"Mr. Murphy is, put simply, a dedicated public servant who has had a laudable career prior to the recent events that have led to the submission of this package to the OIG," his complaint states. "Prior to his current circumstances, he had never had so much as a negative fitness report in his professional career with the U.S. Government."
In his complaint, he alleges that former DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, current acting Secretary Chad Wolf and his deputy, Ken Cuccinelli, repeatedly pressed him to change intelligence assessments in ways that would support administration policies or avoid offending the president.
In one example, he said Nielsen and her deputies pressed him to exaggerate the number of migrants with links to terrorism who have been detained at the Southwest border.
Murphy said she falsely used a higher figure in testimony to Congress.
The complaint says Wolf, who has been nominated to be secretary by Trump, directed Murphy to cease providing intelligence assessments on the threat of Russian interference to the US because it "made the President look bad." Murphy said he declined because it would be a violation of his duties not to do it.
He said Cuccinelli directed him to modify a section of a report on white supremacy to make the threat appear less severe, and to include information on left-wing groups to echo administration talking points around civil unrest following the protests over the killing of George Floyd.
A copy of the complaint was released by Representative Adam Schiff of the House Intelligence Committee. Schiff says he has asked Murphy to testify to Congress.
DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment by AP.
- AP
