Former Congressman Trey Gowdy admits he is in a “small minority” when it comes to calls for the release of Robert Mueller’s investigation report.
Bizpac Review reports,
The former Texas Republican and current Fox News contributor is not only opposed to the release of the special counsel’s report on the probe into alleged collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign, he is surprised that anyone is calling for what he thinks will be used as a “political hit piece.”
“I’m in a really small minority, Neil. I don’t think the report should be released at all and I’m frankly surprised that so many Republicans think it should be,” Gowdy told Fox News’ Neil Cavuto on Saturday.
Attorney General William Barr’s letter to Congress last week following the end of the Mueller investigation outlined the conclusions reached by the special counsel which found no proof that Trump had criminally colluded with Russia.
In a letter to the heads of the Senate and House Judiciary committees on Friday, Barr indicated that the nearly 400-page report will be released – with some redactions – by mid-April if not sooner.
But Gowdy disagrees with the plan as there have been no more indictments.
“A lot of Republicans think the investigation was flawed from its inception,” Gowdy told Cavuto.
“Remember, that Strzok was biased, that Papadopoulos was set up, that the dossier was a political hit piece,” he continued, referring to anti-Trump text messages between former FBI counterintelligence official Peter Strzok and his mistress, FBI lawyer Lisa Page.
“So if the investigation was flawed from its inception, why is the report not also flawed?” Gowdy asked.
“I don’t think the report should be released because the Department of Justice speaks in indictments” the former federal prosecutor, who retired from office this year, added.
“They’ve already indicted a lot of people, that’s the way the Department of Justice speaks. They don’t write biographies, they don’t write summaries and reports and have press conferences like what Jim Comey did that the inspector general actually found violated policy,” Gowdy explained. “The Department of Justice speaks in indictments, and if you’re not indicted I don’t know that the Department of Justice should be releasing a political hit piece that people like Schiff and Nadler are then going to use for 2020.”
U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff has been the target of backlash as he continues to peddle his collusion narrative despite the conclusion of the Mueller probe with no such findings. Trump has leveled scathing rebukes at the lawmaker and his official 2020 presidential campaign unveiled a special Schiff-themed T-shirt on Friday.
Republican lawmakers have joined the president in calling for the House Intelligence Committee chairman to resign. Gowdy noted that the calls are not coming from the “crazy caucus,” but from prominent Republicans with serious concerns.
“There ain’t a crazy person on the Republican side on House Intel,” he said, noting that they are “collectively” telling the California Democrat that they have “lost confidence in your ability to lead.”
“These are executive branch entities,” Gowdy argued. “At some point they’re going to say, ‘you know what, Adam? If us providing you with evidence is not going to change your deeply held, wrong conviction, we’re going to quit providing you with information.’”
