The gloves are off, and the battle begins between former CIA director and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Adam Schiff.
According to The Hill, Pompeo accused Schiff of being responsible for classified information leaked while he held a seat on the House Intelligence Committee. The new speaker of the committee, Kevin McCarthy, has blocked Schiff from being reinstated to the committee.
In an interview with Fox News, Pompeo said, Adam Schiff lied to the American people, and during my time as CIA director and Secretary of State, I know that he leaked classified information that had been provided to him. Pompeo continued, adding that Schiffs time as the Intel chairman almost ruined that committee.
Pompeo was asked during the interview why he hadnt taken action against Schiff regarding leaked classified documents. Pompeo replied, its a complicated process and its difficult to pin down precisely what happened. He continued, saying he had held back information from the Intelligence Committee because he didnt feel comfortable working with the panel led by Schiff.
The Blaze reports Pompeo said that information supplied to Schiff and his staff had shown up in places it should never have been with alarming regularity."
Schiffs office has vehemently responded to Pompeos false and defamatory remarks. Lauren French, the spokesperson for Schiff, said, This is another patently false and defamatory statement from Mike Pompeo. While we understand that Adam Schiff is a favorite target for the failed lackeys of the Trump administration running for President, reputable news outlets shouldnt repeat these falsehoods."
When Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries submitted the names of Adam Schiff and Rep. Eric Swalwell for reinstatement, Republican Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy blocked both from being allowed to serve on the committee. McCarthy had vowed both Schiff and Swalwell would be removed from their respective Intel committee positions.
In his rejection letter to Jeffries, McCarthy wrote, I appreciate the loyalty you have to your Democratic colleagues, and I acknowledge your efforts to have two Members of Congress reinstated to the House Permanent Select Committee of Intelligence. But I cannot put partisan loyalty ahead of national security, and I cannot simply recognize years of service as the sole criteria for membership on this essential committee. Integrity matters more. As such, in order to maintain a standard worthy of this committees responsibilities, I am hereby rejecting the appointments of Representative Adam Schiff and Representative Eric Swalwell to serve on the Intelligence Committee.
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