Trump ally steps aside as chief of Russia link probe

Washington, April 6: The Republican leader of the House investigation into Russian interference in the US election stepped aside Thursday after being criticized for compromising the probe in visits to the White House.

Devin Nunes, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, had sought to turn the investigation away from Russia and toward President Donald Trump’s allegations that the previous Obama administration had abused its powers by spying on Trump and his advisors.

Rancor over this, and over Nunes’s sharing top secret intelligence reports with Trump but not members of his own committee, had driven the committee’s probe to a halt.

The committee was originally tasked with examining how Russia interfered in last year’s presidential campaign and whether any Trump aides or associates collaborated with Moscow. Democrats accused Nunes of seeking to protect Trump by focusing on allegations of abuse by president Barack Obama’s staff.

Trump himself has repeatedly branded the idea that Russia may have helped him to victory in the November 8 election as “fake news,” while demanding attention to whether Obama staff combed top secret intercepts to dig up information on Trump’s team.

Nunes said he was temporarily stepping aside from the probe to answer allegations made to Congress’s ethics body by Democratic groups that he had revealed classified information to the public.

“The charges are entirely false and politically motivated, and are being leveled just as the American people are beginning to learn the truth about the improper unmasking of the identities of US citizens and other abuses of power,” he said in a statement.

Adam Schiff, Democratic vice chairman of the committee, said Nunes’ move would allow the Russia probe to get “fully back on track.” — AFP