Swalwell Blames Trump for Leaking China Spy Information: ‘They Are Not Going to Silence Me’

SCIUTTO You are aware ░░░░░░░░ something Axios first reported ░░░░░░░░ investigation going back between ░░░░░░░░ 2015 that you were ░░░░░░░░ the targets of a ░░░░░░░░ who was in effect ░░░░░░░░ Chinese spy trying to ░░░░░░░░ contacts with U S ░░░░░░░░ rising politicians Did you ░░░░░░░░ and I should note ░░░░░░░░ people that you cooperated ░░░░░░░░ this investigation and were ░░░░░░░░ a briefing by the ░░░░░░░░ did you have any ░░░░░░░░ about this person before ░░░░░░░░ had what s known ░░░░░░░░ a defensive briefing from ░░░░░░░░ FBI to make you ░░░░░░░░ of this threat SWALWELL ░░░░░░░░ Jim I was shocked ░░░░░░░░ know just over six ░░░░░░░░ ago I was told ░░░░░░░░ this individual and then ░░░░░░░░ offered to help and ░░░░░░░░ did help and I ░░░░░░░░ thanked by the FBI ░░░░░░░░ my help and that ░░░░░░░░ is no longer in ░░░░░░░░ country And I was ░░░░░░░░ little surprised to read ░░░░░░░░ my cooperation in that ░░░░░░░░ because the story says ░░░░░░░░ there was no there ░░░░░░░░ never a suspicion of ░░░░░░░░ on my part and ░░░░░░░░ I did was cooperate ░░░░░░░░ the FBI said that ░░░░░░░░ but the wrongdoing here ░░░░░░░░ is that at the ░░░░░░░░ time this story was ░░░░░░░░ leaked out is the ░░░░░░░░ that I was working ░░░░░░░░ impeachment on the House ░░░░░░░░ and Judiciary Committees And ░░░░░░░░ this is a country ░░░░░░░░ people who criticize the ░░░░░░░░ are going to have ░░░░░░░░ enforcement information weaponized against ░░░░░░░░ that s not a ░░░░░░░░ that any of us ░░░░░░░░ to live in And ░░░░░░░░ hope it is investigated ░░░░░░░░ to who leaked this ░░░░░░░░ SCIUTTO These operations are ░░░░░░░░ to build relationships but ░░░░░░░░ possibly to get sensitive ░░░░░░░░ Are you concerned that ░░░░░░░░ shared any information with ░░░░░░░░ person before you were ░░░░░░░░ by the FBI SWALWELL ░░░░░░░░ I know that I ░░░░░░░░ t Again I can ░░░░░░░░ talk too much about ░░░░░░░░ details of the case ░░░░░░░░ though others may have ░░░░░░░░ their oath I m ░░░░░░░░ going to violate mine ░░░░░░░░ the Axios story made ░░░░░░░░ absolutely clear that no ░░░░░░░░ was ever shared except ░░░░░░░░ the people who did ░░░░░░░░ classified information were the ░░░░░░░░ who leaked this story ░░░░░░░░ to do that against ░░░░░░░░ critic of the president ░░░░░░░░ may think they re ░░░░░░░░ to silence me They ░░░░░░░░ not going to silence ░░░░░░░░ but what they are ░░░░░░░░ to do is they ░░░░░░░░ going to make others ░░░░░░░░ twice when they are ░░░░░░░░ to sit down and ░░░░░░░░ defensive information about people ░░░░░░░░ this I hope none ░░░░░░░░ my colleagues ever find ░░░░░░░░ in the position that ░░░░░░░░ find myself in by ░░░░░░░░ to sit down with ░░░░░░░░ FBI because someone who ░░░░░░░░ helped the campaign was ░░░░░░░░ to do this But ░░░░░░░░ hope every person would ░░░░░░░░ to help their country ░░░░░░░░ as I did SCIUTTO ░░░░░░░░ question this is a ░░░░░░░░ Chinese influence operation They ░░░░░░░░ frequently inside the country ░░░░░░░░ outside of the country ░░░░░░░░ does this tell us ░░░░░░░░ the degree of the ░░░░░░░░ from China today SWALWELL ░░░░░░░░ re persistent They are ░░░░░░░░ this all over the ░░░░░░░░ at all levels of ░░░░░░░░ and I m grateful ░░░░░░░░ our FBI back in ░░░░░░░░ reached out to me ░░░░░░░░ showed great professionalism in ░░░░░░░░ to alert me In ░░░░░░░░ congressional offices Jim we ░░░░░░░░ t have the technical ░░░░░░░░ you know to run ░░░░░░░░ checks on people who ░░░░░░░░ around us and my ░░░░░░░░ has a third Asian ░░░░░░░░ people of Asian descent ░░░░░░░░ so you know you ░░░░░░░░ t also want to ░░░░░░░░ people as spies And ░░░░░░░░ I think this means ░░░░░░░░ need to invest more ░░░░░░░░ our intelligence resources so ░░░░░░░░ we don t have ░░░░░░░░ who can successfully do ░░░░░░░░ Thankfully in this case ░░░░░░░░ of the FBI nothing ░░░░░░░░