Sarbanes Statement on Trump’s Decision to Block the Release of House Intelligence Democratic Memo

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Democracy Reform Task Force Chair Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) issued the following statement today after President Donald Trump blocked the release of a memo authored by House Intelligence Committee Democrats that refutes a misleading and distorted memo authored by House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes:

"President Trump's decision to block the release of this memo raises serious questions about what he is trying to hide. Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee had the memo vetted by the Justice Department and the FBI before voting for its release. And the entire Intelligence Committee – Republicans and Democrats alike – voted unanimously to release the memo to the American people.

"If President Trump allowed the public to view the misleading Nunes memo – over the objections of his own Justice Department and FBI, which said releasing it was ‘reckless' because the memo contained ‘material omissions of fact' – then why is he denying the American people a chance to see the Democratic memo?

"The President's actions are part of a deeply troubling and long-running effort to undermine the investigation into Russian attacks on our democracy. Instead of supporting the investigation and trying to get to the bottom of Russia's efforts to interfere in our elections, President Trump is choosing to protect himself, his family and his interests – over the safety and security of the American people.

"With the 2018 elections only nine months away, we must come together and work in a bipartisan fashion to prevent future attacks on our democracy."

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