A coalition of 18 Republican senators is seeking an investigation into President Biden’s nominee for undersecretary of Defense policy, Colin Kahl over concerns he disclosed or solicited classified information after leaving his government job in the Obama administration. In a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, the Sen. Bill Hagerty-led group also requested Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer not to advance the nomination until the FBI has concluded its investigation.
The Hill reports:
The letter cites written responses from Kahl from late last month in which he indicated to senators that an article in The Washington Post in March 2017 was the source of his Twitter posts that day in which he discussed what the senators allege are classified details of National Security Council committee meeting about a U.S. operation in Yemen.
But the article cited by Kahl does not account for all of the sensitive contents of his tweets, the senators wrote.
They also cited additional tweets from Kahl later in 2017 in which they allege he appeared to confirm leaked classified information related to military options in North Korea and later indicated “multiple” officials within the then-Trump administration had confirmed the information to him.
“This report should be taken very seriously,” Kahl tweeted on Dec. 20, 2017. “There is a contingent at the White House that believes a limited strike is viable and the US can control escalation by threatening regime change if Kim Jong Un retaliates. Very dangerous thinking.”
The senators argue that Kahl’s repeated mishandling of classified information should disqualify him from holding a top security position with the Pentagon. According to the letter, the senators explicitly asked the FBI to review the specific tweets from Kahl, as well as whether he disclosed classified information or uncontrolled classified information on social media after leaving the government, whether he ever received classified information after leaving the government, and whether he violated his classified information nondisclosure agreement.
