WASHINGTON (AP) – The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee says he has asked his staff to look into whether Texas Sen. Ted Cruz released classified information during Tuesday night’s GOP presidential debate.
Cruz made a claim during an exchange with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio about the new USA Freedom Act, which Cruz supported and Rubio opposed. Cruz said that “nearly 100 percent” of phone numbers can be checked for terror ties under the new program, compared to “20 percent to 30 percent” under earlier Patriot Act provisions.
Rubio said that national television is not the place to discuss classified information.
Chairman Richard Burr of North Carolina says that any time specific numbers are discussed a question emerges as to whether it’s classified or open source.