Dem lawmaker asks for classified hearing on WikiLeaks CIA disclosure

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) on Thursday requested a classified hearing on the WikiLeaks disclosure of purported CIA hacking tools during a meeting of a House subcommittee with oversight of the federal government’s cybersecurity practices. 

Jackson Lee said that members of the House Homeland Security Committee should receive a briefing about how the WikiLeaks release “impacts negatively on the intelligence community.” The congresswoman made the request at a hearing held by the subcommittee on cybersecurity infrastructure and said that the briefing could involve members of the subcommittee or the full committee with oversight of the Department of Homeland Security. 

“I believe that we should receive a classified briefing as to what actually was released that impacts negatively on the intelligence community regarding the representation that WikiLeaks has released through information they received, some very viable and important data,” Jackson Lee said Thursday morning. “I think that this is a key responsibility that we have.” 

{mosads}WikiLeaks released a trove of secret documents Tuesday purportedly revealing the CIA’s hacking methods. The CIA and FBI are reportedly coordinating on a federal criminal probe into how the documents may have been leaked.

The CIA pushed back on WikiLeaks in a statement Wednesday evening, refusing to comment on the authenticity of the documents and insisting that the agency has never acted unconstitutionally or illegally. 

“The American public should be deeply troubled by any WikiLeaks disclosure designed to damage the intelligence community’s ability to protect America against terrorists and other adversaries,” the CIA said. “Such disclosures not only jeopardize US personnel and operations, but also equip our adversaries with tools and information to do us harm.”

Other members of Congress have demanded answers on the leaks. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) called for an immediate congressional probe into the document dump on Tuesday.