House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) on Monday accused CNN host Chris Cuomo of not knowing what he is talking about during a discussion on a Republican-written classified memo critical of the FBI and the Justice Department.
Cuomo asked Pelosi about the four-page memo, created by Rep. Devin Nunes (R., Calif.), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and whether the FBI has seen it. According to reports, the memo says the FBI abused the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act over its use of a controversial dossier—produced by a former British intelligence officer who had been hired by Fusion GPS, a Washington opposition research firm—on President Donald Trump and Russia. The document alleges the bureau misused the dossier as part of a case to obtain a FISA warrant for former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.
Cuomo pressed Pelosi on Democrats' efforts to prevent the GOP from releasing the memo, which, according to reports, may provide fuel for critics of the Russia investigation.
"Christopher Wray, the director of the FBI obviously, recently selected by President Trump, he got the memo," Cuomo said. "He could have come out and said, 'This is reckless, don't release it.'"
"Let me just say this, with all due respect: you really don't know what you're talking about right now," Pelosi responded.
Pelosi did not say whether Wray received the memo, but argued the Justice Department has already indicated it does not want the document released.
The Justice Department has said it does not want lawmakers to publicize the memo, arguing it may expose sensitive sources and methods, but the House Intelligence Committee voted Monday along party lines to release it.
Disclosure: The Washington Free Beacon was once a client of Fusion GPS. That relationship ended in January 2017. For more information, see here.