Testify on data seizures

Pelosi pushes for Barr and Sessions to testify on data seizures

“To say that they didn't know anything about it is beyond belief,” Pelosi said.

By OLIVIA REINGOLD

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called on Sunday for former Attorneys General William Barr and Jeff Sessions to testify before Congress regarding reports that the Trump Justice Department seized data records of prominent Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee.

She brushed off Barr's claim that he didn’t know about the record seizures targeting at least a dozen people, including California Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell, who were involved an investigation of then-President Donald Trump.

“To say that they didn't know anything about it is beyond belief,” Pelosi said on CNN’s “State of the Union” about Barr and Sessions. “We will have to have them come under oath to testify about that.”

Pelosi said the Trump administration’s decision to secretly subpoena the metadata of prominent critics went beyond the scandal-laden track record of the Nixon presidency.

“Richard Nixon had an enemies list,” Pelosi told CNN host Dana Bash. “This is about undermining the rule of law.”

A growing number of Democrats are joining the call for an investigation, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin of Illinois.

Pelosi demurred when asked if she would push to subpoena Barr and Sessions if they refused to appear before Congress.