Lamar Smith: “A House Intelligence Committee report has found shocking abuses of surveillance by the FBI. The implications of the…”

“A House Intelligence Committee report has found shocking abuses of surveillance by the FBI. The implications of the report are devastating to a democracy. The premier law enforcement agency of the Federal Government wrongly took sides in a Presidential campaign. The report confirms that FBI officials sought to influence the 2016 election. Unsubstantiated opposition research paid for by the Clinton campaign was wrongly used as a basis to wiretap a Trump campaign official. Justice Department and FBI employees were trying to influence the outcome of the Presidential election. To borrow a phrase from Intelligence Committee Chairman Nunes, this ``happens in banana republics,'' but it should never happen in a democracy. It would be understandable if the President and Attorney General wanted to clean house and ask everyone to resign who used a political file compiled by the Clinton campaign as a basis to spy on an innocent American citizen who was with the Trump campaign. ____________________”