Hypocrite Devin Nunes Is King of Unmasking Requests
Trump-ally Rep. Devin Nunes is trying to make a big deal out of unmasking requests made by the Obama administration, when in fact, he signed off on similar requests himself.
The Washington Post reported, “The Republican-controlled House Intelligence Committee asked U.S. spy agencies late last year to reveal the names of U.S. individuals or organizations contained in classified intelligence on Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election.”
The Post goes on to explain that the Committee “engaged in the same practice that President Trump has accused the Obama administration of abusing.”
Nunes, as the chair of the committee who approved these unmasking requests, is now trying to paint the Obama administration as abusers of surveillance power.
According to a tally by U.S. spy agencies, the House Intelligence Committee requested five to six unmaskings of U.S. organizations or individuals related to Trump or Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton between June 2016 and January 2017.
Officials familiar with the matter told the Washington Post that “the committee’s requests focused on the identities of U.S. organizations that had been hacked by the Russians in 2016.”
These officials did not specify which representative made these requests – whether Democrat or Republican.
The chairman of the committee, Nunes, has control over the actions of its members and requests for more information from intelligence agencies.
Officials said that committee rules require the chairman to sign off on the requests, even ones that are not his own. Thus, Nunes had to review and approve these requests.
A spokesman for Nunes declined to comment on these unmasking requests.
