Memo release draws mixed reactions from GOPers, Dems
Democrats and some Republicans slammed Friday’s memo release, but conservatives praised the move.
“The latest attacks on the FBI and Department of Justice serve no American interests — no party’s, no president’s, only Putin’s,” Sen. John McCain ­(R-Ariz.) tweeted.
And Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the memo “partisan and misleading.”
“To use it as pretext for firing Deputy AG [Rod] Rosenstein, Special Counsel [Robert] Mueller or other DOJ leadership would be viewed as an attempt to obstruct justice in the Russia investigation,” he tweeted.
But House Speaker Paul Ryan defended the release, saying it laid out a “specific, legitimate” concern about abuse of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
“Unlike most judicial proceedings, the FISA system depends not on an adversarial process, but instead on the government providing a complete presentation of the facts and circumstances underlying its warrant applications,” he said. “It is clear from this memo that didn’t happen in this case.”
Attorney General Jeff Sessions vowed to look into the issue, adding, “I am determined that we will fully and fairly ascertain the truth.”
Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-LI) blasted the alleged FISA abuse, tweeting, “Almost all in DOJ/FBI are amazing, but the process & misconduct at highest levels here must be addressed w transparency & accountability.”