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.

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