ed. note: On the House side, the investigation stalled as actions by Chairman Devin Nunes led Democratic to call for his recusal...

March 22, 2017
U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes

Public Remarks on Incidental Collection of Trump Associates

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes

At our open hearing on Monday, I encouraged anyone who has information about relevant topics—including surveillance on President-elect Trump or his transition team—to come forward and speak to the House Intelligence Committee.   I also said that, while there was not a physical wiretap of Trump Tower, I was concerned that other surveillance activities were used against President Trump and his associates.
·        I recently confirmed that, on numerous occasions, the Intelligence Community incidentally collected information about U.S. citizens involved in the Trump transition. 
·        Details about U.S. persons associated with the incoming administration—details with little or no apparent foreign intelligence value—were widely disseminated in intelligence community reporting. 
·        I have confirmed that additional names of Trump transition team members were unmasked.  
·        To be clear, none of this surveillance was related to Russia or any investigation of Russian activities or of the Trump team.
The House Intelligence Committee will thoroughly investigate this surveillance and its subsequent dissemination to determine:
·        Who was aware of it
·        Why it was not disclosed to Congress
·        Who requested and authorized the additional unmasking
·        Whether anyone directed the intelligence community to focus on Trump associates; and
·        Whether any laws, regulations, or procedures were violated
I’ve asked the Directors of the FBI, NSA, and CIA to expeditiously comply with my March 15 letter, and to provide a full account of these surveillance activities.  I informed Speaker Ryan this morning of this new information, and I will be going to the White House this afternoon to share what I know with the President.
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Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi

Pelosi Statement on Intelligence Chairman Nunes’ Meeting with President Trump

Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released this statement after Chairman Nunes’ comments to the press following his meeting with President Trump at the White House:

“The unprecedented comments of Chairman Nunes are an act of diversion and desperation.  The Chairman’s highly irregular conduct with the White House raises serious questions about his impartiality, especially given his history as part of the Trump Transition team.  Abandoning any pretense of bipartisanship, Chairman Nunes raced to the White House and to the press to perpetuate the Trump Administration’s misinformation campaign.

“The unmasking of legally intercepted intelligence is often appropriate and necessary to understand the context of foreign intelligence information.  Chairman Nunes’ actions are disrespectful of Ranking Member Schiff and the bipartisan membership of the Intel Committee.  Republicans are grasping at straws because the FBI Director confirmed that President Obama did not wiretap President Trump, and affirmed an investigation of coordination between the Russians and individuals affiliated with the Trump campaign in the election.

“Chairman Nunes is deeply compromised, and he cannot possibly lead an honest investigation.  Congress must create a comprehensive, independent, bipartisan commission to expose the full truth of the Trump-Russia connection.”

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
April 6, 2017

Nunes Statement on Russia Investigation

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes today issued the following statement:

“Several leftwing activist groups have filed accusations against me with the Office of Congressional Ethics. The charges are entirely false and politically motivated, and are being leveled just as the American people are beginning to learn the truth about the improper unmasking of the identities of U.S. citizens and other abuses of power. Despite the baselessness of the charges, I believe it is in the best interests of the House Intelligence Committee and the Congress for me to have Representative Mike Conaway, with assistance from Representatives Trey Gowdy and Tom Rooney, temporarily take charge of the Committee’s Russia investigation while the House Ethics Committee looks into this matter. I will continue to fulfill all my other responsibilities as Committee Chairman, and I am requesting to speak to the Ethics Committee at the earliest possible opportunity in order to expedite the dismissal of these false claims.”

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
April 21, 2017

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Sends Letters Inviting Testimony of Comey, Rogers, Brennan, Clapper and Yates

Yesterday, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence sent two letters related to its investigation into Russian active measures during the 2016 election campaign. The first letter was sent to FBI Director James Comey and National Security Advisor Admiral Mike Rogers, inviting them to appear at a closed hearing on May 2, 2017.

The second letter was sent to former CIA Director John Brennan, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates inviting them to appear at an open hearing to be scheduled after May 2nd.