Sideline Nunes, now
Just two days after FBI Director Jim Comey confirmed an investigation into links between Trump campaign associates and the Russian government, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee fatally compromised his panel’s ability to go forward with its own probe.
Rep. Devin Nunes on Wednesday took the extraordinary step of providing confidential and possibly classified information about an ongoing investigation, first to Speaker Paul Ryan and President Trump — and then in two separate press conferences.
He did this rather than keeping in the loop the bipartisan members of his own committee, with whom he is ostensibly conducting a highly sensitive investigation.
In his hastily scheduled announcement, Nunes revealed that “sources” told him that “incidental” Trump conversations may have been picked up. Meaning, Trump communications may have been captured by intelligence operatives who were conducting legal surveillance on another, likely foreign, target.
Asked whether the supposed revelations proved Trump correct in his widely discredited claim that former President Obama (“bad (or sick) guy,” quoth Donald) had “wiretapped” him, Nunes said “it’s possible,” before stepping back into a puddle of muddle.
In short, he added no value to the ongoing investigation but gave the President a handy talking point or two at a politically crucial moment.
What Nunes — who served on Trump’s transition team — did is unprecedented and confidence-shattering.
Thursday, realizing the severity of his breach or at least frantically trying to control the damage done, the committee chair apologized to Democrats.
Too late. After this stunt, there is no way anyone of right mind can consider him impartial. Not that anyone would after a hearing earlier this week in which Nunes proved himself singularly obsessed with who leaked information embarrassing to the administration, sidelining all questions about Russian interference.
Sen. John McCain is right: The Russia-Trump mystery demands, more than ever, an independent select committee to get to the truth.