Wednesday at the Senate Intelligence Committee’s hearing Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said he had never “felt pressure to intervene or interfere in any way ” with an ongoing investigation.
Coats said, “First of all, I’m always — I — I told you, and I committed to the committee that I would be available to testify before the committee. I don’t think this is the appropriate venue to do this in, given that this is an open hearing, and a lot of confidential information relative to intelligence or other matters — I just don’t feel it’s appropriate for me to do that in this situation.”
“And then, secondly, when I was asked yesterday to respond to a piece that I was told was going to be written and printed in The Washington Post this morning, my response to that was, in my time of service — which is in interacting with the president of the United States or anybody in his administration, I have never been pressured,” he continued. “I’ve never felt pressure to intervene or interfere in any way and shape — with shaping intelligence in a political way, or in relationship.”
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