Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina accused the FBI of holding President Trump to a double standard in a letter sent to Director Christopher A. Wray this week.
Excerpts of the letter were aired exclusively on Fox News on Friday.
“Although I appreciate the FBI’s diligence in identifying the staffer with potential ties to the Chinese government and providing Senator Feinstein with a defensive briefing,” Mr. Graham wrote, “I am deeply troubled that the Trump campaign was not afforded the same treatment.”
EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Lindsey Graham’s letter to FBI Dir. Christopher Wray pic.twitter.com/K28a4ceUvc
— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) August 17, 2018
The South Carolina senator also criticized the FBI for using the infamous dossier by former British spy Christopher Steele as a basis for an investigation into then-candidate Trump’s campaign and staffer Carter Page. Intelligence officials have repeatedly denied that the dossier impacted their work.
Reports surfaced in early August that five years ago Sen. Dianne Feinstein was notified by the FBI of its concerns that one of her staffers could be working as a spy for the Chinese government. The California senator fired the staffer.
Mr. Trump mocked Ms. Feinstein on Twitter by asking if she’d investigate herself.
“Compare that to your actions: attacking the FBI and refusing the advice of your national security team. Sad!” The senator fired back.
(2/2) Compare that to your actions: attacking the FBI and refusing the advice of your national security team. SAD! I appreciated then and now the diligent work of our law enforcement and intelligence agencies and acted in the best interests of the country. Give it a try!
— Sen Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) August 4, 2018
Mr. Graham has been a critic of this revelation since reports first surfaced.
“What the hell is going on at the FBI?” He told Harris Faulker in an interview last week. “It would happen to anyone’s office. If the FBI finds out that somebody is working of us and may have connections to a foreign government, they should tell us.”
• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.