Republican leaders say no independent probe into Russian meddling is needed
WASHINGTON — Key Republicans on Wednesday flatly rejected growing calls for an independent investigator or a special panel to probe possible ties between Russia and President Donald Trump’s campaign in the wake of Mr. Trump’s abrupt firing of FBI Director James Comey.
While Democrats escalated their investigative demands — and threatened to stall Senate business as a protest — following Mr. Comey’s firing Tuesday, the Republicans who control both the House of Representatives and the Senate insisted that existing investigations suffice.
Fueling concerns that Mr. Trump was trying to undermine a probe that could threaten his presidency, U.S. officials insisting on anonymity said that Mr. Comey — just days before he was fired— requested more resources to pursue his investigation into Russia’s election meddling and
the possible involvement of Trump associates.
The Justice Department denied those reports.
Members of Congress pledged to continue their work investigating Russian interference. The Senate intelligence committee Wednesday subpoenaed former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn for documents related to its investigation into Russia’s election meddling. Mr. Flynn’s Russia ties are also being scrutinized bythe FBI.
Also, Jason Chaffetz, R Utah — the House’s top government watchdog — wants the Department of Justice’s inspector general to look into why Mr. Comey was fired as part of an ongoing probe into how Mr. Comey handled the probe of how Hillary Clinton used her email server.
A chaotic morning had already unfolded in the upper chamber, as Democrats gathered on the Senate floor, invoked an obscure rule that prevents committee hearings from continuing past midday.
Leaving no doubt about his party’s intentions, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., started the day on the Senate floor by declaring that “partisan calls should not delay the considerable work” of Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr’s committee. That view was reiterated at a private meeting of Republican senators later Wednesday.
Tactically, Mr. McConnell’s words apparently put his fellow Republicans on notice not to waver.
“Too much is at stake,” Mr. McConnell said.
Republicans took heed. Several criticized Mr. Trump’s action — including Rep. Charlie Dent, who is from a politically mixed Eastern Pennsylvania district. Some Republicans even joined Democrats in calling for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign or Mr. Trump tobe impeached.
Still, most Republicans pushed back against several investigative ideas.
Notably, Mr. Burr, R-N.C., said his panel should continue its ongoing investigation with out outside interference.
The White House sought to portray Mr. Trump’s firing of Mr. Come ya san act of decisiveness Wednesday.
“He wasn’t doing a good job. Very simply,” Mr. Trump saidin the Oval Office.
Officials acknowledged, however, that Mr. Trump was surprised by the intense reaction to Mr. Comey’s dismissal.
Trump advisers said the president met with deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, as well as Mr. Sessions, on Monday. One official said Mr. Trump asked Mr. Rosenstein and Mr. Sessions for their views on Mr. Comey, then asked the deputy attorney general to synthesize his thoughts in a memo.
The president fired Mr. Comey the following day.
“Frankly, he’d been considering letting Director Comey go since the day he was elected,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, a sharply different explanation from the day before, when officials put the emphasison new Justice complaints about Mr. Comey.
After a day of saying nothing publicly about it, House Speaker Paul Ryan defended Mr. Trump’s decision to fire Mr. Comey, saying it was entirely within the president’s authority.
“He had basically lost the confidence of a lot of Republicans and a lot of Democrats,” Mr. Ryan said.
The next major signal of how Republicans will proceed could come next week. Mr. Comey has been invited to testify Tuesday before the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Lawmakers’ calls range from those for a special select committee, which was backed by Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona; a special commission made up of those outside Congress; a “special counsel”; and an “independent counsel.”