Senate Intelligence panel to wrap up Russia probe in August

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) said Tuesday that he plans for the panel to begin to wrap up its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election in August, when the Senate leaves for a monthlong recess. 

“This gives staff the month of August in all likelihood to wrap up our investigation and for staff to work intensely while we’re out of here and not getting in their hair,” Burr told reporters. 

The committee’s assessment of whether or not there was any evidence of coordination or collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia will be part of that final work, he said. 

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The North Carolina Republican had previously estimated that the panel would be done with its work by December 2017. 

The committee still has a number of interim reports to prepare, Burr said, the next of which will be the panel’s judgment of the intelligence community assessment affirming Russian interference in the 2016 election. 

The House Intelligence Committee also investigated that document and found fault with the tradecraft used to judge that Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to help President Trump win the White House. Burr declined to say whether the Senate panel will reached the same conclusion, but noted dryly, “I’m not sure that the House was required to substantiate every conclusion with facts.” 

The committee will also prepare reports on the Obama administration’s response to the Russian interference campaign, as well as how the Kremlin leveraged social media. 

The panel still has a handful of witnesses to interview, Burr said.