Intel Chairman Devin Nunes: Trump 'needed' to know about surveillance
Intel Chairman Devin Nunes: Trump 'needed' to know about surveillance
WASHINGTON — Facing mounting criticism Thursday, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee defended his decision to inform President Trump about the U.S. intelligence community's incidental collection of communications involving members of the president's transition group, saying Trump "needed to understand what I saw.''
Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., said he made "a judgment call'' to inform the White House and reporters about the existence of dozens of intelligence reports in which the communications of an undisclosed number of transition members — and possibly Trump himself — were swept up by intelligence officials following the November election.
"The president did not invite me over,'' Nunes said, dismissing assertions that he was offering the president cover in the face of ongoing inquiries into Russia's possible ties to Trump associates. "I felt he needed to understand what I saw,'' the chairman said.
Nunes' disclosure was made without conferring with other members of the committee or ranking member Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who raised questions that the chairman's unilateral action undermined the ongoing committee investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election.
Schiff has since indicated that Nunes' disclosures now argue for the appointment of an independent commission to investigate Russia's possible ties to Trump associates and whether there was any collusion between the two sides in advance of the election.
Some Republican lawmakers, including Arizona Sen. John McCain, also expressed alarm Thursday that Nunes' actions may have undermined the credibility of the House Intelligence panel to proceed with its inquiry.
Late Wednesday, Schiff suggested evidence of coordination may go beyond circumstantial evidence.
FBI Director James Comey Monday acknowledged for the first time publicly that the bureau was engaged in a wide-ranging counter-intelligence investigation into Russia interference and possible coordination with the Trump campaign.
At the same time, Comey dismissed Trump's previous assertions that the Obama administration had wiretapped his New York offices in advance of the 2016 election.
On Wednesday, Nunes said the intelligence reports that he saw were not part of a criminal investigation or the FBI's ongoing investigation into Russia interference in the 2016 election. Rather, he said the collection was related to broader intelligence gathering activities.