Intel Analysts Hid Fact That China Interfered With 2020 Election

AP Photo/Files

Nothing surprises me anymore when it comes to the depths of depravity among the denizens of the Deep State.

But I have to admit that I am still, sometimes, surprised how so many people buried in the bureaucracy can get away with acting as if they are a fourth branch of government. You would expect that at least SOMEBODY there would have some integrity and respect for the Constitution, but nope. 

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During the campaign of 2020, the intelligence "community" focused on election interference from China and Russia (and, I would suppose, other adversary countries). They should have focused as much attention on our supposed allies, but that is another story. 

They discovered plenty of it coming from China, but declined to inform the president because they wanted him to lose, and didn't want him to have an excuse to follow policies they disapproved of

Analysts inside the U.S. intelligence community sought to conceal evidence of Chinese influence efforts from President Donald Trump during the 2020 election, with analysts saying they didn’t want their intel used by “that vulgarian in the Oval Office” to pursue policies toward China they personally disagreed with.

The revelation is found within a January 2021 report written by — and never before reported upon comments by — analytic ombudsman Barry Zulauf, who conducted a review of the spy community’s handling of Russian versus Chinese meddling efforts during the 2020 election. Among his conclusions was that intelligence analysts downplayed China’s actions because they had disdain for the “vulgarian” Trump and did not want to support the policies and priorities of the Trump administration toward China with which they “personally disagree.”

Just the News reported this week that the U.S. intelligence community has known since early 2020 that Beijing also gained access to American voter registration data and used that information to conduct opinion analysis related to the presidential election between Trump and then-former Vice President Joe Biden.

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What's the point of having elections when the bureaucracy thinks it can decide policy? General Milley committed actual treason, promising to warn China of any military actions, and the FBI conducted baseless investigations and lied to the courts in order to destroy Trump and his associates, and the media applauded the #resistance in government, as if elections should be overturned whenever you don't like the results. 

"Norms," you know. 

Zulauf discussed his report on a podcast later that year, where he quoted an analyst working on Chinese interference efforts as having essentially said that “I don't want my analysis going to the White House where that vulgarian … in the White House will use it to pursue policies toward China with which I personally disagree.”

An article in the Journal of Intelligence Conflict and Warfare recounted a 2023 speech by Zulauf, who said that the intelligence analyst was quoted as saying that “I don’t want my intelligence going to the White House where it will be used by that vulgarian in the Oval Office to support policies against China with which I personally disagree.”

“Dr. Zulauf went on to point out the various errors in this way of thinking — intelligence belongs to the community, not a single analyst, and further, while analysts are entitled to like or dislike particular leaders, they are not entitled to allow that to alter the intelligence products that they put forward,” the journal article said.

The review by Zulauf also found that allegations of Russian meddling and Chinese meddling were being measured based on differing standards, meaning Russia may have taken actions that were determined to be influence or interference efforts while, if and when China took the same or similar actions, those Chinese actions likely would not have been determined to be influence or interference efforts.

“Due to varying collection and insight into hostile state actors' leadership intentions and domestic election influence campaigns, the definitional use of the terms ‘influence’ and ‘interference’ and associated confidence levels are applied differently by the China and Russia analytic communities,” Zulauf wrote in his report.

The ombudsman found that “the terms were applied inconsistently across the analytic community” and that “failing to explain properly these definitions is inconsistent with Tradecraft Standards.”

“ODNI officials engaging with policymakers said that these customers did notice the result, particularly differences in the volume, frequency, and confidence levels of the intelligence coming from the China and Russia analytic communities on activities that, from their perspective, were very similar in their potential effects,” Zulauf added.

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It doesn't surprise me in the least that some bureaucrats would try to become mini-presidents; what I still can't wrap my head around is that this attitude is so pervasive that it is routine to subvert political decision-makers. 

No amount of Chinese or Russian "election interference" presents as dire a threat to our democracy as the federal bureaucracy becoming a fourth branch of government, with veto power over elected officials. 

But, as we all know, the transnational elite prefers technocracy, along the lines of the EU model. The technocracy decides who can get elected, what regulations are put in place, and even, in Europe, when elections or election results can get canceled. 

It's basically a bloodless coup. 

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