In a climate of increasing distrust and bitter partisanship, Americans need access to all the facts.
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Enough. This debate is getting absurd. Release the memo, but don’t stop there. Release the memo, the underlying evidence that allegedly supports its conclusions, the FISA-court applications that launched the Russia investigation, any additional relevant FISA-court applications, any relevant FISA-court opinions and orders, and any other class or category of classified information that allegedly substantiated DOJ concerns about Trump-campaign collusion with Russia.
Releasing the memo alone isn’t enough. Reportedly, it mainly consists of so-called top-line conclusions. In layman’s terms, these are conclusions the authors reached based on evidence the authors don’t include in the memo itself. In other words, it’s reportedly a summary document. In my military life, I’ve seen memos like this, and they can have their uses, but they require not just a high degree of trust in the authors but also a level of accountability — an ability to check the authors’ work.
Absent trust in the authors or access to the underlying evidence, a conclusory memo can be worse than useless. If released, the fact that it was formerly “classified” gives it an air of authenticity and mystery that its contents might not deserve. There are copious amounts of mistaken or exaggerated classified information and conclusions circulating within the federal government, and a “classified” stamp is not a certification of accuracy.
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And make no mistake, America is harming itself. The political conflict over the legitimacy of the elected government — and over the integrity of federal law enforcement — is escalating dangerously. It’s time to seriously ask whether the cost, for example, of potentially compromised “sources and methods” is worth sowing division in a national debate that traffics more in ferocity than in facts.
It’s time to put up or shut up. The president has the power. He can consult with his own appointees, redact information that actually puts lives at risk, and release into the public domain information that can intelligently inform a host of public debates. Republican and Democratic politicians alike no longer have the standing to ask us to just trust their assessments and rely on their characterizations. Let’s see the memo. Let’s see the evidence. In the interests of national unity and public accountability, it’s time to be transparent.
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JUST IN: Top Justice Dept official warns Nunes: Releasing classified memo would be "extraordinarily reckless" https://t.co/l1n9f4gKkE pic.twitter.com/jMl3wzCEiT
— The Hill (@thehill) January 25, 2018
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