Dem rep: Ryan must decide whether Nunes can credibly lead Russia probe

Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) is pressuring Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) to weigh in on Rep. Devin Nunes’s (R-Calif.) recent actions, saying Ryan must decide whether Nunes can lead the House Intelligence Committee’s probe of Russian interference in last year’s presidential election.

“You know, at the end of the day, that’s a decision that no one other than Speaker Ryan can make,” Himes said Friday on CNN’s “New Day.”

“The behavior of the chairman has cast a real question mark over the commission,” Himes added of Nunes, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee.

{mosads}“Devin, as much as I appreciate him and consider him a friend, has demonstrated on multiple occasions he will often serve the interests of Donald Trump.”

Removing Nunes from his leadership post could further complicate the investigation into possible collusion between Russian and President Trump’s campaign, Himes added.

“Besides, [Nunes’s] been working very, very constructively with us and we worry a little bit if he gets removed who do we get now and do we get somebody who’s going to be less constructive inside than Congressman Nunes has been?”

Nunes publicly announced Wednesday the U.S. intelligence community incidentally collected information on members of Trump’s transition team.

“Details about U.S. persons involved in the incoming administration with little or no apparent foreign intelligence value were widely disseminated in intelligence community reports,” he told reporters.

“I want to be clear — none of this surveillance was related to Russia or the investigation of Russian activities or of the Trump team.”

Nunes reportedly apologized to committee Democrats early Thursday for publicly discussing information about government surveillance of the Trump campaign without consulting with them first.