The House Intelligence Committee ’s investigation into Russian election hacking has been a bad joke from day one . But now it ’s just getting sorry .
Chairman Devin Nunesrecused himselffrom the investigating in March after admitting to a undercover , late - night rendezvous with White House staffer ( though , not before he was caught lie about itto a Bloomberg reporter ) . Yet his unmistakable ferocious trueness to President Trump continues to overturn his dear judgement .
In a letterobtained by CNNon Wednesday , Nunes threaten to hold Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the Modern FBI theatre director , Christopher Wray , in contempt if they failed to cough up information on the notorious Steele dossier subpoenaed by the committee last calendar month .
“ If all responsive documents are not produced by the revised deadline,”Nunes pen , “ the Attorney General and Director of the FBI ( Christopher Wray ) shall look before the commission at 9 a.m. on September 14 , 2017 in room HVC-210 of the US Capitol during an candid hearing , to explain under oath DOJ ’s and FBI ’s unwillingness or inability to follow in full with the subpoena make out on August 24 . ”
Nunes tot up that if the DOJ and FBI failed to show up to testify he ’d reserve the right wing to cover a resolution to the House “ to hold the Attorney General and Director of the FBI in contempt of Congress , ” a misdemeanor penal by up to $ 1,000 fine and one year in jail .
While , supposedly , Nunes is no longer involved in any Russia - related matters , member of his committee — and the Republicans in particular — have cut multiple subpoena ad testificandum seeking documentation that might show whether or not the Justice Department is relying to a great extent on the Steele dossier ( that ’s the one about the water taping ) while inquire potential collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin . That investigation includes the Russian - attributed hack writer of DNC emails and communication between Trump governing members and Russian interests .
The Guardianrevealed early on last calendar month that one of Nunes ’ longtime aide secretly polish off two congressional GOP staffers to London in hopes of locate the dossier ’s author , former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele . While a citizens committee voice claimed the trip was prescribed business , its leading Democrat , Adam Schiff , severalise reporters he had n’t been notified beforehand .
Trump ally have been eager to assail the document , which alleges that Trump has , over a catamenia of age , fallen under theinfluence of the Russian government . commission by the Washington - ground strategic intelligence firm Fusion GPS , the Steele dossier was never intended for public consumption — much of what it assert may not be demonstrable . Demonstrating that Special Counsel Robert Mueller ’s investigation rely heavily on such a confutable written document would belike go a long mode in helping the Republicans publicly discredit his findings .
While it is illegal to work for two branches of the administration , Nunes appears move far less by his duties as a congressman and more by a desire to ingratiate himself to the White House . Even prior to stepping aside , he frequently and blatantly essay to derail the investigating by baby Trump ’s patently false claims about illegal wiretapping at Trump Tower — an charge that now even his own Justice Departmenthas come out against .
During a serial of impromptu press conference on Capitol Hill in March , Nunes repeatedly mischaracterized the process by which the names of US citizen are unmasked in intelligence reports . His apparent goal was toimplicate Obama administration officialsin needlessly targeting Trump allies . The daytime after White House attorney leaked Nunes ’ classified documents , Trump told newsperson he felt “ middling ” vindicate in alleging illegal wiretaps — even though the documents evince nothing of the sort .
This is what Nunes choose to do with his meter instead of investigating whether or not a alien adversary had attempted to manipulate US voters through a series of cyberattacks during a presidential election .
Nunes ’ allegiance to Trump has never been in doubt . As a pivotal member of the Trump changeover squad , he ’s said to havehandpickedMarine Corps Gen. James Mattis for defense mechanism secretary andfurther helpedRepublican Rep. Mike Pompeo plug his post as headspring of the Central Intelligence Agency . What ’s more , he assist leaven at least $ 1.3 million for the Trump campaign last yr ; efforts that appeared to have beenrewardedwith a ride on the then - prospect ’s private jet .
It seems Nunes ’ voluntary recusal has had little shock on his ability to interject himself back into the hearings whenever he please .
[ CNN ]
Devin Nunes
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