By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
It’s safe to say Greg Brower is feeling pressure from Congress.
Last month, Brower became the FBI’s chief liaison to Capitol Hill, essentially acting as a conduit between Congress and the FBI.
His new job coincides with an FBI investigation into a possible relationship between Russia and Donald Trump’s campaign team to influence the election.
“It’s absolutely critical that the relationship be a good one, that the lines of communication be open, that Congress understands what we’re doing and not doing,” Brower told The Hill.
Brower is a lawyer and former Nevada state senator whose major role, he said, is communication.
The Hill wrote:
For Brower, translating the insular language of the bureau to Congress — where many members are not lawyers nor have experience working with law enforcement — is something that comes naturally given his experience as a former state legislator.
Although one former House Intelligence Committee staffer expressed surprise that Comey had hired a liaison who started with comparatively few Capitol Hill contacts, Brower noted, “I’ve kind of been there on that side of things and kind of know how that sausage-making process works.
“It’s not just the language differences, but the mentality. I feel like I have, over the years, sometimes literally at the same time, had to think like a lawyer and think like a legislator.”
Part of Brower’s job has been responding to queries from lawmakers who want clarification about anonymously sourced stories on the FBI’s Russia investigation that they have seen in the press.
It’s often up to Brower to sort out any disconnects between what’s reported and what’s really going on — “as best we can, to the extent we can.” He acknowledges that can sometimes be a difficult task given the bureau’s longstanding policy of not talking about ongoing investigations.
