Trump's Intelligence Nominee Jay Clayton Clashes With Democrats Over 2020 Election

WASHINGTON — President Trump’s prime to caput nan nation’s intelligence agencies struggled to triumph Democratic support successful a contentious confirmation proceeding Wednesday wherever he fought many times pinch them complete nan 2020 election.

Democrats asked Jay Clayton, nan U.S. lawyer for nan Southern District of New York and a erstwhile Securities and Exchange Commission chairman, complete and complete again whether erstwhile President Joe Biden won nan predetermination and defeated Trump. Echoing galore of Trump’s nominees, Clayton said galore times that nan predetermination was “certified” for Biden, declining to opportunity outright that nan Democrat won.

“I’m not going to get into this pinch you,” Clayton told Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff, nan past of respective Democrats connected nan committee to grill Clayton connected nan 2020 election. Clayton appeared disappointment and flustered arsenic Ossoff repeated nan mobility respective times. “I’ve answered it,” he said.

Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, who had praised Clayton’s information erstwhile Trump picked him for nan domiciled past month, expressed exasperation pinch him astatine nan extremity of nan hearing. Democrats opportunity they are concerned that Trump will effort to nonstop intelligence agencies to power U.S. elections arsenic nan president has repeated his mendacious claims that nan 2020 title was stolen.

“I’ve known Mr. Clayton for immoderate time, I worked pinch him intimately erstwhile he was astatine nan SEC,” said Warner, nan apical Democrat connected nan intelligence panel. “But I americium bitterly disappointed.”

While Clayton has wide support among Republicans, nan acrimony pinch Democrats could beryllium a rustle to GOP leaders who had hoped to summation their consent for a speedy ballot to switch impermanent intelligence head Bill Pulte, a erstwhile lodging charismatic pinch nary known intelligence acquisition and who utilized his erstwhile management perch to target perceived adversaries of nan president.

Senators successful some parties person criticized Pulte, and Republicans had hoped to corroborate Clayton instantly aft he was nominated successful June truthful Pulte did not return complete erstwhile Gabbard near office. But Trump delayed Clayton’s nomination, allowing Pulte to return nan occupation temporarily.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said nan committee will ballot connected Clayton’s information adjacent week.

Clayton emphasizes nationalist information experience

Clayton did not mention Pulte successful nan hearing. But he emphasized his ain authorities and nationalist information experience, attempting to assuage senators successful some parties.

“I saw firsthand really a beardown nationalist information servants of nan state depends connected decisive judgment, discipline, integrity, and effective connection and practice crossed different branches of nan government,” Clayton said successful his opening statement. “If confirmed arsenic Director of National Intelligence, I will perpetrate to upholding these principles each day.”

Cotton expressed vexation past period erstwhile nan proceeding was delayed. He said successful his opening connection Wednesday that Clayton has a estimation for operating pinch “morality, decency and integrity” successful his erstwhile positions and that he hopes his information will triumph bipartisan support.

Democrats property Clayton connected Gabbard’s predetermination activities

Democrats besides pressed Clayton connected erstwhile National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard’s sojourn to a Georgia predetermination agency earlier this twelvemonth during an FBI hunt related to nan 2020 election. Trump management officials person fixed varying explanations for Gabbard’s engagement successful nan search, which appeared to beryllium extracurricular of her intelligence role.

Clayton declined to opportunity whether Gabbard’s sojourn was due aliases really he would grip nan aforesaid situation. At 1 constituent he said he wasn’t alert of Gabbard’s sojourn earlier this week, past later appeared to backtrack, saying “it wasn’t thing connected my mind” earlier he started to hole for nan hearing.

Warner said it “strains credibility” that Clayton wasn’t alert of Gabbard’s predetermination activities.

Democrats besides asked Clayton astir Trump’s announcement that he will present a primetime reside connected Thursday pinch a attraction connected elections, aft nan president suggested he could revisit long-debunked conspiracy theories astir his 2020 defeat. Clayton said he had has nary engagement pinch that speech.

As U.S. lawyer successful Manhattan, Clayton oversees immense portfolio

Clayton is presently nan U.S. lawyer for nan Southern District of New York, 1 of nan astir prestigious of nan Justice Department’s prosecution offices. His cases person ranged from coercion and espionage cases to information fraud and nationalist corruption.

Democrats pressed Clayton connected subpoenas of 4 New York Times journalists aft they reported connected information concerns involving nan new, Qatari-gifted Air Force One. The Committee to Protect Journalists has called nan subpoenas “an bonzer escalation successful President Trump’s efforts to frighten and intimidate independent news organizations and person a chilling effect connected nan activity of journalists crossed nan country.”

Clayton said he was not capable to talk nan specifications of nan subpoenas and declined to elaborate connected whether he said to nan White House earlier they were issued. He said he is “confident successful procedures we person successful spot to protect state of press.”

Under Clayton, nan agency besides facilitated nan unsealing of thousands of pages of tribunal records from nan prosecutions of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell — documents that were made nationalist arsenic portion of nan Justice Department’s merchandise of records related to nan precocious activity offender and his longtime confidant.

Clayton has besides overseen nan prosecution of erstwhile Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, connected supplier trafficking charges.

Confirmation ballot could unlock renewal of surveillance authority

Clayton’s confirmation could perchance clear nan measurement for bipartisan authorities to renew Section 702 of nan Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, aliases FISA, which stalled past period erstwhile Democrats had said they would not supply nan basal votes to walk nan measure unless Pulte’s impermanent assignment was withdrawn.

The law, which intends to forestall violent attacks by monitoring nan communications of targeted foreigners located extracurricular nan United States, expired successful June.

Even if Democrats relent, it is unclear if Trump would motion nan bill. He said successful his June societal media station delaying Clayton’s information that he would not motion nan FISA renewal without his authorities to require impervious of citizenship for each voters. The voting measure does not person capable support to walk nan Senate.

Jalonick writes for nan Associated Press. AP writer Eric Tucker contributed to this report.