Nunes: Swalwell 'doesn't have any friends' among House GOP after he spread 'Russian propaganda'

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Rep. Nunes: There's a lot of questions surrounding Swalwell

California congressman explains why the GOP want Eric Swalwell removed from House Intel Committee on 'Fox News Primetime'

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., "doesn’t have any friends on the Republican side of the aisle," House Intelligence Committee ranking member Devin Nunes, R-Calif., told "Fox News Primetime" Thursday.

Nunes joined host Maria Bartiromo shortly before the House voted to table a resolution moved by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., aimed at removing Swalwell from the intelligence commiteee over his past ties to an alleged Chinese spy named Fang Fang.

The two-page resolution -- obtained by Fox News -- says Swalwell "has not denied public reporting that a suspected Chinese intelligence operative helped raise money for Representative Swalwell's political campaigns" and "other troublesome elements of public reporting."

McCarthy said he wants other lawmakers to receive the same security briefing he was given along with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, that detailed matters related to Swallwell's alleged foreign ties.

HOUSE KILLS GOP BID TO KICK SWALWELL OFF INTEL COMMITTEE OVER PAST TIES TO SUSPECTED CHINESE SPY

"There’s not a lot of trust on the Republican side for him ..." Nunes told "Fox News Primetime" host Maria Bartiromo. "We'll be interested to see where the Democrats come down on this. It would have been really easy for him to come out and give everybody all the information."

Swalwell's ties to Fang were first revealed by Axios, which reported that Fang helped raise money for his campaign and placed one or more interns in his congressional office. Republicans argue that a lawmaker who appears to have been egregiously compromised by a foreign power should not remain on the critical intelligence panel. 

Swalwell tweeted in response to McCarthy's resolution on Thursday, accusing the GOP leader of "the New McCarthyism."

"It’s kind of his MO, right?" Nunes said. "He attacks with lies and the distortion and mistruths."

"Remember in '17, '18, '19, as recently as the last few days, he ran around calling every Republican in the country and President Trump ... some kind of Russian agent," Nunes went on, "all the while knowing he was peddling the Steele dossier that the Democrats had created and passed around to all the media. And I think it’s one of the old sayings that those that live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones."

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Nunes questioned who might have instructed Swalwell to publically "spread this Russian propaganda.

"They are always talking about Russia and Putin, well we all know that Putin, what he’s trying to do is sow discord in the legislative process. So why would you continue to go out and peddle the dossier, continue to talk about Republicans having some ties to Russians while knowing that they are doing Putin a favor?"