Sen. Paul says it's 'astonishing' Obama officials requested unmasking of political opponent
Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul requesting DNI Grenell testify on Flynn unmasking.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., accused former Vice President Joe Biden Wednesday of "using the power of government ... to go after a political opponent" after Biden's name appeared on a newly released list of Obama administration officials who requested to "unmask" the identity of former national security adviser Michael Flynn
"I think this is astonishing that Vice President Biden and really all of President Obama's inner circle individually were requesting the unmasking of a political opponent," Paul told "Your World with Neil Cavuto." "You remember there was a whole to-do about trying to impeach a president, saying that we're using the power of government to go after a political opponent?
"This is a smoking gun if there ever was one that Vice President Biden was using the power of government, abusing that power to go after a political opponent," Paul added. "Essentially, unmasking someone is the equivalent of illegally wiretapping them."
GRAHAM CALLS ON ACTING DNI GRENELL TO 'RELEASE THE NAMES' OF THOSE WHO REQUESTED 'UNMAKING' OF FLYNN
The list was declassified in recent days by Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell and then sent to GOP Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., who made the documents public.
The roster names top administration figures, including Biden,then-FBI Director James Comey, then-CIA Director John Brennan, then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and then- White House chief of staff Denis McDonough.
Paul argued that the list proves Obama administration conspired to entrap Flynn.
"You don't get to listen to the other person's conversation if they're just talking. So General Flynn was never accused of saying anything untoward. Never saying anything that was committing a crime," Paul said. "But they all listened to his conversation and then they all decided, 'We've got to get this guy. Let's try to entrap him. Let's try to bring him in and see if we can get him either to lie, make a misstatement, or we can get him on the Logan Act.'
"So this was a cabal, this was a conspiracy," Paul added. "And really, the question is, did President Obama direct it all or did Vice President Biden?
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Paul added that Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, should be closely questioned about the Flynn matter.
"We now know for a fact Vice President Biden was involved and he needs to be questioned on this, because we can't elevate someone to the presidency who's willing to use the the intelligence community to spy on his political opponents," Paul said. "That should be a deal-killer."
Fox News' Brooke Singman and David Spunt contributed to this report.
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