Swalwell to DNI: ‘You do not have to be a part of a lawless administration’

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) called on acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Joseph Maguire on Friday to release the contents of a whistleblower complaint centering on President Trump’s contact with a foreign leader to Congress.

In an interview with CNN’s “New Day,” the former 2020 presidential candidate and member of the House Intelligence Committee hit the Trump administration for “lawless” behavior surrounding the whistleblower complaint, which involves a talk between Trump and a foreign leader.

{mosads}“If the acting DNI is listening … I want him to know: You do not have to be a part of a lawless administration. You could send this information right to Congress. You would be a patriot, and you would save us from a potential national security risk,” Swalwell said Friday.

“They won [in 2016,] and so now, why not go to a foreign government and ask them to go after your opponent?” he continued, referring to reports that the Trump administration has urged Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, the current 2020 Democratic front-runner. “We have to make it very clear, if that is indeed what happened, that we’re not going to tolerate it.”

“If the acting DNI is listening…I want him to know: You do not have to be a part of a lawless administration. You could send this information right to Congress. You would be a patriot, and you would save us from a potential national security risk,” @RepSwalwell tells @jimsciutto pic.twitter.com/eW73yCSe5l

— CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) September 20, 2019

Democrats have sharply criticized Trump over reports that his administration sought Ukraine’s aid in investigating Biden.