The revelation that a binder containing high-level classified raw intelligence on Russian activities has gone missing nearly three years later is being described as deeply alarming by former national security insiders. This dossier was one of the top priorities for briefing when the ex-official joined the administration, given Russia’s ongoing interference.
Several concerns have been raised about the implications of this missing binder. First, this particular intelligence dossier was known to upset the former president, due to its association with Russian interference in the election that brought him to power - something he believed undermined the legitimacy of his win.
Secondly, there was a high degree of apprehension about sharing such sensitive intelligence with the former president. The fear stemmed from his history of mishandling information coupled with the possibility that he might disclose it to the Russians. Past scenes of the President sharing sensitive information with Kremlin leaders on other issues supported these fears.
The most severe concern, however, emanates from the fact that the former president left the administration with information that he was not supposed to possess. The vanished binder, which he was particularly interested in, has raised eyebrows. While there is no concrete evidence pointing towards the former president or the ex-chief of staff as being in possession of the missing binder, there are strong suspicions that warrant further investigation.
To clarify, raw intelligence refers to unprocessed information that provides details on how this intelligence was acquired – a 'crown jewel' for any intelligence operation. Consequently, the divulgence of such vital classified information could potentially endanger lives and jeopardize ongoing intelligence operations. The intelligence community spends billions of dollars and risks lives gathering this information, so any breach is a severe federal crime. With the fate of the binder still unknown, authorities are taking these concerns seriously as they continue their investigation.
