Jerry Robinson: Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) has violated his oversight mandate and should resign immediately

(FTMDaily.com) Leaders of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee, under the oversight of Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI), are under fire after fresh allegations that the committee members withheld an NSA document from non-committee members prior to a vote on whether to renew the atrocious (and unpatriotic) Patriot Act in the Spring of 2011. The document, which reportedly was created by the U.S. intelligence community and the Department of Justice, was created to provide crucial information on the government’s vast snooping programs for Congressional leaders who were not members of the House Intelligence Committee.

This latest revelation, which was first reported on by the Guardian, exposes the deep failure of the leadership of the House Intelligence Committee in holding America’s intelligence community accountable. As the leader of the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Rep. Mike Rogers is charged with oversight of virtually the entire U.S. intelligence community, including the following executive branch departments and agencies:

– Office of the Director of National Intelligence
– Central Intelligence Agency
– Defense Intelligence Agency
– Department of Defense
– Department of Energy
– Department of Homeland Security
– Department of Justice
– Department of State
– Department of Treasury
– Drug Enforcement Administration
– Federal Bureau of Investigation
– National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
– National Reconnaissance Office
– National Security Agency
– Office of Naval Intelligence
– Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency
– United States Army Intelligence and Security Command
– United States Coast Guard
– Marine Corps Intelligence Activity

If the allegations are true that Rep. Mike Rogers withheld key information from his fellow members of Congress prior to a vote on the re-authorization of the Patriot Act, he has betrayed his oversight mandate and should resign immediately.

By withholding this key document detailing the NSA’s bulk phone records collection program, the House Intelligence Committee leadership submerged the intimate details of the government’s tyrannical snooping operations against the American public from the majority of Congressmen. This was an act of betrayal by the House Intelligence Committee leadership against both their fellow members of Congress and the American public. You can read the full report here.

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