Posted on 02/01/2018 5:43:44 PM PST by markomalley
Former CIA Director Leon Panetta said Thursday that President Trump risks a "constitutional crisis" by pushing for the release of a GOP memo detailing alleged government surveillance abuses over objections from the FBI.
In an interview with NBC's Chuck Todd, Panetta said he worries that the system of checks and balances in the federal government is breaking down.
"There is no question, Chuck, that it is breaking down the process as it was designed to work so that all sides would have say in the process," Panetta said on MSNBC's "MTP Daily."
"We have check and balances. But you have to establish ways for those checks and balances to work," the former Obama administration official continued.
"When that starts to break down, when the president says I’m going to release it no matter what the FBI says, or what the Justice Department says, then it creates what I consider a constitutional crisis," he finished.
Trump plans to allow for the release of the memo over objections from FBI Director Christopher Wray that the memo, written by GOP staff for House Intelligence Committee Chair Rep Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), is misleading and inaccurate.
“The president is OK with it,” a White House official told reporters traveling with Trump aboard Air Force One. “I doubt there will be any redactions. It’s in Congress’s hands after that.”
Senior Justice Department officials, including Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, have lobbied both the White House and the House Intelligence Committee against releasing the document.
“As expressed during our initial review, we have grave concerns about material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo’s accuracy," the FBI said in a statement this week.
Having said that, Constitutional Crisis is yet another layer on the sheer panic being felt by the left.
Panetta needs to go POUND SAND along with the rest of the Commie stooges
This is being released by the rules even though the President can release anything he wants.
I’m #goodwithit. Let’s see the memo and what happens next.
The ones squealing the loudest have the most to lose — or are closely tied to those who have the most lose and face the same bleak future.
Note:
Panetta was in charge during Benghazi.
Panetta also needlessly burned Eric Prince, revealed that he was a CIA asset. For NO REASON.
If someone poots, the Dems call a constitutional crisis. Go right ahead. We are all crisised out.
The FBI is part of the Executive Branch an reports to the President so this idiot, Panetta just needs to be called out and disregarded as another swamp moron who should also be investigated.
No Leon, the Constitutional Crisis was caused by these Deep State F**kos who committed sedition to rig the election; and, failing that, tried to launch a soft coup.
AHEM,MR PANETTA.....Where were you when our guys in Benghazi were begging for help?????????
“The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.” - Article II, Section 1
Crisis averted.
Constitutional crisis?
Congress is free to release information as it sees fit.
Only if the Constitution has the FBI as a fourth branch of government.
Why isn’t this criminal LIB loser in prison for his many crimes ?
The FBI is not part of checks and balances.
Nope. No “constitutional crisis”. Even when the usurper was in our White House, I recognized the broad authority of the position, and declassification is just as broad as the power of the pardon. A real President of the United States can declassify and release just about anything he wants to.
Zing!
There are checks and balances between the three branches of government. Trump is the head of the executive, under which the FBI and DOJ reside. Underlings don’t check the President, goofball.
Panetta, our on Baghdad Bob - chief apologist and liar during the blue dress scandal. Also flew to Australia to meet privately with Hillary Clinton to get their stories straight about Benghazi. Coward had the marines in Afghanistan unload their weapons when he was there, because he didn’t trust them. Pathetic excuse for a human being needs to shut the hell up.
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