Jeffries Vows To Weaponize Govt. Against Trump Officials
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries vowed on Thursday to go after members of President Donald Trump’s administration — essentially weaponizing the government against political opponents — while at the same time complaining that Trump was doing exactly that.
Speaking to left-wing MSNBC host Chris Hayes, Jeffries complained about the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last year upholding a key aspect of the Constitution’s provision granting presidents wide immunity from legal actions taken while in office.
But he then threatened to move against Trump administration officials if Democrats take power again.
“There are so many corrupt sycophants within the Trump administration, including but not limited to, within the Department of Justice. Now these people don’t have immunity, and the reality is, the statute of limitations is five years. And there will be accountability with the next administration if not before, when Democrats take back control of the House of Representatives.”
Jeffries’ threat comes amid a couple of high-profile indictments by the Justice Department of noted anti-Trump figures.
Last month, fired FBI Director James Comey was charged with lying to Congress and obstructing justice. And on Thursday, New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted on allegations of mortgage fraud.
Meanwhile, California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff is also under investigation by the DOJ for similar allegations of mortgage fraud.
Also, a Democrat whistleblower’s allegations, backed by newly declassified FBI interview reports, are now threatening to upend Schiff’s political career.
If the whistleblower’s account is accurate and prosecutors pursue the case, Schiff could face not only career-ending political consequences but also staggering financial penalties and lengthy prison terms.
A longtime intelligence officer who served on the House Intelligence Committee under Democratic leadership for more than a decade repeatedly warned the FBI starting in 2017 that then-Rep. Schiff had authorized the leaking of classified information related to the Trump-Russia investigation, according to FBI memos obtained by Just the News.
The documents, which were recently turned over to Congress by current FBI Director Kash Patel, allege that the leaks were part of an effort to discredit then-President Donald Trump amid the now-disproven “Russiagate” controversy.
FBI 302 interview reports obtained by Just the News this week indicate that the intelligence staffer — a registered Democrat who described himself as a friend to both then-Rep. Adam Schiff and former House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes — viewed the alleged classified leaks as “unethical,” “illegal,” and “treasonous.”
According to the reports, the staffer said he was told not to be concerned because Schiff believed he would be protected from prosecution under the Constitution’s Speech or Debate Clause, which shields members of Congress for actions taken in the course of legislative duties.
In a 2023 interview with FBI agents from the bureau’s St. Louis field office, the whistleblower — whose name was redacted in the documents — stated that he personally attended a meeting where Schiff authorized the release of classified information, according to the reports.
“When working in this capacity, [redacted staffer’s name] was called to an all-staff meeting by SCHIFF,” the interview report said. “In this meeting, SCHIFF stated the group would leak classified information which was derogatory to President of the United States DONALD J. TRUMP. SCHIFF stated the information would be used to indict President TRUMP.”
The whistleblower told investigators that he “stated this would be illegal and, upon hearing his concerns, unnamed members of the meeting reassured that they would not be caught leaking classified information,” the 2023 interview report said.
The staff member made similar claims to agents in the FBI’s Washington field office as early as 2017, shortly after Trump began his first term.
“For years, certain officials used their positions to selectively leak classified information to shape political narratives,” FBI Director Kash Patel told the outlet.
