U.S. House Speaker backs intelligence panel chair in Russia probe

[webfact]

U.S. House Speaker backs intelligence panel chair in Russia probe

By Doina Chiacu

REUTERS

 

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) speaks to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) policy conference in Washington, U.S., March 27, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top Republican in Congress on Tuesday stood by Devin Nunes, an ally of President Donald Trump who heads the House of Representatives intelligence committee and is under fire for his handling of an investigation into possible Russian ties to Trump's election campaign.

 

Democrats accuse Nunes of being too close to the president to be able to head the probe. Some of Nunes' fellow Republicans have questioned his objectivity after he made a controversial announcement last week about U.S. spy agency surveillance.

 

House Speaker Paul Ryan, asked at a news conference whether Nunes should step aside from the investigation and if he knew the source of Nunes' claims about surveillance, said: "No and no."

 

At an event in the White House, Trump declined to comment on whether Nunes should step back.

 

The specter of possible Russian influence on the election in Trump's favor has cast a shadow over the president's first two months in office.

 

Nunes announced last week without providing a source that he had information Trump associates may have been ensnared in incidental intelligence collection before the president took office in January.

 

The lawmaker acknowledged visiting the White House before making the announcement but has declined to say who he met there.

 

Critics say that Nunes' disclosure was an effort to justify Trump's unfounded accusations this month that his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, had directed surveillance on Trump Tower during the election campaign.

 

The Senate Intelligence Committee, which is also investigating Russia's role in the election, wants to question Trump's son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, about meetings he held with the Russian ambassador and a Russian banker in December.

 

Nunes, who was a member of the team that ran Trump's transition to the presidency after the Nov. 8 election, told reporters on Tuesday the House panel's investigation was moving forward. Asked whether he would recuse himself, he said, "The investigation continues."

 

Ryan spokeswoman AshLee Strong said in an email that "Speaker Ryan has full confidence that Chairman Nunes is conducting a thorough, fair, and credible investigation."

 

But Republican senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, influential foreign policy hawks, joined Democrats in questioning Nunes' objectivity although they stopped short of calling on him to remove himself from the probe as Democrats have done.

 

"I think he put his objectivity in question, at the very least," Graham said on NBC's "Today" show.

 

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; additional reporting by Susan Heavey and Patricia Zengerle; Writing by Alistair Bell; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Grant McCool)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-03-29

[Silurian]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

But Republican senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, influential foreign policy hawks, joined Democrats in questioning Nunes' objectivity although they stopped short of calling on him to remove himself from the probe as Democrats have done.

 

More Republicans need to grow a backbone and stand up to the administration. If there is something to this whole Russian situation then let it all come out. If there isn't anything to hide, then let that show as well. This pussyfooting around just adds more fuel to the controversy. Ryan needs to stand up and take charge of this. Ryan should at least recuse that doofus Nunes before Nunes can cause anymore damage to the investigation. Nunes should really be kicked out from the intelligence committee for incompetence. His latest handling of material and the blatant press conferences are not helping anyone. Nunes needs to go and let this investigation continue unencumbered. 

[kamahele]

The Republican Committee Chair has acted disgracefully in this matter and has actually made matters worse for his president through his behavior. This is a complete fumble f@#*

[Pinot]

Nunes is intentionally stalling this investigation and running out the clock hoping that media and the public will get distracted by something else. Ryan should, of course, replace him with someone else, someone who is possibly less stupid and less a toady for Donald Trump. 

 

Nunes is flagrantly ignoring his Constitutional duties and needs brought up on charges of treason. He's complicit in this up to his neck. 

 

Ryan doesn't care that Nunes has destroyed the credibility of this investigation. Ryan will flush this country down the toilet as long as he can get tax cuts for his billionaire donors.

 

Just another day in the Trump administration. 

[elgordo38]

I think you posted the wrong picture here of Ryan.

[elgordo38]

7 hours ago, Silurian said:

This pussyfooting around just adds more fuel to the controversy

A nugget of truth

[craigt3365]

2 minutes ago, elgordo38 said:

A nugget of truth

That's what I've read in most reports.  The Trump administration needs to get out in front of this.  Not just tweet to deflect attention.  With that being said, perhaps there's a reason they aren't doing it?  Lots of dots that are starting to connect.

[elgordo38]

17 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

That's what I've read in most reports.  The Trump administration needs to get out in front of this.  Not just tweet to deflect attention.  With that being said, perhaps there's a reason they aren't doing it?  Lots of dots that are starting to connect.

Lets  hope the connected dots tell us something. I still am trying to make sense of what Trump is doing besides being vindictive which he excels at. Check out Bransons comments on meeting Trump for the first time.