A new whistleblower report from the House Oversight committee released damning information. It stated that a number of Trump administration officials and appointees would profit from nuclear sales to Saudi Arabia. This in spite of repeated objections from the National Security Council and the “other senior White House Officials.”
The Washington Post reported that there were “multiple whistleblowers:”
‘Multiple whistleblowers came forward to warn about efforts inside the White House to rush the transfer of highly sensitive U.S. nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia in potential violation of the Atomic Energy Act and without review by Congress as required by law — efforts that may be ongoing to this day.’
The whistleblowers also warned:
‘…about a working environment inside the White House marked by chaos, dysfunction and backbiting. (Ethics Advisers tried unsuccessfully) ordered senior White House officials to halt their efforts.’
The House Oversight and Reform committee chair, Elijah Cummings (D-MD) just released the 24-page report. It noted that the whistleblowers from within the White House were highly concerned, because the Trump administration was still making moves to sell nuclear power plants.
Cummings’ report noted a “long list of high-profile people in Trump’s orbit” have been involved. In addition, former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, and former Texas governor and Energy Secretary, Rick Perry, insisted on the nuclear sales. The discussion is still alive in the Oval Office. Trump’s son-in-law considers himself a good friend of Salman and will travel to visit him this week, along with other middle eastern countries.
Trump was pleased with the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit in March 2018 and announced a $12.5 billion arms sales. Salman has been responsible for the deaths of three million people in Yeman, including children and often by starvation. It has been the worst humanitarian crisis in history. During the crown prince’s visit, POTUS claimed that the U.S. had “the best equipment in the world.”
White House attorneys and then chief of the National Security Council, H.R. McMaster, objected to the sales. The Democrat’s report gave documents and anonymous whistleblower statements as evidence. The whistleblowers urged the U.S. to stop nuclear sales due to “potential conflicts of interest, national security risks, and legal hurdles.”
The Cummings report stated that there was a web of interlocking relationships involved in the sales. Westinghouse Electric is a power plant manufacturer involved in the nuclear sale. It is owned by Brookfield Asset Management. The latter saved Jared Kushner’s skyscraper at 666 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan when it took a “99-year lease” on the property.
The Saudi-U.S. relations are strained at the moment due to the crown prince ordering the torture, murder, and dismemberment of The Washington Post journalist, Jamal Khashoggi. Donald Trump has resisted believing the intelligence reports that Salman was involved. Congress has held back in a “business-as-usual relationship with Riyadh (Saudi Arabia’s capitol).”
Spokeswoman for Republicans on the Oversight committee, Charli Huddleston, released a statement that read:
‘This is a delicate and nuanced issue that Chairman Cummings is approaching without bipartisan input and with far flung (sic) requests for information.’
The Republicans on the Oversight committee did not participate in preparing the report and did not get a copy until recently. They noted they had not had time to fully analyze it.
Featured image is a screenshot via YouTube.
