NBC Employs Ousted CIA “Mop-up Man” Ken Dilanian to Report on Justice Department

Ken Dilanian's CIA Ties and NBC Employment

• 💡 Ken Dilanian, formerly of the LA Times, was exposed for a collaborative relationship with the CIA, earning him the moniker "mop-up man."
• 🚀 Despite this exposure, he was promoted and hired by NBC News to report on the Justice Department and FBI.
• 🎯 This hiring is framed as proof that mainstream news outlets continue to function as an extension of intelligence agencies rather than independent watchdogs.

Reporting on James Comey and DOJ Norms

• ⚠️ Dilanian reported on the Justice Department and FBI, downplaying the indictment of James Comey, a move seen as highly ironic given his past.
• 🏛️ He referenced the Church Committee, an investigation into US intelligence agency abuses, while allegedly embodying the very infiltration it exposed.
• 📉 The discussion highlights the breakdown of post-Watergate norms, where shame and public scrutiny no longer deter violations of Justice Department independence.

Erosion of Trust and Media Integrity

• 📉 The current environment is characterized by shamelessness, with intelligence agencies allegedly placing compromised individuals like Dilanian in prominent journalistic roles.
• 🔍 The transcript questions how individuals can maintain journalistic integrity when their past collaborations with intelligence agencies are public knowledge.
• 🎭 The ultimate irony is noted: a reporter exposed for CIA ties reporting on the norms of the Justice Department and FBI, referencing the Church Committee which investigated such infiltration.

Historical Context: Church Committee and CIA's Role

• 📜 The Church Committee (1975) investigated abuses by US intelligence agencies, uncovering widespread spying and programs like COINTELPRO.
• 🚨 Its findings led to reforms, including congressional oversight and FISA, intended to curb intelligence agency overreach.
• ❓ The discussion questions the CIA's role and accountability, referencing historical events like the assassination of Kennedy and the idea that the CIA was meant to work for the President, a norm that appears broken.