It appears that republicans are looking to release the much-hyped FISA memorandum that allegedly uncovers government reconnaissance abuses in spite of Department of Justice authorities portraying such a move as “extremely irresponsible.” Assistant Attorney General Boyd penned a letter to the House Intelligence Committee Chairman Nunes, (R-Calif.), urging him not to make the memo available to the public arena.
“We believe it would be exceptionally irresponsible for the Committee to reveal such material openly without giving the Department of Justice and the FBI the chance to re-examine the memo and to inform the “HPSCI” of the risk of damage to "national security" by releasing of the FISA memo.”
Republican lawmaker statements
Boyd further stated that they are at the moment uninformed of any misconduct in relation to the FISA process and that they do agree that any misuse of that practice cannot be accepted.
Nevertheless, Republicans within the committee are going forward with the process of releasing the memo and an unidentified source who is supportive in releasing the FISA memo told Fox News that Boyd’s letter will not alter Republicans’ determination to issue the memo possibly sometime next week. The House Intelligence Committee had already voted to give the “memo” to all of the House members and that the Department of Justice’s objection was nothing more than political grandstanding, the source continued.
A top congressional intelligence source informed Fox News on Wednesday that it is really foolish that they would attempt to hinder us from publicizing the memo. He further stated that it only makes it far worse for them to do so… and it sheds more light on the fact that the Department of Justice is attempting to prohibit our probe.
U.S. Republican Congressman Peter King of New York stated that Nunes absolutely intends to release the document and that the Department of Justice’s complaints show that the department’s aims were to propel a pre-emptive assault and to leak the FISA memo to its friends in the mainstream media. King also stated that they were not going to allow that to happen.
House lawmakers have described the 4-page abuse FISA memo as extremely alarming and one lawmaker stated that the details in the memo are reminiscent of KGB activities in the era of the Soviet Union and possibly today in Russia. Republican Congressman Mark Meadows of North Carolina stated that he wished that he hadn’t read the FISA memo as it was shocking and very troubling that such a thing would have happened in the United States, a country that he calls home and loves so much.
Democratic lawmaker response
Democrats are not fond of releasing the FISA memo where one California Democrat, Adam Schiff stated that the memo was highly misleading and is nothing more than a distraction away from the Russian probe against the Trump administration and claims it’s an attempt to protect President Trump by any means necessary. Schiff then added that the Democrats plan, on Monday, to release their own document, claiming that Republicans are misleading the public.
The damning FISA memo contains confirmation that the Obama administration had used the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants to eavesdrop on President Trump's election campaign and his presidential transition team ahead of Trump’s swearing-in ceremony. Support for the release of the memo not only pertains to Republicans but also Wikileaks, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and many citizens in America.
