GOP Intel Chair Under Fire for Announcing Intelligence Community Captured Trump Team Communications

Running Interference for Trump Team?

Republican Rep. Devin Nunes, the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee who also was a member of the Trump transition team and remains close to the Trump administration is under fire Wednesday afternoon. Congressman Nunes (R-CA) just finished a press conference during which he announced U.S. intelligence agencies captured communications from members of the Trump transition team, and appeared to be running interference for President Donald Trump. Trump himself has been under fire for three weeks for his lie that President Barack Obama wiretapped him.

“Members of the Donald Trump transition team, possibly including Trump himself, were under U.S. government surveillance following November’s presidential election,” Politico reports Nunes said.

“I recently confirmed that on numerous occasions, the intelligence community collected information about U.S. individuals involved in the Trump transition,” Nunes said before cameras.

“Details about U.S. persons associated with the incoming administration with little or no apparent foreign intelligence value, were widely disseminated in intelligence community reporting.”

Rep. Nunes also stated that “additional names of Trump transition team members were unmasked,” referring to the practice of keeping U.S. Citizens’ names “masked,” or anonymous if they are not part of an investigation.

“None of this surveillance was related to Russia,” Nunes stressed.

Chairman Nunes made his remarks without even telling his Vice Chairman, Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff.

Here’s a clip of Q&A with reporters:

Many journalists and other experts were stunned by Nunes’ remarks, wondering why he was addressing the media with these allegations. They also stated he appeared to be running interference for the Trump Administration, and wondered why he would tell the Trump administration – some of who are subjects of an ongoing counterintelligence investigation. Also questioned were if he had revealed classified information.

Heat Street creator Louise Mensch, who has been closely following the Trump-Russia story, writes:

Washington Post National Security Reporter:

Salon political reporter:

MSNBC journalist:

Democratic Congressman:

Hillary Clinton’s Press Secretary:

More:

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