Monday on the RealClearPolitics podcast, RCP White House correspondent Phil Wegmann interviews Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, about the release of a tranche of emails showing FBI agents celebrating the indictment of senior Trump adviser Peter Navarro — who became the first White House official in history to be jailed for contempt of Congress. “Well, the short answer is political weaponization by the FBI,” Grassley said. “When the whole government goes after you and concocts a case against you just because they don’t like you politically.” “One person who seemed to be at the beginning of it and through it all, it’s a special agent by the name of Timothy Thibault. When he heard that Peter Navarro was going to be challenged, he’s quoted on email excited that his work was finally going to come to some good, and actually carry out the ultimate political weaponization, which ended up being the four-month imprisonment of Peter Navarro.” Grassley also commented on the Federalist Society’s track record on judicial recommendations, disagreeing with criticism from President Trump that CEO Leonard Leo is a “real sleazebag.” “The Federalist Society has had a great part in getting three outstanding people on the court, along with two others that were very outstanding over a period of 25 and 35 years. We should respect any organization that believes in the original intent of the Constitution,” Grassley said.
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