Nunes intervenes in Russia probe, despite having stepped aside

Source: Politico | June 1, 2017 | Austin Wright and Madeline Conway

The House Intelligence Committee chairman issued three subpoenas — which Democrats called a violation of his recusal.

Devin Nunes has said he’s stepped aside from the House Intelligence Committee’s Russia investigation, but he is still involved in a major way.

As chairman of the intelligence panel, Nunes continues to hold the power to issue subpoenas. On Wednesday, the California Republican issued three subpoenas without the agreement of the committee’s Democrats, and despite having stepped back from the Russia investigation because the House Ethics Committee is investigating him for disclosing classified information.

These subpoenas related to the issue of “unmasking,” which is a process used by intelligence officials to learn the identities of people inside the United States who are referenced in intelligence reports.

Nunes has suggested the Obama administration might have abused the “unmasking” process to obtain the identities of Trump campaign aides who were caught up in routine surveillance of foreign targets — an issue the Trump administration has cited as evidence for the president’s much-maligned claim that President Barack Obama ordered a wiretap of Trump Tower.

Rep. Adam Schiff, the intelligence panel’s top Democrat, said Thursday that he was only informed of Nunes’ subpoenas the night before they went out, adding that they were “part of the White House’s desire to shift attention away from the Russia probe and onto the issue of unmasking.”

Schiff called Nunes’ decision to issue the subpoenas “a violation” of his recusal, adding that he believes Nunes’ power to issue subpoenas related to the Russia probe should be relinquished to Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas), who is leading the investigation in Nunes’ place.

If House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) “wants to allow this kind of thing to go on,” Schiff said on MSNBC Thursday, “that is really up to him, and I think he will ultimately be held accountable for how this is conducted.”

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