Top House Republicans are demanding arrests following newly declassified documents that suggest the Obama administration manufactured intelligence in late 2016 to support the now-debunked narrative of Russian interference in the presidential election.
Appearing on Sunday Morning Futures, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) laid out potential legal consequences for what she and others are calling a criminal abuse of power aimed at sabotaging President Donald Trump’s first term.
“There needs to be criminal prosecution and arrests,” Luna said. “Lying under oath, putting out a false intelligence report — that’s a violation of 18 U.S. Code 1001.”
If prosecuted under that statute, the perpetrators could face years in federal prison and significant fines.
Luna emphasized that this isn’t a partisan issue, but a matter of upholding the rule of law. “This is simply illegal, what they did,” she said.
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), who is currently running for governor, joined Luna in calling for justice. “There need to be arrests on this matter. People need to go to jail on this because this is about the republic,” Donalds said. “This is not about one president — it is about the presidency and the continuation of our country.”
The calls for arrests follow revelations from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who disclosed that a December 8, 2016 intelligence assessment found no Russian impact on the election — but was abruptly suppressed under “new guidance” before reaching President Obama. That finding was replaced with a politically charged report days later, allegedly under direction from then-DNI James Clapper and CIA Director John Brennan.
“There’s no question in my mind that this intelligence community assessment that President Obama ordered be published… was manufactured intelligence that sought to achieve President Obama and his team’s objective — undermining President Trump’s presidency and subverting the will of the American people,” Gabbard said in her own Sunday interview.
Gabbard has referred the materials to the Department of Justice and FBI for possible criminal action, but it remains to be seen whether federal prosecutors will act.
Meanwhile, Democrats are dismissing the controversy. Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, brushed off the matter on social media.
“They won’t [prosecute] because they know that the howls of laughter from that court will be heard in four time zones,” Himes mocked. “Watch for DOJ action. Not gonna happen.”
Despite Democrat pushback, Republicans appear unified in their call for accountability, insisting that those involved in the Russia collusion hoax must face legal consequences for what they describe as a deliberate attempt to overthrow the will of the American people.