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heard on the hill

Lawmakers demand accountability after alleged U.S. intel on Israel, Iran leaks

House Speaker Mike Johnson said an investigation into the leak was 'underway'

Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images

A view of anti-Israel banners and posters placed on building walls in the capital city of Tehran after Iran launched drones, missiles on Israel in response to April 1 attack on consulate in Syria on April 14, 2024.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are demanding answers and accountability after alleged U.S. intelligence regarding Israel’s preparations to attack Iran were published on an Iran-linked social media account.

The documents, which contained top secret markings and were flagged for distribution only to the U.S and its close intelligence allies, leaked onto a pro-Iran Telegram channel on Friday. They included details of Israel’s preparations for a strike, including munitions stockpiles, training exercises and more.

“The leak is very concerning. There’s some serious allegations being made there, an investigation underway, and I’ll get a briefing on that in a couple of hours,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday morning. “We’re following it closely.”

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called the apparent leak “extremely alarming.”

“Whoever committed this outrageous act is putting our ally at risk, and they need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Wicker said in a statement.

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), the House Republican Conference chair, accused the Biden administration of “continu[ing] to undermine our precious ally Israel at every opportunity,” and linked the alleged leak to “unelected antisemitic bureaucrats with close ties to the Iranian regime” — an apparent reference to reporting that at least one current administration official was linked to an Iranian influence effort.

Stefanik said the incident “must be fully investigated and those responsible will be held accountable.”

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, told Jewish Insider the “apparent leak is extremely concerning,” that he would “be doing everything in my power to ensure we get to the bottom of this” and that he had requested a briefing on the situation.

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) told JI the alleged leak “once again undercuts our closest ally and creates a mess for Israel as it prepares to respond to Iran. We must get to the bottom of this and prevent more leaks [i]n the future and it’s incumbent on the Biden-Harris Administration to chase this down.”

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) described the incident as “of the highest national security breaches.”

“This undermines our credibility with all allies to share information,” Moskowitz said. “This investigation needs to lead to full accountability and prosecution for whomever is responsible.”

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