To the Editor:

Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Asheville, and some of his fellow Republican representatives may just have become a danger to our national security. Their theatrics in attacking the FBI and counter intelligence measures is likely to weaken our ability to protect the nation from Russian and other cyber attacks on our democracy.

Rep. Meadows claims the attack is not political, but the facts point to the opposite. Rather the whole manufactured issue of the “Nunes Memo” appears to be an attempt to protect President Trump and his minions from themselves.

Let’s look at the facts. Having read the “Nunes Memo,” I find it has no real support for the assertion about the supposed connection between the surveillance of Carter Page, who became a Trump advisor, and the so-called dossier. According to reports, Page was of interest to the FBI as early as 2013 due to contacts with known Russian spies. Page also came to the attention of the FBI and counterintelligence based on a tip from an Australian diplomat who reported Page making statements that suggested an improper relationship with Russian agents. 

The initial FISA warrants to monitor Page apparently had nothing to do with the dossier. The Nunes memo is a concocted sham to discredit what the FBI may have on Trump, the Trump family, and the campaign.

If Trump has nothing to hide about his relationships with Russia and Russian oligarchs, why did we see the lying about meetings with Russians? Multiple people involved in the Trump campaign initially lied, or “omitted” from disclosures that they had held meeting with Russians. If you have done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide, why lie about it. 

We know that according to all reports President Trump was involved in making up a false story about why his son and son-in-law met with Russians in Trump tower. If it was just a typical attempt to get opposition research, why not just say so. The secrecy suggests that more than politics as usual was going on.

Which brings us back to the FBI and counterintelligence. We need these agencies to function independently of politics to protect us from illegal and dangerous outside interference. Trump seems intent on making the FBI leadership loyal only to him and not the country. Rep. Meadows and his fellow Republicans seem intent on helping to accomplish that task. Meadows has sponsored a bill to “investigate the investigators” as stated in his weekly newsletter. Where is the bill to investigate Russian meddling in our elections and Russian cyber trolls? Meadows should be looking after our safety as a nation instead of trying to protect Donald Trump from his own actions. 

Norman Hoffmann

Waynesville