News

Dem senator mocks GOP’s ‘secret society’ focus: Next we’ll ‘hunt for the Illuminati’

by Morgan Gstalter - 01/25/18 3:36 PM ET

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) on Thursday mocked Republicans for seizing on former FBI agents’ texts referencing a “secret society,” comparing it to conspiracy theorists obsessing over the Illuminati.

“I’m glad somebody’s hot on the trail of this secret society,” tweeted Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee. “As soon as we’re done investigating Russia, we’ll join the hunt for the Illuminati.”

“Jokes aside, the reckless, coordinated, partisan attack on the credibility of the FBI is extremely dangerous,” Warner added in another tweet.

I’m glad somebody’s hot on the trail of this secret society. As soon as we’re done investigating Russia, we’ll join the hunt for the Illuminati.

— Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) January 25, 2018

Jokes aside, the reckless, coordinated, partisan attack on the credibility of the FBI is extremely dangerous. https://t.co/cKw6kOrS7N

— Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) January 25, 2018

Republican lawmakers in recent days have been highlighting texts from FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page on the day after the 2016 election, including one that mentioned a “secret society.”

{mosads}

While the message lacks context and could be viewed as a private joke, GOP lawmakers have pointed to the text exchange to suggest that officials from the FBI and Department of Justice were part of a covert effort to undermine President Trump.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) acknowledged on Thursday that the text referencing a “secret society” could have been a joke.

Johnson had claimed earlier this week that he had been in contact with a whistleblower with knowledge of “off-site” meetings between FBI and Justice Department officials.

Strzok was removed last year from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia after anti-Trump messages between him and Page were revealed.