Ryan remarks on Trump ‘Spygate’ leave conservatives fuming
By Katie Bo Williams and Olivia Beavers - 06/07/18 05:22 PM EDT
A vocal bloc of House conservatives are fuming at Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) behind the scenes, after the lame-duck speaker publicly sided with Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) in the debate over the FBI’s tactics in its investigation into the Trump campaign.
Gowdy shot down allegations last week that the FBI improperly used a confidential informant to “spy†on the campaign, saying that the bureau “did exactly what my fellow citizens would want them to do.â€
Ryan on Wednesday called Gowdy’s assessment “accurate,†dealing another blow to the claims dubbed “Spygate†by President Trump.
But Trump allies on Capitol Hill say that Gowdy, a former prosecutor, defended the FBI before reviewing key underlying documents — and they are furious that Ryan has backed him.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), a freshman who has emerged as one of the most vocal critics of the FBI, blasted Ryan for the statement on Thursday, calling his support of the bureau “shameful.â€
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http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/391262-ryan-remarks-on-trump-spygate-leave-conservatives-fuming
