Washington, D.C. – Today, House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA) made the following statement about House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes (R-CA)’s ability to management of the investigation into Russia’s intervention in the U.S. political system and President Trump’s claims about wiretapping during the election:

“Chairman Nunes’s actions in recent days have given the public cause for serious concern. As head of an investigation that includes links between Russian active measures and political campaigns, there was already cause for concern and potential conflict of interest given his previous role as a key member of the Trump campaign and transition team. Over the past week, he has briefed his investigation subjects on information about his investigation and received information about his investigation from the White House—potentially from his investigation subjects—all while declining to provide that information to members of his own Committee, and he has abruptly stalled planned testimony that would provide us a window into Russia’s connections with the Trump team.

“All of this creates a clear impression that he is not an impartial investigator and that, as such, the Congress and the American people cannot expect him to uphold the integrity of this inquiry. Therefore he must recuse himself from the Russia investigation and from oversight of issues connected to incidental collection of information from the Trump transition.”

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