Justice Department warns Nunes it would be 'reckless' to release secret memo


The Department of Justice sent a letter to Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, on Wednesday, warning him of the damage that could be done if he is "reckless" and releases a memo his staff compiled that claims to show "shocking" political bias at the FBI, without letting the Justice Department review it first.
Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd wrote that the DOJ doesn't "understand why the committee would possibly seek to disclose classified and law enforcement sensitive information without first consulting with the relevant members of the intelligence committee," and there is a "risk of harm to national security and to ongoing investigations that could come from the public release."
Last week, Nunes said his staff had drafted the secret memo, considered classified, and shared it with some House members. It's unclear what's in the memo, but Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) called it a "profoundly misleading set of talking points drafted by Republican staff attacking the FBI and its handling of the investigation," referring to the probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Western Alaska reels as storm aftermath prompts mass evacuations
UNDER THE RADAR Alaskan lawmakers point to climate change as airlifts relocate hundreds from coastal communities devastated by the remnants of Typhoon Halong
-
Sudoku medium: October 17, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
Sudoku hard: October 17, 2025
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
-
Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literature
Speed Read László Krasznahorkai is the author of acclaimed novels like ‘The Melancholy of Resistance’ and ‘Satantango’
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91
Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclub
Speed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's ills
Speed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, Stallone
Speed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's view
Speed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk
Speed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year