[direwolf]

Looks like the DHS has fired the guy who was compiling intelligence on journalists covering the Portland protests. I assume Trump will now fire the guy who did the firing.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/0...nalists-390042

The Department of Homeland Security is removing its top intelligence official from his post amid criticism of his office's role in the civil unrest in Portland, Oregon.

Brian Murphy, who has been the acting chief of DHS’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis, is being removed from that role, a person familiar with the matter confirmed to POLITICO. The person said acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf made the decision.

Murphy’s removal comes in the wake of a string of bruising reports about the office he runs. Over the last week, news has broken that I&A compiled intelligence reports about journalists covering protests in Portland, including a reporter for the New York Times. And on Friday, The Washington Post reported it also monitored protesters’ electronic communications. Both stories raise legal concerns.

It's not the first time the I&A office, which shares intelligence with state and local partners, has come under scrutiny. When Murphy was second in command there, I&A shut down a team that focused on domestic terrorism, including white supremacists. The small office, which is one of the intelligence community’s 17 agencies, has struggled with morale problems for years.

Murphy, a veteran of the FBI before moving to DHS, had been helming the office in an acting capacity since May. His removal is unlikely to quell the scorching criticisms DHS faces for its response to the protests, but is still a significant step. Murphy did not respond to a quest for comment on his removal.