Free Treason by Newt Gingrich, Pete Earley

political aerobatics. Ironically, both men had arrived in the nation’s capital within a few weeks of each other. Chairman Stanton had been in his early thirties when he’d been elected to serve the first of what now was eighteen two-year terms in the House. Grainger had arrived fresh after graduating magna cum laude at Penn State and having the Navy assign him to the Pentagon. As he’d risen through the ranks, the military had paid for his Ivy League law degree and Grainger had become more of a skilled Washington insider than a soldier.
    Few knew how to swim better in Washington’s Capitol Hill shark tank.
    Joining the two men in their meeting was White House chief of staff Mallory Harper, but she was choosing to remain silent for the moment while Stanton accused Grainger of deceiving him.
    â€œMr. Chairman,” Grainger began, speaking without inflection, “you have accused me of being less than candid, an accusation that is both inaccurate and personally offensive.”
    â€œExcuse me, sir,” Stanton interrupted, “but during our last conversation, did you not tell me that your agency had no advance knowledge that our embassy in Mogadishu was about to be attacked by Al-Shabaab?”
    Grainger didn’t answer that question directly. Instead, he said, “You are basing your accusation on a single NSA telephone intercept—a telephone call that was overheard in Somalia.”
    â€œYes, that’s exactly what I am basing it on. My staff has obtained a copy of that NSA intercepted call, and two Al-Shabaab terrorists can be clearly heard on it discussing how they are about to attack our embassy. And that intercepted call was, in fact, delivered to your agency four hours prior to the attack. Director Grainger, it’s obvious that your agency had prior knowledge, which is not what you told me when we last spoke about Somalia. You misled me.”
    â€œWith all due respect, Mr. Chairman, there are several logical explanations that do not include deception on my part.”
    â€œThen let’s hear them.”
    â€œFirst, we receive thousands and thousands of NSA intercepts every day and—”
    Stanton cut him short. He wasn’t about to let Grainger dance his way through this. “I’m sure the agency receives thousands of intercepted messages, but I only care about this one—the message that warned you an attack was going to take place in four hours, an attack that ultimately cost thirteen American lives, an attack that could have been prevented. One would assume that intercept would have been a priority.”
    â€œMr. Chairman, if you will permit me to continue, I’ll answer your question,” Grainger said, although he had no intention of actually doing that. “If NSA records show that the NSA delivered that intercepted call to us four hours prior to the attack, then I have no reason to doubt it. However, that doesn’t mean my people were aware of the contents of that single message.”
    â€œAre you suggesting that no one bothered to read it?” Stanton replied in an incredulous voice.
    Early in his career, Grainger had learned one way to avoid answering a question was by asking a question in return. “If I may make a comparison,” he said. “How long does it take for a letter from one of your constituents to reach your office after it is delivered to the Capitol’s internal post office?”
    Before Stanton could react, Grainger added, “And, Mr. Chairman, if I may ask, do you know if the NSA translated that intercept before it was sent to my agency or if it simply forwarded it with others without indicating that it was a high priority message?”
    Like the skilled lawyer he was, Grainger already knew the answer to his own question. The NSA had not transcribed the telephone intercept before passing it along to the CIA. He also knew that the Somali translator at the CIA responsible for reading NSA