Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) accused CNN and the Daily Beast of being accessories to “criminal activity” on Sunday after the two outlets reported on his alleged dealings with Lev Parnas, one of Rudy Giuliani’s indicted associates.
When Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” host Maria Bartiromo asked Nunes if he had met with former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin in Vienna, as Parnas alleged in CNN’s report, the congressman dodged by attacking CNN and the Daily Beast.
“So look, Maria, I really want to answer all of these questions and I promise you I absolutely will come back on the show and answer these questions,” Nunes said. “But because there is criminal activity there, we’re working with the appropriate law enforcement agency.”
The Republican congressman argued that the reports were “criminal in nature” because CNN and the Daily Beast had spoken to Parnas’ lawyers, which Nunes claimed was “likely conspiring to obstruct justice.”
“You’re telling me that CNN committed criminal activity?” asked Bartiromo.
“Well, it’s very likely. Or they’re an accessory to it,” said Nunes.
He also reaffirmed his vow to sue CNN and the Daily Beast after Thanksgiving over their “demonstrably false and scandalous stories”, as he first told Breitbart on Friday, though he did not explain specifically how the reports were false.
Several days after one of Parnas’ lawyers told the Daily Beast last week that his client had set up meetings for Nunes’ “investigations” in 2018, another one of Parnas’ attorney went even further and told CNN that Nunes had met with Shokin last year to dig up dirt on Joe Biden.
Parnas’ legal team also said their client is willing to testify to Congress on Nunes’ alleged contacts in Ukraine.
Parnas and Igor Fruman, another one of Giuliani’s associates, were indicted in October for alleged conspiracy to violate campaign finance laws.
Watch Nunes below:
Nunes claims CNN and Daily Beast's reports on his alleged dealings with Giuliani's indicted associate are "criminal in nature" pic.twitter.com/8YYV4Q5mrB
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) November 24, 2019
