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Given the unusual choice, most terrorists would likely choose to be waterboarded from inside of a scorpion-filled coffin than face an interrogation from Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC). Absolutely nobody wants to be on the wrong end of one of Gowdy’s legendary House Committee-led cross-examinations.

While witnesses may fear the former federal prosecutor’s fiery, no-nonsense approach to questioning, no one has ever claimed that they were afraid he would leak their testimony. That is why it comes as no surprise that Gowdy used his appearance on CNN’s “Erin Burnett Out Front” to verbally torpedo whoever leaked a confidential testimony involving Director of National Intelligence Dan Coates.

“I’ll be damned…”

It was with his typical controlled fury that Gowdy lambasted his colleagues for leaking the testimony after he gave Coates assurances that there would be no “selective leaking” of the closed-door hearing.

Watch as Gowdy voices his frustration to Burnett:

A Pissed Off Trey Gowdy Wants to Know Who Leaked Dan Coats’ Testimony Uploaded by Constitutionalism on 2017-06-24.

It took no less than eight hours for the press to snag Coates’ testimony, despite assurances from Gowdy and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) that his revelations would be kept secret. Gowdy told Burnett that he was fed up:

About eight hours ago, Adam Schiff and I looked Dan Coats in the eyes and we assured him that there would be no selective leaking of his testimony to us. And I’ll be damned if eight hours later, there aren’t three different leaks with what he told us.

Gowdy was referring to a report from NBC News intelligence and national security reporter Ken Dilanian. The NBC reporter gave details of the Coates’ testimony that betrayed the existence of a leaker, reporting that President Donald Trump repeatedly asked Coates to tell the media that there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Objection!

Many observers view the incessant leaking coming from the federal government as a sign that Trump is under attack from disloyal staffers. Drudge Report Editor-in-Chief Matt Drudge has said that these leaks represent a “big danger,” and that “major housekeeping” is in order to purge the federal government of untrustworthy employees.

Gowdy seemed to know who the potential leaker of Coates’ testimony could be, implying that the mole could be one of five people in the room after discounting himself, Schiff and Coates:

I can tell you who it was not. It was not me, and I do not believe it was Adam Schiff. He’s a former federal prosecutor who knows that leaks undercut the efficacy and integrity of investigations.

Although the news of another leak is disheartening, the value of the leak is not very substantive. A number of prominent, fiercely critical Democratic legislators have admitted that there is no evidence of collusion between Trump and the Russians.

While this justifies Trump’s insistence that Coates and other investigators reveal that there was no evidence of collusion, the continued existence of high-profile leaks is another scandal altogether. Perhaps these leaks are what the House Committees should be investigating — with Trey Gowdy asking the questions, of course.

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