(CNN) Former CIA Director John Brennan scorned House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes for the release of the controversial GOP memo alleging FBI surveillance abuses, calling aspects of the move "exceptionally partisan" and saying Nunes has "abused the office" in refusing to allow Democrats on his panel to make their rebuttal document public.

"That Devin Nunes and Republicans denied the ability of the minority, the Democratic members of that committee, to put out its report is just appalling. I think it, it really underscores just how partisan Mr. Nunes has been. He has abused the office of the chairmanship of HPSCI. And I don't say that lightly," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

He also said the failure to provide the classified information that the memo is based on shows Nunes is being "exceptionally partisan."

"We don't have access to the underlying information of the Nunes memo which really, you know, clearly indicates that he was being exceptionally partisan in this."

This is not the first time Brennan has spoken out about the memo. He tweeted Thursday morning that he had never seen such "reckless partisan behavior."

Read More