The House Intelligence Committee Wednesday issued seven subpoenas as part of its ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 elections, including one seeking information about former President Barack Obama’s national security adviser Susan Rice and her activities related to intelligence documents that named members of the Trump campaign.
According to a press release from the committee, subpoenas were also issued to President Trump’s one-time national security adviser Mike Flynn and one of his businesses, and to Michael Cohen and one of his businesses. Cohen is Trump’s personal attorney.
According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, three of the seven subpoenas are related to reports that members of the Trump team were identified in foreign surveillance reports, and had their names “unmasked.”
The Journal’s report said the intelligence-related subpoenas “seek information on requests” for the unmasking of names by Rice, former CIA Director John Brennan and Obama United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power.
However, the press release from the House Intelligence Committee did not detail or mention subpoenas directed at the intelligence agencies.
“As part of our ongoing investigation into Russian active measures during the 2016 campaign, today we approved subpoenas for several individuals for testimony, personal documents and business records,” Rep. Mike Conaway, the Republican in charge of the committee’s investigation, and ranking Democrat Adam Schiff said. “We hope and expect that anyone called to testify or provide documents will comply with that request, so that we may gain all the information within the scope of our investigation.
“We will continue to pursue this investigation wherever the facts may lead.”
Having subpoenas directed at former members of the intelligence community could show Republicans leading the House investigation have strengthened their resolve to track down leaks from within the intelligence gathering agencies, such as the leak that described the contents of a phone call between Flynn and Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak.
Democrats on the committee may be unaware of these Republican anti-unmasking efforts, however.
“If the reports are accurate, subpoenas related to the ‘unmasking’ issue would have been sent by Chairman Nunes acting separately from the Committee’s Russia investigation,” said a senior committee aide. “This action would have been taken without the Minority’s agreement. Any prior requests for information would have been undertaken without the Minority’s knowledge.”
A different staffer with ties to the committee disputes that take, saying that the Republican majority could not have issued subpoenas without consulting the minority, per the committee rules. The staffer requested to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to speak on classified matters.
Meanwhile, the Senate Intelligence Committee is continuing its investigation as well. Last week, the committee voted to vest full subpoena power in just the top two members, Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Vice-Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va.
Last week, Schiff, D-Calif., told reporters during a breakfast that the committee was preparing to subpoena documents from Flynn.
