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Ex-CIA chief slams GOP’s ‘reckless partisan behavior’ over memo

by Morgan Gstalter - 02/01/18 12:26 PM ET

Former CIA Director John Brennan on Thursday accused House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) and his Republican colleagues of “reckless partisan behavior” regarding the release of a controversial classified memo.

“I had many fights with Congressional Dems over the years on national security matters,” Brennan tweeted. “But I have never witnessed the type of reckless partisan behavior I am now seeing from Nunes and House Republicans. Absence of moral and ethical leadership in [White House] is fueling this government crisis.”

I had many fights with Congressional Dems over the years on national security matters. But I never witnessed the type of reckless partisan behavior I am now seeing from Nunes and House Republicans. Absence of moral and ethical leadership in WH is fueling this government crisis. https://t.co/KEUrsgtqhp

— John O. Brennan (@JohnBrennan) February 1, 2018

Brennan’s tweet linked to a Washington Post opinion piece written by Rep. Adam Schiff (Calif.), the top Democrat on the Intel committee, that warns Nunes crossed a “dangerous line” and is increasing “the risk of a constitutional crisis” and another Saturday Night Massacre.

Schiff, on Twitter, accused Nunes of violating committee protocol and giving Trump a “secretly altered” version of the memo.

President Trump reportedly agreed to release the memo after redactions at the FBI’s request. If the Intelligence panel decides, the memo would be made public.

The FBI took the unusual step Wednesday of publicly voicing “grave concerns” about the memo being released, raising flags about inaccuracies. The memo purports to show surveillance abuses committed by the FBI.

Brennan served in the CIA under both the Bush and Obama administrations and has defended the FBI against attacks from Trump before.