Hoekstra on Fox clarifies his concerns about unreported intelligence activities, and only adds to the alarm:

The White House possibly broke the law by keeping intelligence activities a secret from the lawmakers responsible for overseeing them, the House Intelligence Committee chairman said Sunday.

Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., said he was informed about the programs by whistleblowers in the intelligence community and then asked the Bush administration about the programs, using code names. Hoekstra said members of the House and Senate intelligence committees then were briefed on the programs, which he said is required by law.

“We can’t be briefed on every little thing that they are doing,” Hoekstra said. “But in this case, there was at least one major — what I consider significant activity that we have not been briefed on. I want to set the standard there that it is not optional for this president or any president or people in the executive community not to keep the intelligence committees fully informed of what they are doing,” he said on “Fox News Sunday.”

Tom Maguire is perhaps correct to say it's a leap that this concerns domestic intelligence. Perhaps it does, perhaps not. But what is the "major" "significant" intelligence activity that Hoekstra says he has learned about from whistleblowers, not from the White House? Under what authority was the head of the House intelligence committee not briefed of a major intelligence activity undertaken by the administration? And where are Hoekstra's Senate intel committee counterparts? Jane Harman? Were they briefed? And why is Hoekstra making sure his concerns are coming to light now in the Post, the NYT and Fox? Is something about to break?

More from the Post.

Update: Here's the NYT. "Mr. Hoekstra and other officials would not discuss the nature of the undisclosed intelligence programs. But officials have said he was not referring to the National Security Agency's wiretapping operation or to the Treasury Department's bank monitoring program, both of which he was informed about. Mr. Hoekstra made clear on Sunday that he was particularly troubled by the failure to notify the Intelligence Committee of one particular major program. [...] In talks with the administration, the committee 'asked by code name what some of these programs' were, Mr. Hoekstra said. [...] Officials said in interviews last week that the administration had briefed the House Intelligence Committee at least twice in recent weeks, after Mr. Hoekstra's letter, to discuss details of the previously undisclosed programs. But some committee members say they remain wary that the administration is continuing to withhold information." More speculation here.

Posted by Laura at July 9, 2006 06:25 PM