BRET.

>> Bret: BRYAN THANK YOU.

LAWMAKERS IN THE INTELLIGENCE

COMMUNITY AND THE CURRENT

ADMINISTRATION ARE DEALING WITH

A NEW POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE

ISSUE.

A WHISTLE-BLOWER COMPLAINT OVER

AN ALLEGED PROMISE MADE BY

PRESIDENT TRUMP TO A FOREIGN

LEADER.

THE CASE IS SHROUDED IN MYSTERY

AND WAS THE SUBJECT OF A CLOSED

DOOR CLASSIFIED MEETING TODAY ON

CAPITOL HILL.

THE PRESIDENT IS ALREADY PUSHING

BACK IN THE HOUSE INTEL CHAIR IS

THREATENING TO GO TO COURT.

CHIEF INTELLIGENCE CORRESPONDENT

CATHERINE HERRIDGE HAS THE

LATEST TONIGHT.

>> BEHIND CLOSED DOORS ON

CAPITOL HILL, THE INTELLIGENCE

COMMUNITY INSPECTOR GENERAL

MICHAEL ATKINSON BRIEFED

REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS ON THE

HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE.

THE DEMOCRATIC CHAIRMAN SAID THE

SESSION DID NOT CONFIRM MEDIA

REPORTING FOR THE WHISTLE-BLOWER

COMPLAINT INVOLVES A PHONE CALL

FOR THE PRESIDENT MADE A PROMISE

TO A FOREIGN LEADER.

STILL, HE SET THE THRESHOLD FOR

CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION WAS

NOT IN THE INTELLIGENCE CHIEF

BLOCKED IT.

>> IT WAS AN URGENT MATTER, THE

DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL

INTELLIGENCE HAS MADE THE

UNPRECEDENTED DECISION NOT TO

SHARE THE COMPLAINT WITH

CONGRESS.

>> ON TWITTER, PRESIDENT TRUMP

CALLED THE PLACE "ANOTHER FAKE

NEWS STORY" AND REFERRING TO THE

FACT THAT OTHER OFFICIALS WERE

LIKELY LISTENING TO HIS CALLS,

"IS ANYBODY DUMB ENOUGH TO

BELIEVE THAT I WOULD SAY

SOMETHING INAPPROPRIATE WITH A

FOREIGN LEADER WHILE IN SUCH A

POTENTIAL HEAVILY POPULATED

CALL"?

AMERICAN LEADERS ARE OFTEN

MEASURED BY WHAT THEY TELL

FOREIGN LEADERS.

THEN-PRESIDENT OBAMA FAMOUSLY

TOLD THE OUTGOING RUSSIAN

PRESIDENT HE WOULD HAVE "MORE

FLUX ABILITY TO NEGOTIATE A

DEFENSE ISSUE AFTER THE

ELECTION."

TODAY THE HOUSE MINORITY LEADER

WAS SKEPTICAL.

>> ANOTHER MEDIA ALWAYS WANTS TO

RUSH WHEN THEY THINK SOMETHING

SENSATIONALIST AND NINE TIMES

OUT OF TEN WE FIND OUT A LOT OF

THAT IS NOT TRUE.

I THINK "THE NEW YORK TIMES" HAS

EXPERIENCED THAT JUST IN THE

LAST WEEK.

>> THAN A WHISTLE-BLOWER

COMPLAINT MAY FURTHER STRESS THE

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE

INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY AND

ADMINISTRATION.

THERE ARE REMAINING LEGAL

QUESTIONS OVER WHETHER ACTING

DNR McGUIRE CAN SHARE

INTELLIGENCE FROM EXECUTIVE

BRANCH COMMUNICATIONS.

>> WE DO KNOW THE DEPARTMENT OF

JUSTICE HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE

DECISION TO WITHHOLD THAT

INFORMATION FROM CONGRESS.

WE DO NOT KNOW BECAUSE WE CANNOT

GET AN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION

ABOUT WHETHER THE WHITE HOUSE IS

ALSO INVOLVED IN PREVENTING THIS

INFORMATION FROM COMING TO

CONGRESS.

>> THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF

NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE IS

SCHEDULED TO PUBLICLY TESTIFY

NEXT WEEK.

MANY DEMOCRATS SAY THEY ARE

WILLING TO GO TO COURT OVER THE

ISSUE WHILE REPUBLICANS CALL

THAT SCHIFF STATEMENT IS