Republicans emerging from yesterdays all-GOP viewing of the Even Stupider Pizzagate, which Donald Trump alone refers to as “Spygate,” documents were notably quiet. Paul Ryan skipped out on a repeat viewing, turning the bipartisan review that came later into a Gang of Seven plus John Kelly plus Trump attorney Emmet Flood. Even Devin Nunes did not immediately seize every available microphone to put on an impromptu press conference.

Instead, Republicans trooped in … and shuffled out, apparently relieved that Thursday marked the end of the session and they could just all go home.

In fact, the only person to speak about what they had seen appeared to be Democratic Representative Adam Schiff, who told reporters waiting outside the briefing that, “Nothing we heard today has changed our view that there is no evidence to support any allegation that the FBI or any intelligence agency placed a spy in the Trump campaign or otherwise failed to follow appropriate procedures and protocols.”

However, while Republicans were silent about what they had seen in Trump’s trumped-up documents, they couldn’t stay silent for that. In response to Schiff’s statement, Republican Senator John Cornyn attempted to salvage a secondhand scandal.

x IsnÃ¢ÂÂt this a leak of classified information? https://t.co/PXaRZ3A9d9 — Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) May 25, 2018

Cornyn’s accusation being that Democrats leaked classified information … in informing the public that the FBI and DOJ had followed procedure, and done nothing wrong.

So by Republican standards, it’s completely okay to make what the New York Times called “unsubstantiated claims” and the AP referred as “embellishments.” What most people refer to as telling lies. But telling the truth … that’s a crime.