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CIA chief rejects media reports of hiding intelligence data from Trump

In a statement obtained by TASS, Pompeo said the CIA was "not aware of any instance when that has occurred"
 CIA Director Mike Pompeo AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta
CIA Director Mike Pompeo
© AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

WASHINGTON, February 17. /TASS/. CIA Director Mike Pompeo strongly rejected US media reports that US intelligence services withhold some intelligence information from President Donald Trump.

In a statement obtained by TASS, Pompeo said the CIA was "not aware of any instance when that has occurred."

"It is CIA’s mission to provide the President with the best intelligence possible and to explain the basis for that intelligence. The CIA does not, has not, and will never hide intelligence from the President, period," Pompeo said.

He said the story, published by the Wall Street Journal Thursday is "dead wrong and impugns the integrity of thousands of professional intelligence officers by peddling gossip without citing a single example to support its claims."

According to the article, US intelligence services withhold certain secret information from Trump fearing that it may be leaked or compromised. According to the paper, in some cases certain information on " the sources and methods that the intelligence agencies use to collect information," including those used to spy on foreign governments, was withheld from Trump.

According to the paper, the decision "underscores the deep mistrust that has developed between the intelligence community and the president over his team’s contacts with the Russian government, as well as the enmity he has shown toward U.S. spy agencies.".