The latest Republican stunt has been a memo created by Devin Nunes (R-CA) that distorts DOJ reports and uses highly selective editing to leave the impression that the FBI engaged in improper monitoring of the Trump campaign. Republicans then stirred up a furor—aided by Russian social media bots—demanding that someone “release” the memo they had written, and taken hostage, themselves.
But when there’s nothing to the Republican claims but … Republican claims, firing back takes nothing more than picking up a pen. Which is exactly what Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the Nunes-chaired House Intelligence Committe, has done.
“Regrettably it has been necessary for committee Democrats to draft our own memorandum, setting out the relevant facts and exposing the misleading character of the Republicans’ document, so that members of the House are not left with an erroneous impression of the dedicated professions at the FBI and DOJ. On Monday, at our normally scheduled committee meeting, we will move that this new memorandum be made available to the full House in our classified spaces.”
The basis of the the Republican memo is as bland as possible—the FBI may have used some information from former intelligence officer Christopher Steele to renew a warrant of the already under surveillance Carter Page. But by citing classified sources, Nunes has tried to make it impossible for anyone to check any of his assertions.
The overwrought rhetoric, and near-total lack of substance, suggests that the contents of the memo may not live up to expectations. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said in statement that the memo, is “rife with factual inaccuracies” and “is meant only to give Republican House members a distorted view of the F.B.I.”
While Republicans have been crying #ReleaseTheMemo, they’ve refused to allow even their fellow House members to see a Democratic report that gives more background information.
As a result, the only thing the public knows is what lawmakers are saying about a partisan document—again, written by Nunes and his staff—based on confidential information that cannot be disclosed.
Republicans think they’ve created the next level of propaganda; a pile of talking points that go all their way and can’t be stopped.
But Democrats are going to take a shot at stopping them. Let the duel of the memos begin!