The House Intelligence Committee questioned acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire on Thursday, and Democratic Rep. Denny Heck of Washington used his time to illustrate just how ridiculous the DNI’s intractable posturing really was. Heck, using a tactic of simplicity, asked what should have been a softball question: Whether or not it is illegal for a public official to solicit or extort a foreign power to help interfere in an American election.
Spoiler alert: The right answer is YES, IT IS ILLEGAL.
REP. DENNY HECK: (T)he chair of the Federal Elections Commission made the following statement: “Let me make something 100 percent clear to the American public, and anyone running for public office: It is illegal for any person to accept, solicit, or receive anything of value from a foreign national in connection with a national election. This is not a novel concept. Election intervention from foreign governments has been considered unacceptable since the beginnings of our nation. Do you agree with the FEC Chair Weintraub, Mr. Director?
ACTING DNI JOSEPH MAGUIRE: I agree that our elections are sacred, and any interference from an outside source is uh, not what we want to do.
HECK: And to solicit or accept it is illegal?
MAGUIRE: I don’t know about that, I’m not a lawyer, sir. I don’t mean to be evasive—
HECK: So you think it is okay for a public official to solicit, or it may be okay. You do not know the law in this regard? You think it may be okay for a candidate or an elected official to solicit foreign interference in our election? I cannot believe you’re saying that. You’re not really saying that, right?
MAGUIRE: I’m not saying that, Congressman Heck, at all.
HECK: So, we should note that the FEC chair was prompted to say this because it was just literally—literally the day before—that the president of the United States sat at the Resolute Desk in the most iconic room in the United States—the Oval Office—and said that FBI Director Wray was wrong. You’re obviously disagreeing with that. He also said that he would consider accepting foreign help, and, of course, yesterday we learned that the president did, in fact, did, in fact, do exactly that, solicited that help.
Director, whether it’s this president or any president, do you believe it is okay for the president of the United States to pressure a foreign country into helping him or her win an election?
MAGUIRE: Congressman Heck, I believe that no one is above the law. We’ve discussed what we think applies to the law.
Perfect. We all agree on that, right?
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HECK: So it is illegal to solicit?
MAGUIRE: No, I can’t answer that. Once again, sir—
Wow. It’s important to realize here that Heck hasn’t asked some sort of “gotcha” question here. Even someone who believes Donald Trump is innocent should be able to answer this question correctly, right?
HECK: I can’t reconcile your two statements. Is it okay for a president to pressure—any president—to pressure a foreign government for help to win an election?
MAGUIRE: It is unwarranted. It is unwelcome. It is bad for the nation to have outside interference, any foreign power.
It is “unwarranted”? It is “unwelcome”? There’s a reason virtually every department head in the administration is an “acting” one. The only people reaching the top positions at this point are career workers who have successfully deflected responsibility long enough not to get fired. Once they reach the top in this administration, they become disposable lackeys groveling at the feet of a wannabe autocrat.
HECK: Thank you. And by extension, it would be equally unacceptable to extort that assistance as well?
MAGUIRE: I mean, all I know is that I have the transcripts, as you have. I have the whistleblower complaint, as you have, and—
HECK: I wasn’t referring to the whistleblower complaint, but if any president were to do this, and I accept your answer. I think it’s beyond unacceptable, Director. I think it’s wrong, and I think we all know it. I think we were taught this at a very young age, and there’s a voice within most of us, unfortunately, evidently not all of us, that suggests that it is wrong. It is illegal, and it is wrong, and I thank you, sir. And with that I yield back.
It’s hard to tell whether or not Joseph Maguire is an active conspirator, or simply another incompetent dunderhead who’s found himself out of his depth after just a few weeks on the job. Maybe a little bit of both?
Click here for more coverage of the whistleblower complaint and the impeachment inquiry.