Senate pledges bipartisanship in expanded Russia probe

WASHINGTON—The leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee probe into Russian election meddling and possible ties to the Trump campaign promised bipartisanship Wednesday, a contrast to the squabbling that has beset the House investigation.

“This was one of the biggest investigations that the hill has seen in my tenure here,” said Sen. Richard Burr, R-NC., chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, during a joint press conference with vice chairman Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va.

The committee has dedicated seven full-time staffers to the inquiry and currently is reviewing documents at an unprecedented scale, Burr said, trying to determine exactly what the Russians did during the 2016 U.S. election—and who helped them. The committee sent 20 interview requests this week as part of the investigation. Five witnesses already have accepted, and Burr said he expects to make more and seek additional documents in the future. Burr added it would be “crazy” to draw any conclusion yet from the investigation but promised to work with Warner and other Democrats to produce a thorough bipartisan report as soon as possible.

The Benghazi investigation was the last major probe the committee conducted, and so far this one has not been easier, Burr said. But the committee has enjoyed rare access to documents usually reserved only for the Gang of Eight, the eight members of Congress who get briefed on the most sensitive, classified information, Burr added.

Neither Burr nor Warner committed to an overall timeline but noted the French election is fast approaching and so are the 2018 U.S. midterm elections. They hope their investigation will help thwart future Russian interference in those or other elections around the world.

“When we started this and we saw what was involved, I said ‘it was the most important thing I had ever taken on in public life,’” Warner said. “I believe that more firmly now than even when we started this.”

The committee will hold its first public hearing Thursday as part of an ongoing series in the Russian investigation. Burr said the committee will conduct its first interviews on Monday and promised to give public updates as the investigation makes progress. He confirmed Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and top adviser, volunteered to speak to the committee. He said he has not determined yet whether Kushner should be part of the inquiry.

Warner said despite the drama surrounding the ongoing search to find out what happened with Russia, it’s important to remember what’s at stake.

“An outside foreign adversary effectively sought to highjack our most critical democratic process: the election of our president,” Warner said. “And in that process they decided to favor one candidate over another. I can assure they didn’t do it because it was in the best interests of the American people.”

Burr, who advised the Trump transition team after the election, said he can still conduct an independent review. Burr admitted to voting for President Donald Trump but said his responsibilities in the Senate outweigh his personal political beliefs.

Warner put an arm around Burr and told reporters he’s confident Burr and other committee Republicans will remain uncompromised.

Today’s press conference came as the House Intelligence Committee’s Russia probe has ground to a halt amid virulent partisanship.

Burr and Warner declined to answer any questions about the House investigation.

Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., chairman of the House committee, canceled a public hearing this week and then announced the committee will not even hold its regular private meetings. He said he decided to pause the group’s work because he’s waiting for a briefing with FBI Director James Comey, not yet scheduled.

Meanwhile, Democrats and even some Republicans are asking Nunes to recuse himself from the investigation after he met with an anonymous source on White House grounds. Nunes did not tell anyone about the meeting beforehand and then briefed the president on what he had learned before disclosing anything to his fellow committee members.

The House committee’s ranking member, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., released a statement Tuesday saying Nunes is no longer fit to run a fair investigation, despite their good relationship. Later in the day, Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., became the first Republican in the House to side with Schiff. Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., have already called on Nunes to recuse himself.