I have to agree with President Trump that those who are LEAKING classified information need to be uncovered and prosecuted. Those are the left are up in arms over Russian “hacking”. EVERYONE should be OUTRAGED over this meddling of how our country operates by unelected individuals within our own government. I am.
On the first level, individuals trusted with classified information have a sworn duty to protect that information from dissemination. They may disagree with the administration, policies, or world events, but that does not excuse them from protecting the information. Giving out classified information to people who do not have an appropriate clearance AND a “need to know” is a violation of the law. It can rise to the level of a felony. In times of war it can rise to treason which carries an ultimate penalty of death.
On the second level, and more disturbing, is that this is the sort of behavior of organizations such as the KGB. Internal agencies who use their powers to manipulate the outcome of any policy or who persecute any other individual or entity is a very DANGEROUS organization. The leaks that President Trump is outraged over pertained to a PRIVATE CITIZEN. If a government agency can use its power to persecute any citizen without any law, any order, or due process should be FEARED.
Intelligence agencies are part of the Executive Branch within the THREE BRANCHES of government. They should execute the law and only the law. If they have a problem with their chain of command within the Executive Branch, they can go to Congress who has the power to issue an order to investigate and take appropriate action.
Selectively passing classified information to the press to affect change is NOT the way that our country is supposed to be run!
Intelligence agencies are tasked to collect and protect information to keep our country safe and allow our country to function, domestically and internationally. They are NOT and should NEVER be the ruling dictatorship manipulating policies, events, direction, or laws of our country.