Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., chided the Justice Department for engaging in “creative writing” after it rejected House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes’, R-Calif., latest push for documents on the alleged use of informants to talk with members of President Trump’s 2016 campaign.
“The DOJ continues to insist they’ve complied with document requests when they blatantly have not. This letter is an art form in creative writing,” Meadows said in a tweet.
The DOJ continues to insist they’ve complied with document requests when they blatantly have not. This letter is an art form in creative writing. https://t.co/Ktf5qvzLdA
— Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) June 26, 2018
Nunes had set a 5 p.m. deadline Monday for documents, including on whether the FBI had used “informants against members or associates of the Trump campaign and if so, how many informants were used and how much money was spent on their activities.”
In response to Nunes’ request, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd said the agency “provided documents and answers to your inquiries.” In regards to the confidential informants request in particular, Boyd explained that those documents and materials are “solely in the custody and control of the FBI” and the agency “retains and has the ability to produce the documents requested in a manner consistent with its obligation to protect confidential human sources and methods.”
Meadows, the key leader of the Freedom Caucus and Trump ally, said Monday evening on Fox News that he expects there to be action on the House floor this week following a pledge from House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to do so if all outstanding documents requests to the DOJ had not been fulfilled.
“I think the next thing is floor action for all of us,” Meadows said on Fox News, adding that he is waiting on Ryan to “follow through” his commitment to hold DOJ accountable.
Meanwhile, Nunes has yet to say whether he found the DOJ’s response Monday evening to be adequate.
