Testifying Thursday before the House Intelligence Committee, Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire accidentally addressed Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) as “congresswoman.”
REP. ERIC SWALWELL: Do you agree that the definition of a cover-up is an attempt people from discovering a crime?
ACTING DNI JOSEPH MAGUIRE: I would say that’s close. I’m sure there are others, but I don’t disagree with that, sir.
REP. SWALWELL: And in the whistleblower’s complaint, the whistleblower alleges that immediately after the president’s call with the president of Ukraine on July 25, White House lawyers moved quickly to direct White House officials to move electronic transcripts to one computer system, where it was normally stored, to a secret, classified information system. Is that right?
ACTING DNI MAGUIRE: Congresswoman—excuse me sir, I apologize—Congressman—
REP. SWALWELL: —Was that what was alleged in the whistleblower complaint? Yes or no?
ACTING DNI MAGUIRE: Sir, all I know is that was the allegation.
REP. SWALWELL: That’s what I’m asking you. Was that alleged?
ACTING DNI MAGUIRE: That was the allegations.
REP. SWALWELL: And you read that allegation and the first people that you go to are the White House lawyers, who are telling the White House officials, who see this transcript and move it into a secret compartmentalized system, that those were the first people you go to.
ACTING DNI MAGUIRE: Yes.
REP. SWALWELL: So, you get this complaint and the inspector general says this is “urgent” and “credible,” you have no wiggle room to not go to Congress, and instead you send your concern to the subject of the complaint, the White House. Did the White House tell you after you sent your concerns about privilege, did they tell you to go to the Department of Justice next?
ACTING DNI MAGUIRE: My counsel, in consultation with the intelligence community inspector general, went to the Office of Legal Counsel.