The Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, condemned the White House’s decision to block the Democratic memo on Friday, saying in a statement: “The President’s double standard when it comes to transparency is appalling.
President Donald Trump on Friday blocked the release of a classified memo written by congressional Democrats to rebut a Republican document that he allowed to be made public last week that claimed FBI and Justice Department bias against him in the federal probe of Russia and the 2016 US election.
In refusing to release the Democratic rebuttal memo, the President cited 'national security concerns.'
"The memorandum contains numerous properly classified and especially sensitive passages," White House Counsel Don McGahn said.
House Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Trump's refusal to release the memo is a "stunningly brazen attempt to cover up the truth about the Trump-Russia scandal from the American people."
"Clearly, the President has something to hide," she added.
McGahn said the Justice Department had identified portions of the 10-page memo written by Democratic members of the House Intelligence Committee that “would create especially significant concerns for the national security and law enforcement interests” of the country, Reuters reported.
“Millions of Americans are asking one simple question: what is he hiding?” Schumer commented.
Representative Adam Schiff, the senior Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, said in a statement on Saturday that he will review redactions recommended by the FBI and Justice Department.
“We hope this matter can be quickly resolved so the committee can return to its charge - fully investigating the Russian interference in our election and the role of the Trump campaign, " he added.
