Trump To Give Medal Of Freedom To Loyalist GOP Congressman Nunes

Rep. Devin Nunes, a staunch defender of President Trump, is being awarded the Medal of Honor

Patrick Semansky/AP

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Patrick Semansky/AP

Rep. Devin Nunes, a staunch defender of President Trump, is being awarded the Medal of Honor

Patrick Semansky/AP

Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., who defended President Trump within the investigation into Russia’s interference within the 2016 election, is being awarded the Medal of Freedom, the White House introduced Monday.

In asserting the award, the White House mentioned Nunes helped “unearth the crime of the century” and “thwart a plot to take down a sitting United States president” — regardless of each being patently false.

The award to Nunes was criticized by the watchdog group, the Government Accountability Project.

“Rep. Nunes abandoned the bipartisan tradition of whistleblower protection and chilled future whistleblowers from coming forward when they witness wrongdoing,” Irvin McCullough, a nationwide safety analyst with the group, mentioned in a press release, referring to the whistleblower who triggered the impeachment investigation of Trump. “This isn’t honorable; it’s despicable. It’s dangerous to award his misconduct.”

The White House mentioned Nunes “had the fortitude to take on the media, the FBI, the Intelligence Community, the Democrat Party, foreign spies, and the full power of the Deep State. Devin paid a price for his courage. The media smeared him and liberal activists opened a frivolous and unjustified ethics investigation, dragging his name through the mud for eight long months.”

It referred to as Nunes “a public servant of unmatched talent, unassailable integrity, and unwavering resolve. He uncovered the greatest scandal in American history,” an obvious reference to baseless, conspiratorial claims by Trump that the Obama administration and the FBI, amongst many others plotted to tie the 2016 Trump marketing campaign to Russia.

Nunes, the highest Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, is the most recent in an eclectic listing of people Trump has bestowed the nation’s highest civilian honor on, together with right-wing discuss present host Rush Limbaugh, wrestler Dan Gable and soccer coach Lou Holtz.