Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif) of leaking classified information during his time on the House Intelligence Committee, which he was recently just removed from by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif).
During an interview with Fox News, Pompeo suggested that Schiff's tenure “almost ruined the committee” as Intel chairman and “didn’t feel comfortable” working with the Schiff-led panel.
“Adam Schiff lied to the American people, and during my time as CIA director and secretary of state, I know that he leaked classified information that had been provided to him,” Pompeo said, despite not coming forth with any explanation as to what the allegedly-leaked information may be.
However, Pompeo defended himself as to why he never took action against Schiff, saying that “it’s a complicated process,” and that “it’s difficult to pin down precisely what happened.”
In response, Schiff’s team called out Pompeo’s “false and defamatory” comments.
“This is another patently false and defamatory statement from Mike Pompeo. While we understand that Adam Schiff is a favorite target for the failed lackeys of the Trump administration running for president, reputable news outlets shouldn’t repeat these falsehoods,” Schiff spokeswoman Lauren French said in a statement to the Hill.
Earlier this week Schiff, along with Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif), was removed from their committees by a long-awaited promise made by McCarthy.
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The House Speaker argued that Schiff intentionally mislead the American people with investigations into former President Trump’s alleged ties to Russia.
This comes after the Democrat officially announced his bid in the California Senate race saying that "we need a fighter in the U.S. Senate who has been at the center of the struggle for our democracy and our economy.”
McCarthy removed Swalwell after his alleged affair with a Chinese spy in 2014 became public.
The Republican says that he also plans to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from her seat on the Foreign Affairs Committee as well.
On Wednesday, the three held a press conference vowing revenge on McCarthy, claiming his decision is nothing more than “partisan political payback.”
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