The letter, signed by prominent members of the GOP House, including the whip of minorities, Steve Scalise of Louisiana, and Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney of Wyoming, called on Pelosi to remove Swalwell so that the Standing Committee of the The Chamber’s Intelligence Chamber manages “the most sensitive information.”
“We are writing to you today out of concern about the close contacts that Congressman Eric Swalwell recently reported with a Chinese Communist Party spy with Axios. their close interactions with Chinese intelligence services, however involuntary they may be, are an unacceptable risk to national security, ”Republicans wrote in the letter. “HPSCI manages some of the most sensitive information our government has: information that is critical to our national defense. As such, we urge you to immediately remove Representative Swalwell from his position on the National Intelligence Committee. Chamber “.
Swalwell’s office has not responded to CNN’s request for comment.
That comes days after House minority leader Kevin McCarthy told Fox News that Swalwell should be removed from the committee.
“I didn’t know it, but this is much deeper than that; the information committee is different than any other committee,” the California Republican said last week. “This man should not be part of the information committee. He is endangering national security, which is said at those meetings at SCIF that you don’t want him to hear or hear other people.”
Pelosi defended Swalwell at his press conference last week, telling reporters that House leaders have known for five years about Chinese attempts to influence officials, including Swalwell.
He said McCarthy was trying to “deviate” by trying to make it a problem now after being informed of the information since 2015.
“I have no worries about Mr. Swalwell,” the California Democrat said last week. “In the spring of 2015, the leadership of the House and the committee were informed that openings of a Chinese person were being made to members of Congress; when this was made known to members of Congress, it was over.”