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Interview

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OUTFRONT now, Congressman Mike Quigley, a Democrat who has been serving on the House Intelligence Committee for almost a decade. He hopes to keep his assignment.

So, Congressman, let me start with where -- where you are right now. Do you think that McCarthy will be successful in stripping all three of your Democratic colleagues of their committee assignments?

REP. MIKE QUIGLEY (D-IL): Well, he certainly has the capabilities, unilaterally, as you said, could do it on the Intel Committee. We'll see what the House does, with the full House does.

It needs to be said, the Intel Committee is a very different. You can argue that it is important of a committee as we have. It has oversight over the intelligence community that keeps us safe. So, what he's talking about is throwing people off who have some of the most institutional memory about those national security matters, because he doesn't like them.

They don't like Adam Schiff, not because he stood up to President Trump, but because he was so good at it. Frankly, I had a ringside seat. They don't have anybody that can compete with him legally, in leadership, and clearly, in messaging.

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BURNETT: And, you know, look, McCarthy has been promising, as you know, Congressman, retribution ever since the Democrats stripped Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar from their committees.

Here's what he told "Breitbart News".

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BURNETT: Did -- were you at all surprised, though, when he actually did it? Especially pertaining to Adam Schiff, who, of course, was the chairman of that committee, the face of it?

QUIGLEY: You know, I guess I'm not surprised. I don't know what

promises he made among the others to get his gavel. But it's unfortunate.

These are false equivalencies. I think he recognizes that in his heart. They know that, look, Eric Swalwell, as much as President Trump hated him, if there was anything they could've used against him, and the FBI said he did nothing wrong, they would've used it. So, there is nothing there except for a false equivalence, going after people that you don't like who were particularly effective at their jobs.

In the end, the Intelligence Committee will do it out as this goes forward two of its most effective members.

BURNETT: All right. You are, of course -- well, I know you're hoping to remain on that committee. Have you heard anything from him? Are you confident that you will continue to serve?

QUIGLEY: This is a select committee, and so I serve there to the maximum, unless there is a waiver. I guess the final waiver has to be signed by the speaker of the House, and so I guess I leave it up to him and the fact that I've done my job well. I guess if he doesn't like me, he won't do that, but again, this isn't doing it for the right reasons.

BURNETT: I want to ask you before we go, since, obviously, you have so much information on intelligence about the classified documents found in one of President Biden's private offices from his time in VP.

The new Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Mike Turner, has requested from the DNI a damage assessment, he says, of the documents found. He says that there's, quote, potential violations of law.

Congressman, do you leave open the possibility that President Biden broke the law?

QUIGLEY: Look, all these mishandling cases matter. No one is above the law. The investigation is warranted. I was heartened by the fact that the U.S. attorney for my hometown, Chicago, was elected to do the initial analysis. Let that investigation take place. We are doing what the Republicans did, and that is that if there is something wrong, here it needs to be investigated.

But all indications are that there is an extraordinary difference in magnitude and scope, and clearly the level of cooperation, and as prosecutors traditionally have handled these cases, the intent matters. How these things matter -- disloyalty to the United States, and all of the measures they look at, almost all of them do apply to former President Trump, and none of them seem to apply at this point to President Biden. But let's let the investigation take its course.

BURNETT: Yeah, it certainly seems to be a huge difference in magnitude and motivation. Thank you very much, Congressman. I appreciate your time.

QUIGLEY: Anytime, thank you.

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