Willie R. Tubbs, FISM News
It’s been a busy week for both former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, as the two men have clashed over allegations Pompeo made about Schiff’s behavior as head of the House Intelligence Committee.
In a clear show of support for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who three days ago removed Schiff and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) from the Intelligence Committee, Pompeo went on Fox News’s “Outnumbered” and thrashed Schiff’s record of leadership.
“Adam Schiff lied to the American people, and during my time as CIA director and Secretary of State, I know that he leaked classified information that had been provided to him,” Pompeo said.
.@mikepompeo: "Adam Schiff lied to the American people."
"During my time as CIA director and secretary of state, I know that he leaked classified information that had been provided to him." pic.twitter.com/2x8Cd1jr3m
— Kyle Morris (@RealKyleMorris) January 25, 2023
Pompeo said he did not come forward at the time because the situation was “complicated” and it was “difficult to pin down precisely what happened.” He added that he did not trust Schiff.
“When we provided information to him and to his staff, it ended up in places it shouldn’t have been with alarming regularity,” Pompeo said. “In the end, I decided, I held back information from them as a result.”
Schiff’s camp lashed out at both Pompeo and the news media broadly for having made or reported upon the allegation.
“This is another patently false and defamatory statement from Mike Pompeo,” The Hill quoted Lauren French, a Schiff spokesperson, as saying. “While we understand that Adam Schiff is a favorite target for the failed lackeys of the Trump administration running for president, reputable news outlets shouldn’t repeat these falsehoods.”
Pompeo and Schiff later traded barbs on Twitter.
“Let’s be clear: Adam Schiff should be nowhere near the Intelligence Committee,” Pompeo tweeted.
Let's be clear: Adam Schiff should be nowhere near the Intelligence Committee.
— Mike Pompeo (@mikepompeo) January 26, 2023
Schiff later replied, “Let’s be clear: I don’t back down from bullies.”
ADAM SCHIFF’S BEST (OR WORST) WEEK EVER
The week of Jan. 23, 2023, might go down as the busiest in the public life of Adam Schiff.
Beyond fighting leak allegations and being kicked off of the Intelligence Committee, Schiff somehow found time to bellyache over Trump’s return to Facebook and Instagram, criticize Pompeo’s assertions about the late Jamal Khashoggi, and also announce a bid for Senate.
Thursday, Schiff officially declared his intention to supplant Dianne Feinstein as one of California’s two senators.
“I look forward to campaigning hard in this race, meeting Californians where they are, and listening to what they want from their next Senator,” Schiff said in a statement. “I hope to earn their votes and their trust.”
Schiff’s campaign hit an immediate snag. As reported by Fox News, a farther-left-than-Schiff group called Progressive Change Campaign Committee almost immediately launched an attack on Schiff, who the group says is secretly a Trump supporter.