WSJ: Cracks Begin to Show as Republicans Ask for answeres on Trump-Russia Probe
WSJ: Cracks Begin to Show as Republicans Ask for answeres on Trump-Russia Probe
Rep. Darrell Issa (R., Calif.)
shown on Capitol Hill this month. PHOTO: JEFF MALET/NEWSCOM/ZUMA PRESSBy SIOBHAN HUGHESandALEJANDRO LAZO
Updated Feb. 26, 2017 7:21 p.m. ET
204 COMMENTS
A call by a leading Republican lawmaker for a special counsel to investigate possible Russian interference in 2016 elections highlights the growing pressure facing lawmakers on the issue as they return this week from a recess.
Rep. Darrell Issa (R., Calif.), an early supporter of President Donald Trump’s whose district narrowly voted for Hillary Clinton last year, said over the weekend that the Justice Department should consider appointing a special counsel to probe any links between the Kremlin and Trump associates.
“I would expect that the attorney general will find a career U.S. attorney, appoint him or her to head that up, and to do that job in an independent way,” Mr. Issa told reporters on Saturday. “That is historically the right way to deal with something like this.”
Mr. Issa’s position, which he also aired Friday in an appearance on HBO, was a notable crack in Republican ranks. GOP leaders have said for months that the Senate Intelligence Committee and its House counterpart are equipped to probe allegations of Russian tampering, brushing aside calls for an independent commission, a select congressional committee or a special counsel.The scope of Senate and House intelligence panel probes has expanded from a look into election meddling to links between Russians and members of Mr. Trump’s campaign, along with former national security adviser Mike Flynn’s communications with Russia’s ambassador.
Questions about the subject in town-hall meetings last week were followed by a Washington Post report that White House officials enlisted the chairmen of the Senate and House intelligence committees, Sen. Richard Burr (R., N.C.) and Rep. Devin Nunes (R., Calif.), to talk to reporters to beat back articles about ties between Trump associates and Russia.
“If Chairman Burr is discussing classified matters with the press and pre-judging the committee’s investigation, all at the behest of the White House, it’s hard to imagine how he could convince me or the public of his impartiality,” said Sen. Ron Wyden (D., Ore.), a member of the intelligence committee.
Sen. Mark Warner (D., Va.), the senior Democrat on the panel, said in a statement that he said that he has called Mr. Burr and Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo to express “grave concerns” about the independence of the investigation.
A spokeswoman for Mr. Burr didn’t respond to a request for comment. Mr. Burr told the Post that he had spoken both with White House officials and with reporters, and that he has contested allegations of contacts between the Trump team and Russians.
A spokesman for Mr. Nunes said the lawmaker had already been talking to reporters and that when the White House asked him to speak to one more reporter, he agreed.
The Wall Street Journal was among news organizations contacted by Mr. Nunes and other senior officials about allegations of Trump-Russia connections.
White House officials and their allies are trying to hold the line against calls for an independent prosecutor.
“I don’t think we’re there yet—let’s work through this process,” said White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders on ABC. “That’s not how this works. Typically, you go through a congressional oversight review. We’re doing that. Let’s not go to the very end of the extreme.”
Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on NBC that it was “getting way ahead of ourselves” to discuss a special prosecutor or the establishment of new committee to conduct a probe. “That’s something that can be decided down the road,” he said.
Write to Siobhan Hughes at siobhan.hughes@wsj.com and Alejandro Lazo at alejandro.lazo@wsj.com
Rep. Darrell Issa (R., Calif.)
shown on Capitol Hill this month. PHOTO: JEFF MALET/NEWSCOM/ZUMA PRESSBy SIOBHAN HUGHESandALEJANDRO LAZO
Updated Feb. 26, 2017 7:21 p.m. ET
204 COMMENTS
A call by a leading Republican lawmaker for a special counsel to investigate possible Russian interference in 2016 elections highlights the growing pressure facing lawmakers on the issue as they return this week from a recess.
Rep. Darrell Issa (R., Calif.), an early supporter of President Donald Trump’s whose district narrowly voted for Hillary Clinton last year, said over the weekend that the Justice Department should consider appointing a special counsel to probe any links between the Kremlin and Trump associates.
“I would expect that the attorney general will find a career U.S. attorney, appoint him or her to head that up, and to do that job in an independent way,” Mr. Issa told reporters on Saturday. “That is historically the right way to deal with something like this.”
Mr. Issa’s position, which he also aired Friday in an appearance on HBO, was a notable crack in Republican ranks. GOP leaders have said for months that the Senate Intelligence Committee and its House counterpart are equipped to probe allegations of Russian tampering, brushing aside calls for an independent commission, a select congressional committee or a special counsel.The scope of Senate and House intelligence panel probes has expanded from a look into election meddling to links between Russians and members of Mr. Trump’s campaign, along with former national security adviser Mike Flynn’s communications with Russia’s ambassador.
Questions about the subject in town-hall meetings last week were followed by a Washington Post report that White House officials enlisted the chairmen of the Senate and House intelligence committees, Sen. Richard Burr (R., N.C.) and Rep. Devin Nunes (R., Calif.), to talk to reporters to beat back articles about ties between Trump associates and Russia.
“If Chairman Burr is discussing classified matters with the press and pre-judging the committee’s investigation, all at the behest of the White House, it’s hard to imagine how he could convince me or the public of his impartiality,” said Sen. Ron Wyden (D., Ore.), a member of the intelligence committee.
Sen. Mark Warner (D., Va.), the senior Democrat on the panel, said in a statement that he said that he has called Mr. Burr and Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo to express “grave concerns” about the independence of the investigation.
A spokeswoman for Mr. Burr didn’t respond to a request for comment. Mr. Burr told the Post that he had spoken both with White House officials and with reporters, and that he has contested allegations of contacts between the Trump team and Russians.
A spokesman for Mr. Nunes said the lawmaker had already been talking to reporters and that when the White House asked him to speak to one more reporter, he agreed.
The Wall Street Journal was among news organizations contacted by Mr. Nunes and other senior officials about allegations of Trump-Russia connections.
White House officials and their allies are trying to hold the line against calls for an independent prosecutor.
“I don’t think we’re there yet—let’s work through this process,” said White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders on ABC. “That’s not how this works. Typically, you go through a congressional oversight review. We’re doing that. Let’s not go to the very end of the extreme.”
Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on NBC that it was “getting way ahead of ourselves” to discuss a special prosecutor or the establishment of new committee to conduct a probe. “That’s something that can be decided down the road,” he said.
Write to Siobhan Hughes at siobhan.hughes@wsj.com and Alejandro Lazo at alejandro.lazo@wsj.com
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