Nunes memo is a bust

To quote former FBI director James Comey: That’s it?

After an inexcusable buildup, House Republicans have released a memo purporting to show that the Department of Justice investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election was tainted by partisanship. Instead, the memo reveals that the investigation is legitimate — and vitally necessary.

The memo, released with the blessing of Speaker Paul Ryan and President Donald Trump but over the objections of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Justice Department, expresses “concerns” over government interactions with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which must approve any FBI effort to surveil U.S. citizens.

It further raises the spectre of a “troubling breakdown of legal processes” in the surveillance approval process.

But, to quote Comey again, these claims are dishonest and misleading. They are also refuted by the memo itself. It’s hard to argue that an investigation is a partisan Democratic ruse when it’s run by a Republican special counsel who was appointed by Trump’s own Justice Department.

The real trouble, of course, is not that the investigation is based on anything biased or bogus. It’s that it appears all too legitimate. It has already produced two guilty pleas, including one from the former national security adviser, and two indictments, including one of the president’s former campaign chair.

The guilty pleas and indictments show special counsel Robert Mueller is on the right track.

Congress’s focus now should be on ensuring that he be allowed to complete his investigation.