After a meeting at the Justice Department on Thursday, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) seems to be backing off his threats to hold Attorney General Jeff Sessions in contempt if Nunes does not receive the classified documents he has requested, according to a Thursday Washington Post report.
Nunes and Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) reportedly met with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and other intelligence officials at the DOJ, later issuing a joint statement calling the conversation “productive.”
Despite Nunes’s cooling off, House Speaker Paul Ryan jumped into the fray Thursday, saying that it’s “wholly appropriate” that Nunes get the classified documents, per the Post.
“I expect that we will be able to have an accommodation to honor this request because first of all, it’s our job to do oversight of the executive branch,” Ryan said. “This request is perfectly appropriate within the scope of the committee’s investigation, and I hope and believe and expect that they’ll be complied with.”
It is not fully clear which documents Nunes is trying to get, since much of his request is also classified. However, the DOJ has warned that the declassification of these documents would expose sources and endanger lives.
What next? There will be something.
Nunes should heed the words of The Rock: “Know your role and shut your mouth!”
One traditional Executive technique in dealing with the Legislative’s desire for secrets, is simply to give a classified briefing under Executive authority.
At some point in the briefing, the Executive guys look at the Legislative folks, and note that there are specifics in this briefing that ONLY you guys have gotten: particulars of sourcing, methods, phrasing. So if ANY of that appears outside of this discussion, you’ve committed a felony – and we will have the proof.
That’s why many Legislative folks historically avoid Executive briefings.
How deep into the GOP does the Russian money and kompromat reach? The House and Senate,? I suspect so, Governorships? My mind will only be put at ease when Mueller publishes his final report.
They must have showed him some interesting evidence…about himself.