House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes will temporarily recuse himself from the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election in the face of an ethics investigation, he said in a statement Thursday.
According to the statement, Nunes will cede control to Reps. Michael Conaway, R-Texas, Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., and Tom Rooney, R-Fla.
Nunes has been the center of controversy following his decision to go to the White House grounds to view documents provided to him by administration officials, which he said showed evidence that Obama administration officials may have unfairly unmasked Trump transition team members in a case unrelated to Russia. Instead of briefing the committee, Nunes briefed the press and the White House about that information.
While Nunes has maintained that he could be an independent investigator, he has been criticized by Democrats for being more loyal to Trump than the investigation.
Nunes confirmed Thursday that he now faces an ethics investigation. While he said the Office of Congressional Ethics — which takes complaints from outside sources — is doing the investigation, the House Ethics Committee said in a statement that it is conducting the investigation. The committee is an internal committee that doesn’t take outside complaints.
Nunes said the accusations are baseless but he felt it was in the best interests of the investigation to step aside for now.
“Several left-wing activist groups have filed accusations against me with the Office of Congressional Ethics. The charges are entirely false and politically motivated, and are being leveled just as the American people are beginning to learn the truth about the improper unmasking of the identities of U.S. citizens and other abuses of power,” Nunes said.
“Despite the baselessness of the charges, I believe it is in the best interests of the House Intelligence Committee and the Congress for me to have Rep. Mike Conaway, with assistance from Reps. Trey Gowdy and Tom Rooney, temporarily take charge of the committee’s Russia investigation while the House Ethics Committee looks into this matter.
“I will continue to fulfill all my other responsibilities as committee chairman, and I am requesting to speak to the Ethics Committee at the earliest possible opportunity in order to expedite the dismissal of these false claims,” he said.
In a press release, the House Ethics Committee said Nunes is accused of releasing classified information.
“The committee is aware of public allegations that Representative Devin Nunes may have made unauthorized disclosures of classified information, in violation of House Rules, law, regulations, or other standards of conduct,” the statement read.
“The committee notes that the mere fact that it is investigating these allegations, and publicly disclosing its review, does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred, or reflect any judgment on behalf of the Committee,” the statement added. “In order to comply with committee Rule 7 regarding confidentiality, out of fairness to all respondents, and to assure the integrity of its work, the committee will refrain from making further public statements on this matter pending completion of its initial review.”
House Speaker Paul Ryan continued his support for Nunes, saying he trusts the California Republican and that he expects Nunes to be cleared of all charges.
“Devin Nunes has earned my trust over many years for his integrity and dedication to the critical work that the intelligence community does to keep America safe,” Ryan said. “He continues to have that trust, and I know he is eager to demonstrate to the Ethics Committee that he has followed all proper guidelines and laws.
“In the meantime, it is clear that this process would be a distraction for the House Intelligence Committee’s investigation into Russian interference in our election. Chairman Nunes has offered to step aside as the lead Republican on this probe, and I fully support this decision. Chairman Mike Conaway, a senior member of the Committee, will now lead this investigation in the House. I am confident that he will oversee a professional investigation into Russia’s actions and follow the facts wherever they lead,” Ryan said.
In his statements to the press, Nunes revealed Trump associates, and possibly Trump himself, had been caught up in legal surveillance on other targets. The Obama administration had obtained a warrant to do the surveillance, he said.
Subsequent reports revealed Ezra Cohen-Warrick, senior director for intelligence at the National Security Council, and Michael Ellis, a lawyer who used to work for Nunes and is now in the White House Counsel’s Office, helped Nunes get the information. Nunes has denied they are his primary source.
Nunes had to go to the White House grounds in order to view the information because it was the only place with a secure facility in which he could see the reports, he said.
But Nunes has been accused of being spoon-fed information by the White House in order to justify Trump’s tweets that he was spied on by President Obama before the election. Nunes has said the information he viewed did not back up the claims.
Nunes had previously questioned why he would need to recuse himself or step down from the chairman role of the House Intelligence Committee.
“Why would I not?” Nunes previously said, when asked if he would continue.
California Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the committee, praised Nunes’ decision and said he’ll continue to work with Nunes on other issues.
“I know this was not an easy decision for the chairman, with whom I have worked well for many years,” Schiff said. “He did so in the best interests of the committee and I respect that decision. I look forward to my continued work with the chairman on the whole host of other important issues that our committee oversees every day, in our effort to make sure that the country is protected and our civil liberties are maintained.”
Schiff added that he’ll work with Conaway on the Russia investigation.
“I look forward to joining with him and putting our investigation fully back on track,” Schiff said. “The important work of investigating the Russian involvement in our election never subsided, but we have a fresh opportunity to move forward in the unified and nonpartisan way that an investigation of this seriousness demands.”
