WASHINGTON – America’s former top spy has alleged he was stripped of hissecurity clearance in a bid by President Donald Trump to scare critics andstymie an investigation into ties with Russia.

In a searing opinion article published in the New York Times on Thursday,ex-CIA director John Brennan said Trump’s decision to remove his securityclearance was politically motivated.

“Mr. Trump clearly has become more desperate to protect himself and thoseclose to him,” said Brennan, seeing “an attempt to scare into silenceothers who might dare to challenge him.”

Brennan, who was until January 2017 the guardian of America’s most closelyheld secrets, stridently dismissed Trump’s claims that his campaign did notwork with Russia to win the 2016 election.

“Mr. Trump’s claims of no collusion are, in a word, hogwash,” he said.

“The only questions that remain are whether the collusion that took placeconstituted criminally liable conspiracy, whether obstruction of justiceoccurred to cover up any collusion or conspiracy, and how many members of’Trump Incorporated’ attempted to defraud the government by laundering andconcealing the movement of money into their pockets.”

Even by the standards of angry Trump-era criticism, Brennan’s wordsrepresent an unprecedented attack by America’s normally hush-hush spooks ona political leader.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump admitted his decisionon Brennan’s clearance was linked to the ongoing Russia probe.

“I call it the rigged witch hunt, [it] is a sham, Trump was quoted assaying “and these people led it!”

“So I think it’s something that had to be done,” he added. – APP/AFP