The White House will release a classified memo compiled by House Republicans on the intelligence committee, Chief of Staff John Kelly said on Fox News Radio Wednesday.
The memo — assembled by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes — allegedly illustrates broad abuse of surveillance powers by the Department of Justice and the FBI.
“It will be released here pretty quick, I think, and then the whole world can see it,” Kelly declared, adding that he had read the document and that it was under review by White House counsel.
WATCH:
The chief of staff’s comments come after President Donald Trump was caught on a hot mic telling Representative Jeff Duncan he would “100 percent” release the memo on his way out of the House chamber after delivering the State of the Union address.
House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes assembled the memo with fellow Intel committee members and staff based on classified information turned over by the FBI and the DOJ. The document allegedly contains proof that some of the top officials in the Obama-era national security establishment abused their authority to obtain surveillance warrants on members of President Trump’s campaign.
House rules dictate that the legislature can vote to declassify material in the public interest, stipulating the president must approve its release within five days. White House lawyers will likely consider the objections of the DOJ who have warned that it could inadvertently damage national security.
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