Senate

Schumer: Nunes memo an ‘impotent document of GOP talking points’

by Jordain Carney - 02/05/18 4:26 PM ET

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) ripped a Republican-crafted memo accusing the Justice Department of abusing its surveillance powers, calling it an “impotent document of GOP talking points.”

“At least the American people can now see the Nunes memo for what it truly is, an impotent document of GOP talking points. Far from being the smoking gun that many Republicans, right-wing media outlets and Russia-linked bots claimed it would be,” Schumer said, referring to the document drafted by staff for House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.).

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Schumer added that GOP leadership has been silent as Trump and his allies in Congress try to “systematically … weaken America’s faith in the rule of law.”

“Their silence is rapidly becoming complicity in the denigration of our Republic,” he said.

The House Intelligence Committee released the previously classified memo on Friday, accusing senior DOJ officials of inappropriately using opposition research on President Trump to obtain surveillance warrants on transition team members as part of the federal investigation into the Trump campaign and Russia.

But the Nunes memo also undermined a long-held assertion from conservatives that the origin of the probe was based entirely on the dossier, noting the investigation was instead opened based on “information” regarding another Trump campaign aide, George Papadopoulos.

Schumer on Monday called the Nunes memo the latest “distraction” by Republicans trying to protect Trump from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.

“Seeing as House Republicans saw fit to release the contents of their partisan memo, they should certainly support the release of the memo prepared by ranking member Adam Schiff,” he said, referring to a Democrat-crafted memo countering the allegations in the Nunes memo.

House Republicans, as well as the White House, have signaled they are open to publicly releasing Schiff’s memo.