Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell and former Acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Richard Grenell got into a back-and-forth Thursday about Grenell’s time in office.
“Tick tock. ‘Those are coming.'” Swalwell replied to one of Grenell’s tweets from May 22, “Well, you’re no longer director and the Flynn tapes never came. All you have to show for your work is the dirt on your boots from shoveling and burying evidence for President Trump.”
“They are coming. There’s a thoughtful process to transparency.” Grenell shot back, “For years you went on TV spreading the Russian propaganda – knowing the entire time that not one single person under oath from your committee saw any collusion.” (RELATED: DOJ Reviewing A Trove Of Documents From ‘Very Beginning Of The Russia Investigation’ For Public Release)
When Grenell said he “declassified the ones he had” and that the rest were coming, Swalwell replied, “‘Process’ — ha! The call Fynn lied about happened in 2016. It’s 2020. You couldn’t figure out how to release that? So were you bad at your job?”
Hey Dan, remember the time @RichardGrenell came and briefed Congress and cleared all this up? I don’t either. Like his former boss, he’s just a tough guy on Twitter. But unlike every DNI before him, never had the nerve to appear before Congress and defend a single thing. https://t.co/pVbVH2Eic8
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) May 28, 2020
“I was there 3 months. I declassified them. Along with the transcripts of people under oath, the unmaskings AFTER the election, and a few more things to come.” Grenell said, “I’m for transparency. And letting the American public see the facts.”
Grenell then challenged Swalwell’s time on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) during the investigation into Russian election meddling in 2016.
“Your own committee interviewed more than 50 people under oath & they all said the same thing: they know of no collusion. But on TV you said the opposite.” Grenell tweeted.
Swalwell returned while defending his time in the Minority of the HPSCI during the Russia investigation, stating it was the GOP-led committee that kept witnesses from testifying.
I’m being deceptive?! I’m for transparency. You DC types hide the details from the American people and then go on TV and say something they can’t check. It’s the DC way. And it usually works – until Americans see the details (i.e. the hidden transcripts). https://t.co/roUy5Xicxt
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) May 28, 2020
“This is so comical. The Republicans led the Russia investigation, which ended in March 2018. They chose to not release the transcripts.” Swalwell said. “Lay off the Trump Kool-Aid. You’ve had too much.”
“It’s time we brief the American people. We are done with the Washington manipulations.” Grenell said. “Transparency is needed.”
“This started because you said as DNI you’d release the Flynn tapes to prove the batty Trump conspiracy.” Swalwell returned, “Now that you’re gone, it’s time to ‘brief the American people.’ You had your chance.”