Issa backs special prosecutor on Russia if justified

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) on Monday muddied his earlier call for a special prosecutor to investigate possible ties between associates of Donald Trump and Russia.

Days after saying on Bill Maher’s HBO show that “you’re going to need to use the special prosecutor’s statute,” Issa said it wasn’t clear that there was a specific crime that would justify its use.

“As you know, I was asked a question on an HBO show about sort of the procedure for it. And I certainly could see where — if there is an allegation of a crime at some point — the call for a special prosecutor makes sense,” Issa, a top Democratic target in the 2018 midterms, told CBS.  

{mosads}“I think it’s very important to realize that there’s been no allegation by any part of this administration or by anyone who’s been to the hearings about any crimes,” said Issa, a vocal supporter of Trump last year. “So one of the challenges we have is a special prosecutor exists when you have an individual under suspicion. Currently we don’t have that.”

Issa Communications Director Calvin Moore dismissed reports that the veteran lawmaker was walking back his call for a special prosecutor. 

“That’s not true. He didn’t walk anything back at all. The Congressman was adding detail and still supports an independent review — not one led by political appointees or others who could create a conflict of interest,” Moore wrote in an email to The Hill. 

On Maher’s show, Issa in an interview said Attorney General Jeff Sessions should not take the lead on an investigation since he was such a close supporter of Trump’s during the campaign.

“You cannot have somebody, a friend of mine Jeff Sessions, who was on the campaign and who is an appointee. You’re going to need to use the special prosecutor’s statute and office to take — not just to recuse. You can’t just give it to your deputy. That’s another political appointee,” Issa told Maher. 

Issa’s comments received attention because he is a member of the Judiciary Committee and is a well-known congressional Republican.

Democrat Hillary Clinton won his district in the 2016 election, while Issa narrowly won reelection.

UPDATED: Issa released another statement further clarifying his position at about 6 p.m. Monday. 

Here is the statement in full: 

“The American people need a clear-eyed view of the nefarious actions of the Russian government. Right now, we have speculation and assumptions, but not clarity and fact, including questions about Russia’s actions, what the FBI knew of the cyber breaches, what the Obama Administration did in response, and potential actions of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.

What we do know is that the Putin government is a bad actor who should be carefully scrutinized – and regardless of what side of the aisle you sit on – our country has a vested interest in fully understanding exactly what happened, outside the fog of accusation and political jostling. An investigation is not the same as an assertion of specific wrong-doing, it’s following the facts where they lead so that American people can know what may or may not have taken place.

President Obama and Attorney General Lynch allowed obstruction and unanswered questions from the American people to linger, clouding their work and calling into question the impartiality of the FBI’s findings. These mistakes must not be repeated.

Any review conducted must have the full confidence of the American people, which is why I recommended an independent review. I want the Trump administration to be successful and that starts with embracing high standards for openness and transparency.”