The House Intelligence Committee will hold its first Russia-related hearing on March 20.
But how can it be a fair inquiry when Republicans control it? The chairman of the committee, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), has been openly critical of the allegations that Trump's associates were in contact with Russian operatives.
The committee's top Democrat, Rep. Adam Schiff (Calif.), says Democrats will object if they’re "walled off" from conducting a legitimate investigation in the future. Other Democrats say they won’t participate if it’s not legitimate. “If it’s not a legitimate and comprehensive and in-depth investigation, why would we be party to it?” said Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif).
That’s not enough. The intelligence agencies report "continuous" contacts between Trump associates the Russian operatives during and after the election. 5 associates of Trump, 3 of them now in the White House or cabinet, have already lied or withheld information about such contacts. Why would they do so if they weren’t trying to hide something?
If the public is going to trust the investigation, it can’t be run by House Republicans. It has to be a bipartisan select committee of Congress. We’ll probably need a special prosecutor to get to the bottom of it.
 |
 © Getty |
Dems threaten to pull support if Russia probe not 'legitimate'
By Nikita Vladimirov
