Congress gets new Russia probe papers

Info was demanded by House GOP

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department says it has given House Republicans new classified information related to the Russia investigation after lawmakers had threatened to hold officials in contempt of Congress or even impeach them.

A spokeswoman for House Speaker Paul Ryan said Saturday that the department has partially complied with subpoenas from the Intelligence and Judiciary committees after officials turned over more than 1,000 new documents last week. House Republicans had given the Justice Department and the FBI a Friday deadline for all documents, most of which are related to the origins of the FBI’s Russia investigation and the handling of its inquiry into Democrat Hillary Clinton’s emails.

Ryan spokeswoman AshLee Strong said the department asked for more time and will get it — for now.

“Our efforts have resulted in the committees finally getting access to information that was sought months ago, but some important requests remain to be completed,” Strong said in a statement Saturday.

Recent efforts by the Justice Department to deliver documents to the House Republicans appear to have at least temporarily diffused a monthslong standoff.

Democrats have criticized the multiple document requests, charging that they are intended to discredit the department and distract from or even undermine special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into the Trump campaign’s Russia ties and whether there was obstruction of justice.

In a letter sent to Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., late Friday, the Justice Department said it had that day provided a classified letter to his panel regarding whether the FBI used “confidential human sources” before it officially began its Russia investigation in 2016.

Bolstered by President Donald Trump, Nunes has been pressing the department on an informant who spoke to members of Trump’s campaign as the FBI began to explore the campaign’s ties to Russia.

Trump has called the matter “spygate,” though multiple Republicans who have been briefed on the informant have downplayed its significance.

In the letter, the Justice Department’s acting assistant director of congressional affairs, Jill Tyson, said Nunes also asked for transcripts of conversations between confidential human sources and Trump campaign officials.

She said the department had referred that request to national intelligence director Dan Coats.