House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes said on Monday he’s still involved with the panel’s Russia probe and can “take the investigation over” after recusing himself from it, according to CNN.
“When I temporarily stepped aside from leading the investigation, that’s exactly what it means: It doesn’t mean I wasn’t going to be involved, it doesn’t mean I wasn’t going to be fully read in,” Nunes, R-Calif., told CNN in an interview.
Democrats have questioned the sincerity of Nunes’ recusal after news reports said he issued three subpoenas related to the “unmasking” of the identities of Trump campaign officials without consulting the committee’s minority members.
These concerns were enhanced when Nunes told a Fresno talk show recently his recusal has been mischaracterized by media reports.
“All I said was I was going to temporarily step aside,” Nunes said in an appearance on KMJ-AM.
Nunes recused himself from the probe in April after he made a secret trip to the White House to view documents that he told reporters revealed “unmasking” of associates to President Trump.
In the CNN interview, Nunes defended his decision to recuse himself and tried to minimize what it means for his role.
“Every decision I make is my own,” he said. “I can go back right after this conversation and take the investigation over. Although I think everybody’s learning there’s not really much there because there’s no collusion — which is what I had said several months ago, I hadn’t seen any evidence.”
The House Intelligence Committee, along with other congressional panels and special counsel Robert Mueller, is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election, and possible collusion with the Trump campaign.
