Lawmakers will follow the “intelligence wherever it leads” in the probe of Russian efforts to affect the 2016 election, bipartisan heads of the Senate Intelligence Committee said Wednesday, as they announced plans to question 20 key people — including President Trump’s son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner.
In stark contrast to the partisan back-biting now gripping a parallel Russia probe on the House side, Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr of North Carolina and ranking Democrat Mark Warner of Virginia stood together on Capitol Hill, pledging to work together to press the nation’s spy agencies to make available all information related to their investigation.
“This is one of the biggest investigations the Hill has seen in my time here,” said Mr. Burr as Mr. Warner nodded in agreement during a high-profile news conference the two held a day before holding the panel’s first hearing on the matter.
“To date, we have made 20 requests for individuals to be interviewed,” said Mr. Burr. “Five are already scheduled on the books, and probably within the next 10 days the remaining 15 will have a scheduled date.”
He and Mr. Warner also repeatedly emphasized their mutual trust for each other — a contrast to the House probe, which has appeared to implode this week amid growing finger-pointing across the aisle.
On Tuesday, Rep. Devin Nunes, California Republican and the intelligence panel chairman, came under intense fire for his White House meeting and handling of the probe into Trump-Moscow contacts and the Kremlin’s meddling in the presidential race — accusations the FBI is also investigating.
Mr. Nunes’ Democratic counterpart on the committee, Rep. Adam Schiff of California, has called for him to recuse himself from the inquiry, as have several other prominent Democrats. Some prominent Republicans have also criticized Mr. Nunes.
Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican, has called on Mr. Nunes to reveal the yet-unnamed source of intelligence the California Republican has said he received during White House meeting last week showing that U.S. spy agencies had incidentally surveilled and unmasked associates of President Trump.
Mr. Nunes has brushed aside the calls for his recusal, vowing to forge ahead despite the political hysteria. “It’s the same thing as always around this place — a lot of politics, people get heated,” the seven-term congressman said Tuesday.
He’s received support from the White House, which has blasted the media anew over what officials say is an obsession with Trump campaign connections to Moscow. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul D. Ryan have also stood behind Mr. Nunes.
But the House investigation is still seen to be disintegrating rapidly in comparison to the bipartisan showing put on by those leading the Senate side probe on Wednesday.
At the start of this legislative session, Mr. Nunes and Mr. Schiff were issuing joint press releases on the Russian investigation. Then, they suddenly clashed last month over the firing of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and his attempt to cover up conversations with Russia’s ambassador to Washington.
Mr. Nunes defended Mr. Flynn. Mr. Schiff took a different track by warning the White House that Mr. Flynn’s departure didn’t mean the Russia probe would end.
The two congressmen came together again on March 20, sitting side by side as the House Intelligence Committee took testimony from FBI Director James B. Comey and NSA Director Adm. Michael Rogers.
Sen. James Lankford, Oklahoma Republican and member of the Senate intelligence committee, endorsed the show of bipartisanship from his panel’s two leaders.
“The Senate Intelligence Committee is committed to a thorough nonpartisan investigation,” he said in a statement. I understand the urge to have all of the answers right away, but we must take our time and let this process play out. Doing this right takes time and focus.”
• Dan Boylan can be reached at dboylan@washingtontimes.com.
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