House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on Thursday downplayed the idea of investigating who leaked classified information to the media about ousted national security advisor Mike Flynn’s phone calls with the Russian ambassador, and said Trump’s own staff, not Obama-era hires, are likely to blame.
The leaks, Pelosi said, “probably came from the Trump administration,” said Pelosi, who as a Democratic leader receives classified intelligence briefings but has received no information about the case.
Pelosi said exposing Flynn’s calls were more important than finding out who illegally leaked the information. Asked if she believed the leakers should be investigated for leaking classified information, Pelosi said, “Sure, sure, but that’s not the point.”
Pelosi said the Trump administration wants to block the public from discovering what Flynn was talking about to the ambassador, and perhaps much more nefarious information.
“In other words, what they’re concerned about is the American people are finding out what they’ve been up to,” Pelosi said. “And we’re saying let’s find out what they’ve been up to and see what that means to our national security and to our democracy as they undermine our elections, disrupt our election, and have a president who is flirting with lifting sanctions on Russia, undermining the START treaty, criticizing our own government, while elevating Vladimir Putin. The list goes on.”
Trump and his administration have denied having secretive contact with Russian officials. Flynn resigned after the leaked calls revealed he discussed sanctions with the Russian ambassador before officially taking office.
