Ryan supports an investigation into leaks
WASHINGTON- House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said he supports a Congressional investigation into the source of the recent leaks coming out of the Trump Administration.
“There should be an investigation as to the leaks of information leaving wherever they’re coming from,” Ryan said in response to a question at a news conference Thursday. “And if its classified information, that is criminal, and there should be a criminal investigation of these leaks. That does compromise our national security.”
Earlier this week White House National Security Adviser retried Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn resigned following news reports that he had diplomatically engaged Russia’s ambassador prior to President Donald Trump taking office.
Those reports suggested that Flynn had given Moscow the impression that the incoming administration might be amenable lifting sanctions imposed on Russia following that nation’s 2014 annexation of Crimea from neighboring Ukraine.
Flynn’s spokesperson has stated that the retired Lieutenant General does not recall discussing the possibility of sanctions relief with Russia’s ambassador but could not rule out the possibility that such conversation had occurred.
Congressional Democrats have requested an investigation into the events leading up to Flynn’s resignation as well as the Trump campaign’s reported communications with Russian officials.
Trump as a candidate praised Russian president Vladimir Putin on several occasions and was criticized for having close business ties with Moscow.
The President earlier this week on Twitter said Congress should investigate the source of the leaks rather than Flynn.
House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) on Wednesday requested that the Justice Department probe the source of the recent leaks.
Ryan told reporters that the House Intelligence Committee would be the appropriate body to investigate the matter.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Republicans’ desire to investigate the source of the leaks is merely a distraction from Flynn’s reported activities.
“What they’re saying is: ‘Lets not pay attention to that. Let’s pay attention to some leaks;’ which probably came from the Trump Administration; the leaks. So lets investigate them.” Pelosi said in a response to a question at a news conference earlier on Thursday.
“But there is no substitute for giving the American people truth about the threat to our democracy and to our national security,” she added.
This article was republished with permission from Talk Media News
Bryan is an award-winning political journalist who has extensive experience covering Congress and Maryland state government.
His work includes coverage of the election of Donald Trump, the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and attorneys general William Barr and Jeff Sessions-as well as that of the Maryland General Assembly, Gov. Larry Hogan, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bryan has broken stories involving athletic and sexual assault scandals with the Baltimore Post-Examiner.
His original UMBC investigation gained international attention, was featured in People Magazine and he was interviewed by ABC’s “Good Morning America” and local radio stations. Bryan broke subsequent stories documenting UMBC’s omission of a sexual assault on their daily crime log and a federal investigation related to the university’s handling of an alleged sexual assault.