NEWSLETTERS
SUBSCRIBE

Print Edition

Log in
My Account
Log in
Subscribe
My Account
Log in

Rep. Doug Lamborn joins Trump backers’ call to release FBI memo

By JOEY BUNCH 01/21/2018 | updated 8 years ago

Rep. Doug Lamborn of Colorado Springs is adding his voice to the congressional Republicans who want to make sure President Trump got a fair shake from the FBI in the Russian investigation.

Trump supporters in Congress say the public deserves to know about investigation documents they have seen that show a pattern for unfairness toward Trump campaign from the Obama administration before the election. Democrats and some Republicans see it as part of a campaign to discredit the work of special prosecutor Robert Mueller who is looking into whether Trump associates worked with the Russians to tamper in the election.

Lamborn has been on record as a Trump supporter since the campaign.

“After reviewing the contents of the classified memo relating to FISA abuses, I am calling for its full release to the public,” he said in a statement. “Americans deserve the truth and Congress should always strive for transparency. I signed a letter along with 65 of my colleagues to the House Intelligence Committee Chairman requesting the report’s full release. I hope to see the Committee’s cooperation in the coming days.”

Lamborn is the only one of Colorado’s seven House delegation members to sign the letter.

It states:

“This important memo will be of interest to anyone who cares about America and our democratic system of government. We are writing to request the immediate release of this document to the public, as well as any relevant ancillary information. The audience of this document should not be limited to Members of Congress – the American people deserve to know the information it contains.”

You can read the full letter by clicking here.

The memo has partisan origins from Trump supporters, including chairman Devin Nunes. His ethics have been called into question over his friendly ties to the White House. Allow Politico explains the memo:

“The memo, compiled by House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes and fellow Republicans on the panel, claims that senior federal officials abused a secret surveillance program, commonly known as FISA, to target the Trump campaign. It also alleges other federal law enforcement wrongdoing that some Republicans insist should lead to the firings of senior officials.”

Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told Politico the memo is a ploy to discredit the investigation in advance, in case it links Trump associates to the Kremlin.

“It’s designed to push out a destructive narrative and further the attacks on the FBI,” Schiff said. “It’s basically a burn-the-house down strategy to protect the president.”

The Hill newspaper had a differing take:

“Scores of Republicans have since viewed the document in a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility on Capitol Hill. They left expressing shock, saying the special counsel investigation into whether Trump’s campaign officials had improper contacts with Russia is based on politically motivated actions at the highest level of law enforcement.”

 U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colorado Springs 
(Mark Reis / The Gazette – file)
JOEY BUNCH

Reporter

PREV

PREVIOUS

Sen. Mike Merrifield picks up key GOP support for arts accreditation point

Sen. Mike Merrifield, in his last session before retiring from the legislature, is more hopeful than ever about securing an optional accreditation point for Colorado schools that offer arts programs. He tried and failed last year, but this session Senate Bill 8 has an influential co-sponsor among Republicans, Majority Leader Chris Holbert of Parker. Merrifield, a […]

NEXT

NEXT UP

Sen. Cory Gardner: Reduced regulations on natural gas means jobs for the Western Slope

WASHINGTON – Congressional Republicans argued for a change in regulations during a hearing Friday that would increase the likelihood for a natural gas pipeline from Colorado’s Western Slope to an export facility on the Oregon coast. They are considering legislation that would make the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) the final decision-maker for approval of […]
Welcome Back.

Streak: 9 days i

Stories you've missed since your last login:

Stories you've saved for later:

Recommended stories based on your interests:

Edit my interests