Yesterday the news broke that the CIA finally admitted that it had spied on senate staff:
The director of the Central Intelligence Agency, John Brennan, issued an extraordinary apology to leaders of the US Senate intelligence committee on Thursday, conceding that the agency employees spied on committee staff and reversing months of furious and public denials.
Brennan acknowledged that an internal investigation had found agency security personnel transgressed a firewall set up on a CIA network which allowed Senate committee investigators to review agency documents for their landmark inquiry into CIA torture.
Among other things, it was revealed that agency officials conducted keyword searches and email searches on committee staff while they used the network.
What is not being mentioned much, is that the spying was directed towards the Democrats:
In other conclusions, Buckley found that CIA security officers conducted keyword searches of the emails of staffers of the committee’s Democratic majority and reviewed some of them and that the three CIA information technology specialists showed “a lack of candor” in interviews with Buckley’s office.
The inspector general’s summary did not say who may have ordered the intrusion or when senior CIA officials learned of it.
Several senators believe the scandal goes much further:
He hinted that the scandal goes further than the individuals cited in Buckley’s report.
“I think it’s very clear that CIA people knew exactly what they were doing and either knew or should’ve known,” said Levin, adding that he thought that Buckley’s findings should be referred to the Justice Department.
I do not know how much good that would do, seeing as the DOJ had already declined to investigate:
The Justice Department has decided it won't referee charges -- and countercharges -- of spying between the CIA and the Senate Intelligence Committee.
...
"The department carefully reviewed the matters referred to us and did not find sufficient evidence to warrant a criminal investigation," Justice Department spokesman Peter Carr said.
Despite at least two calls for his resignation Brennan does not appear to be going anywhere:
Asked if Brennan had or would offer his resignation, a different CIA spokesman, Ryan Trapani, replied: “No.”
Perhaps President Obama has the back of the members of his own party over those who wish to continue the cover-up of the Bush/Cheney torture program? Not so much...
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest issued a strong defense of Brennan, crediting him with playing an “instrumental role” in the administration’s fight against terrorism, in launching Buckley’s investigation and in looking for ways to prevent such occurrences in the future.
Earnest was asked at a news briefing whether there was a credibility issue for Brennan, given his forceful denial in March.
“Not at all,” he replied