Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) was scorched by his hometown newspaper in an editorial blasting the Trump supporter for his “betrayal.”
“Kiev, Ukraine, is nearly 6,200 miles from Tulare, Calif. That’s a long way from home for Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Tulare, who now faces explosive allegations that he and his staff contacted shadowy Ukrainian figures in an effort to betray American democracy,” The Fresno Bee noted. “Text messages released by the House Intelligence Committee last week reveal that a top Nunes aide named Derek Harvey – who on Trump’s National Security Council before he joined Nunes’ staff – sought direct contact with Ukrainian officials in an effort to smear former Vice President Joe Biden.”
Nunes, the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, has been a leading defender of the president.
“For months, Nunes has acted as Trump’s attack dog, defending the president from accusations that he pressured Ukraine to investigate Biden. Nunes sat in House Intelligence Committee meetings and derided the impeachment proceedings against Trump as a ‘hoax.’ Yet he was sitting on a ticking time bomb the entire time. The newly-released texts prove … that Nunes’ staff also engaged in secret efforts to damage Biden,” the newspaper noted. “Nunes knew the Ukraine allegations were true because his office was involved in the same plot. But he used his position in Congress as a platform to spread lies and mislead the public.”
The editorial declared that it is “undeniable” that the Fresno Republican lied.
“Regardless of whether you lean Democratic or Republican, here’s an undeniable fact: Nunes lied. He lied to the American people and to his own constituents about the Ukraine allegations, dismissing them although he knew they were true. He deliberately misled the American people by attempting to undermine impeachment hearings that examined an anti-Biden effort in which his own office had direct involvement,” The Bee noted. “Even if you support President Trump, there’s no denying the fact that Nunes’ actions have backfired and will only hurt Trump. Knowing his own staff was neck-deep in an effort to smear Biden using foreign contacts, Nunes should have let someone else play defense.”
The newspaper seemed to conclude it is time for Nunes to leave Congress.
“Devin Nunes has betrayed the truth, betrayed the trust of voters and, quite possibly, betrayed our country. We don’t know exactly where this new evidence will lead, or what fate has in store for Nunes, but we do know this: The people of California’s 22nd congressional district deserve better,” The Bee wrote.