‘Don’t Buy It,’ Rep. Swalwell Says About Sessions, Barr, and Rosenstein Denying They Knew About Apple Subpoena: ‘Not the Way the Department Works’

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) told CNN on Sunday that he didn’t believe the claims from former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, former AG Bill Barr, and former Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein that they were unaware of the DOJ subpoena to Apple requesting metadata related to several Democratic members of the House Intelligence Committee.

Swalwell praised the call by the DOJ’s Inspector General to investigate the subpoena, but noted that there were also options for Congress, and they would be “exploring them this week.” The Inspector General, Swalwell pointed out, would not be able to compel testimony from the former attorneys general, who were “key witnesses in this.”

The issue, Swalwell said, was that former President Donald Trump was “not going away,” making plans to run again in 2024, plus the rumors that Trump believes he could somehow be reinstated as president in August.

Trump “may not be so patient if he ever gets close to power again,” Swalwell continued. “He may not wait for a grand jury investigation. My fear is any American who speaks out against the president can find themselves not with an investigation but straight to jail.”

“We’re still trying to piece this all together,” said Brown. “Trump’s former attorneys general and deputy AG all claiming, they’re telling people around them, that they were unaware that you and Schiff were ensnared in this probe. What do you say to that?”

“Don’t buy it,” replied Swalwell. “That’s not the way the department works. I know from my experience on the Intelligence Committee that for special matters — whether it involves the members of Congress or senior members, you know, in the press — this would go to the attorney general’s office.”

“I’m not above the law,” he said, “If I do something wrong, just like any American, my records, you know, with a warrant, should be reviewed.” Swalwell said that his seven years’ experience on the Intelligence Committee had included situations where there had been leaks of classified information, but he and the other committee members weren’t investigated. “That’s why it looks so targeted,” he said, noting that the timing coincided with when he and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) were raising concerns about Trump’s connections to Russia.

“Everything we thought a president never would do, Donald Trump did,” concluded Swalwell, “and now it’s a question of what are we willing to do to preserve the republic?”

Watch the video above, via CNN.

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