it…”
Ratcliffe finished his letter to the Congress by stating, “Based on all available sources of intelligence, with definitions consistently applied, and reached independent of political considerations or undue pressure—that the People’s Republic of China sought to influence the 2020 U.S. federal elections.”