GOP pushes to release House interviews in Russia probe

WASHINGTON — The House intelligence committee chairman said Sunday he plans to release the transcripts of dozens of private interviews conducted during its investigation into Russian election-meddling and would push the director of national intelligence to declassify others.

“I think full transparency is in order here, so I expect to make those [transcripts] available from our committee to the American public here in the next few weeks,” said Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., months after the GOP colleague who led the investigation said such a release could have a “chilling impact” on testimony in future inquiries.

He said the committee interviewed nearly 70 people, and he estimated about 70 percent to 80 percent of those interviews are not classified. “Those need to be published, and they need to be published, I think, before the election,” which is Nov. 6, Nunes told Fox News.

Nunes said he hoped it would take Dan Coats, the national intelligence director, only “a matter of days” to act once Nunes made his request about the classified depositions, and “they don’t do their normal foot-dragging where they slow roll and we don’t get these before the election.”

Making the transcripts available can only be done by committee vote.

The committee already has released a handful of transcripts, but only in cases where the witness insisted on a public disclosure. GOP Rep. Mike Conaway of Texas said in March, when the committee completed a draft of its final report that found no coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign, that he decided against releasing the whole transcripts for fear it could hinder future probes.