Washington Post report raises questions about record of Trump’s DNI pick

Rep. John Ratcliffe’s (R-Texas) claim that he led the arrest of more than 300 undocumented immigrants in a single day has come under scrutiny following his nomination to serve as President Trump’s next director of national intelligence.

A Washington Post investigation found that those involved with the workplace raid described on the Texas Republican’s campaign website say that Ratcliffe had little or no involvement in the raid, which was not nearly as successful as the congressman described.

{mosads}“At the end of the day, it did not deliver,” one former investigator involved in the 2008 raid told the Post. “It was the biggest waste of money and hype.”

Just 45 people were charged as a result of the raid, according to the Post report, far lower than the figure cited on Ratcliffe’s website. His site says the lawmaker “led one of the nation’s largest worksite enforcement actions — resulting in the arrest of more than 300 illegal aliens in a single day.”

A spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in El Paso, Texas, said that Ratcliffe’s characterization of his role in the raid sounded wrong.

“No, that doesn’t sound factual. That sounds incorrect,” she told the Post after reading the description his campaign wrote.

“The name doesn’t ring a bell,” she added of the congressman.

A spokeswoman for Ratcliffe pointed to a press release detailing the congressman’s involvement in an operation that she said led to the raid as a U.S. attorney when contacted by The Hill.

Other questions about whether the congressman has padded his biography have also been raised by Senate Democrats in recent days, throwing his nomination into question.

Trump nominated Ratcliffe to serve as director of national intelligence following his announcement of the resignation of Dan Coats, who has served in the role since the beginning of his presidency, last month.