Former Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday that the Republican decision to release a memo that details the abuse of surveillance authorities under the Obama administration is an “ugly” reminder of the Watergate era.

“The Nunes memo is dangerous, ugly, and an assault on the integrity of the institutions of our country,” he tweeted. “I lived through Watergate/Nixon: America pays a very steep price when a political party tries to undermine the institutions that hold us together …”