In response to the release of a secret memo written by House Republicans to discredit investigations into Donald Trump and his associates, People For the American Way Executive Vice President Marge Baker issued the following statement:

“There’s no meaningful information in the memo released by the House Intelligence Committee today, but that doesn’t mean its release isn’t profoundly consequential. It’s an irresponsible political stunt that harms our system of justice and the principles that have undergirded our democracy for generations.

“There’s simply no way to interpret this move as anything other than House Republicans’ attempt to put party over country in an effort to undermine an ongoing criminal investigation. That right-wing news outlets were given an early look at this memo only shows that Republicans themselves aren’t interested in even pretending that releasing this memo is a principled decision. They’re actively tearing down the structures our country has built up over more than two centuries to safeguard our democracy—that’s something that should be extremely concerning to Americans across the political spectrum.

“Paul Ryan’s complicity in providing political cover for the president is a damning indictment of the state of the Republican Party. The party of Lincoln and Roosevelt has become the party of Donald Trump and Sean Hannity.

“If Paul Ryan has any interest in restoring some integrity to his tenure, he should immediately remove Devin Nunes from the House Intelligence Committee. Allowing the congressional oversight process to be hijacked for partisan politics is a disgrace that will define his legacy.”

People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and defend constitutional values including free expression, religious liberty, equal justice under the law, and the right to meaningfully participate in our democracy.

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