Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., on Saturday on Newsmax said he agreed with President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Congress has a serious problem with leaks while stressing that constitutional and legal guardrails still matter.
Trump on Saturday indicated that he had purposefully skipped informing members of Congress before U.S. special forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, telling reporters "Congress has a tendency to leak."
Speaking on "The Count," Harrigan bluntly said that some lawmakers cannot be trusted with sensitive information.
"I actually agree with the president," Harrigan said.
"I do think that Congress has a leaking problem. There are members of Congress who have in the past and would certainly leak if given the opportunity for their 15 seconds of fame or for a purpose and cause that's different than the purpose and cause of freedom that we have here in America."
Harrigan framed the issue as more than political finger pointing, arguing that leaks can jeopardize lives, national security, and critical operations. He said the temptation to score media attention or advance a personal agenda has repeatedly undermined trust between Congress and the executive branch.
At the same time, Harrigan emphasized that concerns about leaks do not erase the Constitution or federal law.
He noted that when a law enforcement operation is partnered with a military element, particularly one tasked with securing and protecting forces on the ground, there are specific notification requirements that must be followed.
"That's all handled under Title 50," Harrigan explained, referring to the section of U.S. law governing intelligence activities.
"And Title 50 does require at least the Gang of Eight being notified prior to the actual covert action being taken."
Trump didn't inform the Gang of Eight, the top Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate and House and the chairmen and ranking members of the Senate and House Intelligence Committees, until the operation in Venezuela started.
Harrigan said those legal requirements exist for a reason and cannot simply be ignored, even when the stakes are high.
Still, he acknowledged the administration's frustration, especially given the sensitivity of recent operations.
"The administration has got to clean that up," Harrigan said. "But overall, look, we're talking about a procedure here. We are talking about the law. We want to be reverential of that."
Harrigan said both Trump and Rubio are right to highlight the scope of the leak problem, adding that he does not fault them for being cautious.
"I would hesitate to say that I blame them if I was in their position, given the significance of this operation," he said. "But we've got to figure that out as a country."
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