WH open to releasing Dem countermemo despite jab at Schiff

The White House on Monday said it remains open to releasing a memo produced by Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee, despite the president’s criticism of the panel’s top Democrat, Rep. Adam Schiff (Calif.).

“We will consider it on the same terms we considered the Nunes memo,” White House spokesman Raj Shah told reporters traveling aboard Air Force One to Ohio with President Trump. 

Shah was referring to a memo authored by the staff of House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) that accused the FBI of political bias in the Russia probe, citing the way it obtained a surveillance warrant against a former Trump campaign adviser.

The Democratic memo seeks to rebut the Nunes document, in part, by disputing its account of how the warrant was obtained. 

The White House and congressional Republicans last week signaled they were open to releasing the Schiff memo, but that was called into question Monday after Trump blasted the California Democrat.

“Little Adam Schiff, who is desperate to run for higher office, is one of the biggest liars and leakers in Washington, right up there with Comey, Warner, Brennan and Clapper!” Trump tweeted. “Adam leaves closed committee hearings to illegally leak confidential information. Must be stopped!”

Little Adam Schiff, who is desperate to run for higher office, is one of the biggest liars and leakers in Washington, right up there with Comey, Warner, Brennan and Clapper! Adam leaves closed committee hearings to illegally leak confidential information. Must be stopped!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 5, 2018

Trump was referring to details regarding the Democratic memo that have appeared in the press, according to the White House. 

“The president is just calling out Adam Schiff and others for what we see as a pattern of leaking and taking confidential information that is presented to them voluntarily and using it for partisan political purposes,” Shah said. 

The spat came hours before the Intelligence Committee was set to vote on releasing the Democratic memo.

Republicans voted to release their document last week and Trump approved its publication, which came Friday. 

Democrats have criticized the way Trump handled the release of the GOP memo, pointing to news reports that said the president decided to allow it to become public even before he read it. 

Trump was caught on tape after last week’s State of the Union telling a GOP lawmaker that he “100 percent” supported releasing the memo. He spoke before the White House had concluded its review of the document. 

If the panel votes to release the Democratic memo, it would undergo a “legal review” and a “national security review” led by the White House counsel’s office, according to Shah.