DHS removes senior official who oversaw intelligence reports on journalists

A top Homeland Security Department intelligence official has reportedly been removed from his post after reports surfaced that the office had been creating intelligence reports on journalists covering the civil unrest in Portland, Ore.

The Washington Post reported Saturday that Brian Murphy, the acting undersecretary of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis, was removed from his post and reassigned to a different, undisclosed position within the department.

DHS reportedly compiled what has come to be known as open source intelligence reports that included information on two journalists who had both reportedly published leaked, unclassified documents regarding federal activity in Portland.

The Washington Post reported on Thursday that two journalists, New York Times correspondent Mike Baker and editor in chief of the blog Lawfare, Benjamin Wittes, were the subject of three open source intelligence reports.

On Friday, Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf directed the intelligence branch of his department to cease collecting information involving journalists and ordered a review of the incident.