Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats arrives for a closed classified briefing for members of the House of Representatives on North Korea and Afghanistan on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., September 6, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Reuters: Exclusive: U.S. spy chief orders changes in 'unmasking' policy
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. intelligence official has ordered tighter restrictions on how the names of Americans kept secret in intelligence reports can be revealed during presidential transitions, according to documents seen by Reuters.
The move follows unsubstantiated charges by President Donald Trump and his allies that his predecessor’s administration spied on Trump and improperly “unmasked” the identities of his associates during the 2016 presidential campaign and transition.
Current and former senior U.S. intelligence officials who have reviewed the documentation dispute those claims by the president.
In September, the U.S. Justice Department said in a court filing that it had no evidence to support the president’s claim that President Barack Obama ordered surveillance of his Trump Tower campaign headquarters.
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WNU Editor: This Reuters post is more concerned on discounting allegations that the Obama administration unmasked Trump officials during the transition than reporting on what are the changes that these new orders will bring.
