Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., won't be shocked if the Department of Justice's redacted version of the affidavit justifying the FBI raid on former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort leaves more questions than answers.
After all, Reschenthaler says the American people already have experience with DOJ/FBI deceptions involving Trump, dating back to the questionably obtained FISA warrants during Trump's initial presidential run.
At the same time, Reschenthaler gives U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart credit for releasing the "probable cause" portion of the affidavit for public consumption.
"It's questionable as to whether there was probable cause for having a raid which was that invasive and intrusive," Reschenthaler told Newsmax Thursday, while appearing on the "The Chris Salcedo Show."
Reschenthaler's affidavit skepticism derives from two points:
1. Judge Reinhart should have known there were less obtrusive ways for the FBI to conduct a high-profile search.
2. A warrant of this magnitude typically contains a criminal statute reference, which doesn't seem to be the case with the Trump warrant/affidavit.
"If [this case involved] a Democrat, there wouldn't even be a search warrant," says Reschenthaler, who's up for reelection this November.
With Hillary Clinton in 2016, there were "zero search warrants, no raids," even though former FBI Director James Comey said Clinton had been "extremely careless" with handling classified information, says Reschenthaler.
Using that "side-by-side comparison," Reschenthaler says the FBI should have exercised more tact with the Trump raid.
"If you're a Democrat, a member of the ruling class, you'll get treated much differently" than conservatives, adds Reschenthaler.
During his Newsmax interview, Reschenthaler was asked if Republicans should heed the advice of former Vice President Mike Pence and Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., in terms of halting public criticisms of the DOJ and/or FBI.
"No, I think we should continue our calls for oversight," says Reschenthaler, while promising more "insight and investigation" in 2023 if the Republicans take over the House chamber during the November midterm elections.
Reschenthaler said he understands the respective political angles of Pence and Cheney, in case they choose to run for president two years from now.
"I say Liz Cheney should run for president" in 2024, says Reschenthaler, while reasoning that her presence as a third-party presidential candidate would siphon off more Democrat votes in a general election than among Republicans.
Reschenthaler quipped, "I applaud [Cheney running] because that would just mean more votes for Trump" in the 2024 election.
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