House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., shut down a Democratic member of his panel on the House floor Wednesday when asked if Democrats could attend a planned briefing Thursday with Republicans on an FBI informant that made contact with members of President Trump’s campaign.
“I’m not going to play that game,” Nunes responded to Rep. Joaquin Castro, according to the Texas Democrat speaking to CNN.
The White House announced Tuesday that only two Republican lawmakers — Nunes and House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy, R-S.C. — would be briefed by the law enforcement community because only they have been asking the Justice Department to see documents related to how the special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation began.
Castro wasn’t the only Democrat who has spoken out about members of his party attending the meeting.
“This meeting is completely improper in its proposed form and would set a damaging precedent for your institutions and the rule of law,” wrote Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to the the Justice Department and FBI on Thursday.
Like Schumer and Pelosi, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff, D-Calif., demanded that the meeting be opened up to the so-called Gang of Eight, which is comprised of the top four bipartisan leaders of the House and Senate as well as the chair and ranking members of both the House and Senate Intelligence panels.
Later in the day Wednesday, the Justice Department said there would be a follow-up classified briefing Thursday afternoon that would include members of the Gang of Eight.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include the latest on the DOJ’s plans to brief lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
