Nunes Memo Release Irresponsible and Blatantly Partisan with a Matter of National Security

Statement of Common Cause President Karen Hobert Flynn

Americans deserve the truth about the full scope of the Russia investigation, not a short memo that peddles a Trump transition team member’s selectively-sourced conspiracy theories.

But now that the committee’s GOP-commissioned memo has been released, despite the FBI’s “grave concerns” regarding its accuracy, the Democrats’ memo rebutting it and the material underlying both must be made public immediately.

The truth about the attack on our democracy by a hostile foreign power must not be hidden for partisan gain.

Chairman Nunes has no business anywhere near any investigation involving the administration, let alone pushing the release of a memo FBI Director Christopher Wray roundly condemned for “omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo’s accuracy.”

Nunes has blindly defended the White House and the president through a serious of extremely damaging and potentially criminal scandals related to the Russia investigations. Now he is leading the Intelligence Committee’s gross politicization of a grave national security matter for partisan gain. His continued chairmanship is a damning indictment of Speaker Ryan and reflects poorly on the House of Representatives. Common Cause’s over 1 million members and activists will continue to urge Speaker Ryan with phone calls, emails, and rallies to put his country before his party and remove Nunes from the committee immediately.  

Our nation’s leaders – regardless of party – must denounce the actions of Devin Nunes and the Intelligence Committee’s Republican majority. Americans are watching the speaker closely.