Trump blocks release of Democratic memo, citing 'significant concerns'

Keep those eyes shut, Don.

Despite the House Intelligence Committee voting unanimously to release the Democratic response to Rep. Devin Nunes’ sham memo, the White House announced Friday evening that Trump would not release the memo without revisions.

Dem memo: WH says Pres Trump unable to declassify and make public Democratic memo from House Intelligence Committee. Letter to Committee from WH Counsel Don McGahn says disclosure of portions of the memo "would create especially significant concerns."

— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) February 10, 2018

Reuters reported that Trump was encouraging the House Intelligence Committee to revise the memo in concert with the Justice Department.

Reached by phone Friday night, Democratic House Intelligence member Eric Swalwell told MSNBC that he was willing to work with the Department of Justice to revise the memo if this is, in fact, not just a politically influenced ploy. Swalwell had just learned of the news and hadn’t had time to consult the Justice Department on the nature of Trump’s concerns. 

“I'm reflexively skeptical,” he said. “It looks obstructive, but I'm willing to give the Department of Justice the benefit of the doubt and hear from them if they are going to come in on Tuesday and explain to us what their concerns are.”

Swalwell also outlined three significant points that the Democratic memo makes:

• the “arsenal of evidence” beyond the Steele dossier that went into getting a warrant to surveil former Trump campaign aide Carter Page
• an accurate and detailed timeline
• the seriousness of the threat that Russia posed during the election.

Sure sounds interesting if we can ever get our hands on it.

Saturday, Feb 10, 2018 · 1:36:58 AM +00:00 · Kerry Eleveld

Reminder as Trump says he's unable to declassify the Dems' memo: DOJ publicly expressed "grave concern" over the Nunes memo and Trump released it anyway. DOJ has not expressed concern, at least not publicly, over the Dems' memo.

— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) February 10, 2018