The communications director of the Democratic National Committee accused Republicans of politicizing newly declassified documents about the unmasking of retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn.
Speaking with Fox News host Bill Hemmer on Wednesday, Xochitl Hinojosa dismissed the importance of a memo acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell released that showed 16 individuals made unmasking requests regarding then-national security adviser Flynn, including former Vice President Joe Biden.
“This is a distraction,” Hinojosa said. “All you’re having Republicans do right now is distract from the fact that they continue to politicize the Justice Department.”
Hinojosa defended officials in the Obama administration, who she says were attempting to gain more intelligence on what they believed to be a direct back channel between the Kremlin and Trump officials.
“Something like unmasking, you’re just looking to see more intelligence,” she said. “It’s nothing that is scandalous in any way. But, frankly, this is going to backfire on Republicans because it just showed how serious Flynn was and his conversations with the Russians.”
Hemmer asked Hinojosa if it was a crime for Flynn to speak with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
“Whenever you are trying to interfere in an election or in any way try to go against the United States, I think that is something that is,” she said.
Hemmer then asked for proof of collusion between Russian officials and the Trump campaign.
“I encourage you to look at all the work that Democrats have done in the House to continue to show the cover-up by Donald Trump,” said Hinojosa. “This is extremely troubling, and if I were your viewers watching at home, I’d say, ‘You know what, I want a new president, and I want a new Justice Department who is going to remain independent and who is going to take into consideration the rule of law above anything else.'”
Hemmer ended the segment by pointing out that “it is almost the summer of 2020 and there is no evidence” of Russian collusion.
