Susan Collins says Senate, special prosecutor have very different missions in Russia case

Sen. Susan M. Collins said Thursday that she’d like to see former FBI Director James B. Comey testify before the Senate goes on recess.

“I’d still like to have Director Comey testify as soon as possible before we go out on the recess next week,” Ms. Collins, Maine Republican, said on MSNBC.

Ms. Collins acknowledged that a special prosecutor might not want Mr. Comey or other high-profile people involved in the case to testify before her committee, but she said there are ways to accommodate that and obtain information.

“Any prosecutor investigating is going to want to say, ’I don’t want any witness coming before the Senate.’ But I think we can tailor this so perhaps some subjects can be off limits,” she said.

Ms. Collins also explained that a special counsel is important to her committee’s investigation because the two have very different purposes. She is a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee conducting the investigation of Russia’s ties to the Trump campaign and influence in the 2016 election.

“I think it’s important because our investigation is broader. People ask why do we need a special counsel and the Senate Intelligence Committee investigation, and the answer is we have two very different missions,” she said.

“The special counsel will focus on whether criminal charges are appropriate, and we’re concerned about cybersecurity technology. We can impose sanctions on Russia. The special counsel can’t impose sanctions on Russia,” Ms. Collins said.