Thread by @PantsuitPolitic

Last week, the DHS Whistleblower story was swept up in an intense news cycle -- part of a tumultuous whole. Today, I want to share more about that story because it is important on its own.

This story is not about an anonymous whistleblower. It is an allegation that Brian Murphy, Principal Deputy Under Secretary, Department of Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis, spoke up at least 5 times about illegal activity and was demoted for it.

Brian Murphy has been in public service for more than 20 years. He's a Marine who served in combat duty. He was a Special Agent with the FBI's New York field office on 9/11. He is completing his PhD in Executive Branch responsibilities to combat Russian disinformation.

He spoke up about 5 different situations, each alarming on its own and together painting a disturbing picture. His complaint is detailed and specific. There is no equivocation, ambiguity, or "unnamed sources."

Situation 1: He states that former DHS Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen misled Congress twice by conflating two categories of individuals (known or suspected terrorists & special interest aliens) to inflate risk at the southern border as justification for building a wall.

Murphy submitted two anonymous reports to the Office of the Inspector General about his concerns. He later heard that DHS leaders were demanding his termination because of it.

Situation #2: Upon presenting an intelligence report about conditions in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, he was told by Ken Cuccinelli that the report sounded like "deep state intelligence analysts" working to undermine the President.

Cuccinelli demanded that the "deep state" analysts be identified and fired. Murphy consulted with responsible management officials, and no one was fired.

Situation #3: Between March 2018 and August 2020, Murphy witnessed a repeated pattern of censorship and improper administration related to Russian election interference. The theme is suppression of intelligence so as not to embarrass the President.

Murphy consulted with responsible management officials. He was reprimanded, excluded from meetings, and told not disseminate accurate information and instead to focus on China and Iran.

Situation #4: Cuccinelli told Murphy to modify a Homeland Threat Assessment so that it would not reflect poorly on the President. Cuccinelli told Murphy to modify a section on white supremacy to downplay that threat and to include the threat of "violent left wing groups."

Murphy refused to change his analysis, so the assessment was assigned to someone else.

Situation #5: Murphy was instructed to modify intelligence assessments to match Trump's comments on Antifa and "anarchist groups." Murphy refused and was fired under the pretense, he believes, that his department was improperly collecting intelligence information on journalists.

Chad Wolf and Ken Cuccinelli still sit atop the org chart at the Department of Homeland Security, and Murphy's complaint is consistent with activities we are seeing from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Attorney General.

The Trump administration is just that -- not an administration in service of the American people, but an administration in service of the President. Where those interests diverge, as they frequently do here in 2020, the American people receive the raw deal.