Dec 12 2024

Senator Tom Cotton Likely to Take Final Spot within Intelligence Community Gang of Eight

Posted originally on the CTH on December 11, 2024 | Sundance

One of the least understood aspects of congressional oversight is the elite group of elected politicians who are charged with congressional oversight over all intelligence activity. This highly important oversight group is called the Intelligence Community “Gang of Eight”.

A position within the Gang of Eight comes as a result of holding one of the following eight positions: 1. The Speaker of the House, 2. The Minority Leader of the House, 3. the Majority Leader of the Senate, 4. the Minority Leader of the Senate, 5. the Chairperson of the House Permanent Committee on Intelligence, 6. the minority leader from the same committee; 7. The Chairperson of the Senate Intelligence Committee and 8. the minority leader of the same committee.

With Senator Marco Rubio being pulled out of the Senate to work as Secretary of State, we have been waiting to see who would be appointed by Senate Majority Leader John Thune to be the Rubio replacement as Senate Intel Committee Chair and Go8 member. It now looks like Sea Island attendee Tom Cotton will take up position as SSCI Chair and Gang of Eight member.

WASHINGTON DC – Senate Republicans have discussed elevating Sen. John Cornyn to chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, according to party officials, a move that would hand Cornyn a prized gavel as consolation for losing his GOP leader bid and could help induce him to run for reelection in two years.

The complication, and almost certain deal-breaker: Cornyn would have to leapfrog the Republican next in line to chair the Intelligence Committee, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), and Cotton has privately made clear to Cornyn he would claim the position.

Likely ensuring Cotton’s ascension to the chair is the raw politics of last month’s Senate Republican leadership race between Cornyn and Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.). A select rather than standing committee, the intelligence panel’s chair is chosen by the majority leader. And Cotton supported Thune on the private ballot, according to a third Senate Republican, and now Thune is poised to reward him rather than the man he defeated.

A spokesperson for Thune declined to comment.

Asked if he expects to claim the gavel, Cotton on Tuesday said, “No comment.”

On Tuesday night, Cotton spokeswoman Caroline Tabler said: “Senator Thune has told Senator Cotton he’s taking over as chair. He is hiring staff, working with Senator [Marco] Rubio (R-Fla.) on the transition, and planning with Senator [Mark] Warner (D-Va.) for January confirmation hearings.”

A Cornyn representative declined to comment.

But I’m told the Arkansan has already started hiring staff and refused to be coaxed into letting Cornyn take the chair, which will be open because of Rubio’s appointment as Secretary of State. Cornyn approached Cotton to take his temperature about the post last month after the leader race, I’m told by a Republican senator, and Cotton responded by saying: “I’m going to be the chairman.” (READ MORE)

In March of 2016 an exclusive list of politicians, top tech executives, billionaires, donors and influence agents gathered at a secretive meeting with key leaders of the Washington DC UniParty. The meeting was to discuss their plans to destroy Donald Trump. The meeting took place at the exclusive enclave in Sea Island Georgia.

Over time almost every single member of the Sea Island Group who attended that weekend meeting, have detonated themselves in an effort to try and take down President Trump. Just as the axiom ‘never trust a never Trumper’ has been proven true repeatedly, so too is the sentiment ‘just wait, if they attended Sea Island, they will eventually expose their intent to destroy Trump.’ [READ HERE]

Cornyn and Cotton debate SSCI leadership.

Dec 12 2024

RFK Jr Making Moves Inside Transition Team to Position Daughter in Law as Deputy CIA Nominee

Posted originally on the CTH on December 11, 2024 | Sundance

It was not that long ago when some people in the MAGA movement warned that Robert F Kennedy Jr could be positioning himself to maneuver his daughter-in-law into an Intelligence Community position within the Trump administration. Most people said that was crazy talk.

Apparently, there is some truth to the rumor that RFK Jr is attempting to position his daughter-in-law, Amaryllis Fox-Kennedy, as Deputy CIA Director under John Ratcliffe. Mrs Amaryllis Fox-Kennedy has been a long-term CIA case agent. Additionally, if accurate, this would be yet another Tucker Carlson guest who evolves into the Trump administration.

VIA AXIOS – Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign manager and daughter-in-law Amaryllis Fox Kennedy is making a push to serve as deputy director at the CIA next year — and RFK Jr. is making calls on her behalf, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Fox Kennedy, an integral member of Kennedy’s campaign, wrote a memoir detailing nearly a decade working at the CIA. The deputy director position does not require Senate confirmation.

President-elect Trump, who has signaled plans to try to overhaul U.S. intelligence agencies during his second term, has already named former intelligence director John Ratcliffe to lead the CIA.

The deputy position is one of the highest-profile intelligence jobs that remains open. Politico reported last month that Kash Patel, who has been tapped for FBI director, and Cliff Sims, a former Trump administration official, were jockeying for the role.

Fox Kennedy did not respond to Axios outreach for this story.

Zoom in: Fox Kennedy in 2019 published a memoir, “Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA,” that provided one of the most detailed personal accounts of life in the agency.

Fox Kennedy has said she was recruited by the CIA in her early 20s, becoming one of the youngest female officers at the agency.
She said she was a “nonofficial cover,” meaning she posed as a citizen under a fake identity and had no diplomatic protections.

Between the lines: Fox Kennedy reportedly submitted the memoir to the book publisher without getting sign off from the CIA’s Publication Review Board, stirring controversy within the agency. The board is supposed to approve any material from officers before becoming public to ensure that key intelligence matters remain secret, freelance journalist Yashar Ali reported at the time. (read more)