News Reporter: Fact Checker: Was the Trump team unmasked? Did Susan Rice mislead about unmasking? We unravel the facts.

Democracy Dies in Darkness

The truth behind the rhetoric

Was the Trump team unmasked? Did Susan Rice mislead about unmasking? We unravel the facts.

This week began with President Trump insisting that the “real story” about Russian involvement in the U.S. elections was reports that former President Barack Obama’s national security adviser Susan Rice had “unmasked,” or exposed, the identities of people affiliated with the Trump team in intelligence reports. (We fact-checked the Trump administration’s claims about surveillance here.)

Questions and allegations swirled all week. Readers asked us to sort through the information, so we did. Here are the facts about Rice’s role and “unmasking.”

Did Rice “unmask” the names and leak them to the media?

According to news reports, Rice requested the unmasking of an unnamed transition official who was "part of multiple foreign conversations that weren't related to Russia." Rice denied that she disclosed classified information to news organizations: "I leaked nothing, to nobody, and never have and never would." But Trump claims to have been concerned about leaks.

Did Rice commit a crime? If so, what kind of crime?

In an interview with the New York Times, Trump said he believed Rice might have committed a crime — though he didn’t elaborate.

On the face of it, Trump's assertion is absurd. Numerous former national security officials told The Fact Checker that Rice, as national security adviser, had every right to request the identities of U.S. citizens who were incidentally recorded or referenced in surveillance conducted by the National Security Agency. Generally, intelligence reports would come to the national security adviser with the names of U.S. citizens redacted, replaced by a phrase such as "U.S. person 1."

Former NSA director Michael V. Hayden said while lawful authority could be abused, the "unmasking story that I have heard to date on its face reflects activity that is lawful, appropriate and routine."

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Did Rice mislead on PBS?

A lot of readers asked us about this. The answer is murky.

On March 22, Rice was interviewed on PBS's "Newshour," and appeared to deny knowing whether conversations involving Trump transition officials were incidentally collected by the NSA. You can read the complete back-and-forth.

Just before the interview, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) alleged he had seen White House documents indicating the Obama administration intercepted Trump's campaign communications while monitoring foreign officials. Host Judy Woodruff began her interview asking Rice about this allegation, and she responded “I know nothing about this. I was surprised to see reports from Chairman Nunes on that count today.” Then she deflected to her prepared talking point.

Now we know Rice actively engaged in the practice of unmasking. But she maintains she was referring to the documents Nunes was talking about, and that she does not know what the documents are.

A 9-letter word for “Unit of dishonesty, in fact-checking”

Thanks to a Fact Checker reader who spotted this in a recent New York Times crossword puzzle and forwarded it to us! (Hint: Four of these units indicate the claim is a total whopper.)

We’re always looking for suggestions. If you hear something fact-checkable, fill out this form, e-mail us or tweet us: @myhlee, @GlennKesslerWP or using #FactCheckThis. Read about our rating scale here, and sign up here for our weekly Fact Checker newsletter.

Scroll down for this week’s Pinocchio roundup.

— Michelle Ye Hee Lee