Ex-CIA chief rips House GOP for clearing Trump in Russia probe

Former CIA Director John McLaughlin ripped Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee after the committee announced it was ending its probe into alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russia’s election meddling. 

“As a subject or observer of Cong oversight of intel for 40 years, I’ve never seen a party drive a stake thru the process as House Reps just did,” McLaughlin tweeted Monday. “It depends on a bi-partisan approach that at least gives the minority a voice. Take that away and the thing dies. It just did.”

As a subject or observer of Cong oversight of intell for 40 years, I’ve never seen a party drive a stake thru the process as House Reps just did. It depends on a bi-partisan approach that at least gives the minority a voice. Take that away and the thing dies. It just did.

— john mclaughlin (@jmclaughlinSAIS) March 13, 2018

Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas), who is overseeing the probe of Russia’s election meddling, announced on Monday the committee would stop interviewing witnesses and was in the process of readying its final report. 

{mosads}“We found no evidence of collusion,” Conaway told reporters on Monday. “We found perhaps some bad judgment, inappropriate meetings, inappropriate judgment in taking meetings — but only Tom Clancy could take this series of inadvertent contacts, meetings, whatever, and weave that into some sort of a spy thriller that could go out there.”

Trump touted the committee’s findings in a tweet on Monday.  

THE HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE HAS, AFTER A 14 MONTH LONG IN-DEPTH INVESTIGATION, FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF COLLUSION OR COORDINATION BETWEEN THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND RUSSIA TO INFLUENCE THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 13, 2018

The committee’s top Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) slammed the move to end the investigation, calling it a “tragic milestone” for Congress. 

“While the Majority members of our committee have indicated for some time that they have been under great pressure to end the investigation, it is nonetheless another tragic milestone for this Congress, and represents yet another capitulation to the executive branch,” Schiff said in a statement.