Point-Counterpoint

In 1885, Woodrow Wilson wrote that “the informing function of Congress should be preferred even to its legislative function.”

I voted to release the Nunes memo because, like Wilson, I believe that the duty to inform the American public is one of my biggest responsibilities as an elected representative in our democratic republic.

According to House rules, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, on which I sit, may disclose publicly any information in its possession after a determination by the committee that the public interest would be served by such disclosure.

I spent close to a decade as an undercover officer in the CIA and have spent most of my adult life collecting intelligence and protecting sources and methods. Classified information includes much more than the actual “secrets” acquired. It includes how they were acquired and the process by which related analyses were made. Professionals refer to the stages of the intelligence cycle as collection, processing, analyzing and sharing information. In most cases, the implications and significance of raw pieces of information found in classified materials are reviewed and vetted to keep sensationalized and unsubstantiated accounts from being deemed credible.

In matters addressed by the Nunes memo, I am not confident that proper vetting occurred, and I believe that the American people should have the ability to decide for themselves.

My vote to release the memo was not about discrediting the special counsel’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. It was not about debasing the hard-working men and women serving in the FBI. Rather, I supported the release because I do not agree that an American citizen’s civil liberties should be violated on the basis of unverified information masquerading as intelligence.

Let me be clear, special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation must continue to ensure that our democracy was not compromised by Russian interference. However, regardless of Mueller’s investigation, all Americans should understand the implications of the actions taken by the leaders of our federal law enforcement agencies and their impact on our citizenry.

It is the right of our citizens to demand that they are kept informed by the men and women they send to Washington, especially during troubling and contentious times. My vote to release this memo did exactly that. Justin Mock, Senior VP of Finance and CFO; Bill Reynolds, Senior VP, Circulation and Production; Judi Patterson, Vice President, Human Resources; Bob Kinney , Vice President, Information Technology