Russia probe no rush job: Senate
The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said Wednesday the panel’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election is one of the most extensive in a quarter-century and will take time.
“This is one of the biggest investigations that the Hill has seen in my tenure here,” said Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC), who has served in Washington since 1994 and worked on the Benghazi investigation.
Unlike the House Intelligence Committee, which has been marred by political infighting, the Senate leadership said it is committed to providing a bi- partisan answer to whether President Trump had a connection to Russian meddling in the race.
“We know our challenge is to answer that question for the American people,” Burr said.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the top Democrat on the committee, added, “Getting it right is more important than getting it done quickly.”
Warner said he hopes a report can be issued in advance of the 2018 midterm election season to prevent more Russian interference and create more “public awareness.”
At the divided House Intelligence Committee, meanwhile, Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) said he would proceed with a separate investigation “with or without” Democratic participation.
Some Democrats have called on Nunes to recuse himself for sharing information with Trump before briefing his own committee members.