WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange might be popular among Republicans after his organization leaked John Podesta’s emails, but a Republican congressman is warning Assange’s new fans that he’s not their friend.
Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., told CNN Thursday that Assange is still the same person who leaked information on U.S. diplomats and intelligence officers abroad years ago. He said Assange has put American lives in jeopardy and weakened national security.
Despite President-elect Trump seeming to side with Assange over the intelligence community on whether Russia was involved in the hacks of Podesta and top Democrats’ emails, Duffy said people should remain wary of the Australian.
“Just because he was exposing Democrats doesn’t mean he’s a friend to Republicans or Americans,” Duffy said.
Assange said in an interview with Fox News this week that his organization didn’t receive Podesta’s emails through a state government. The intelligence community has reported multiple times that Russia is behind the hacks.
Duffy said Assange’s defense of the Russians should mean he should give up his source and explain how he got Podesta’s emails.
“If it wasn’t the Russians, Julian, tell us who it was,” Duffy said. “Give us the information, give us the intelligence you have to prove that the Russians weren’t involved.”
Duffy delivered a similar message to the intelligence community, which is set to report to President Obama Thursday on Russian hacking. Duffy said he generally trusts the intelligence community, but he’s skeptical of why it hasn’t communicated more with the House and Senate intelligence committees. House lawmakers were incensed last month after intelligence agencies canceled a scheduled briefing on the hacking.
Given the political minefield that the Russian hacking allegations have become, the intelligence community needs to be forthright with their evidence and be clear with the American people, he said.
“I want to see the information and the data,” he said.
