Congressman Andy Biggs' Statement on Alleged Unmasking by the Obama Administration

Statement

This week, stories have circulated about alleged actions taken by Susan Rice, President Obama's National Security Advisor, to unmask Donald Trump's name in U.S. intelligence reports. These new revelations come after an unprecedented string of government leaks, which have sought to discredit President Trump's administration. After initially stating she "knew nothing" about the unmasking, Ms. Rice's story has started to unravel, leading to incremental questions about her purpose for doing so. Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05) released the following statement:

"Americans should be terrified about the unchecked power of a runaway Executive Branch, using its access to private conversations and information as a political weapon against hated rivals. For this reason, Congress should compel Susan Rice to appear before Congress so that she may clarify her alleged role in unmasking President Trump's name in U.S. intelligence reports and tell us what she did with that specific information. My constituents and I have an increasing number of questions about this situation as new developments unfold, which heightens the urgency to receive direct answers from Ms. Rice.

"If it turns out that Ms. Rice -- or anyone in our government -- inappropriately used this information about President Trump to discredit his leadership and legitimacy, they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We live in a country of due process, where Americans need to trust that their law-abiding actions and conversations are not subject to government collection or interference. For this reason, Congress must revisit the authority within the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows our government to collect data it can potentially use on Americans for nefarious or political reasons. The United States of America does not tolerate a society where any level or branch of government is above the law, and I will join my colleagues in demanding truthful answers from Ms. Rice."

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