White House Orchestrated “Leak” to Muddy Water in Russian Election Interference Investigation

Statement by Common Cause President Karen Hobert Flynn

The White House is going to increasing and troubling lengths to influence and undermine the investigations of possible coordination between the Trump presidential campaign and the Russian government. It is becoming disturbingly clear that the White House will do anything to try to change headlines President Trump doesn’t like. Instead of taking the Russian interference in the 2016 election seriously, President Trump, White House staff, and House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes are playing partisan games to try to distract Americans from the truth. It is absolutely inappropriate and unacceptable that a National Security Council staff member and an attorney from the White House Counsel’s Office would deliberately attempt to covertly influence and undermine a congressional investigation of Russian efforts to sway the 2016 presidential lection.  

To ensure Americans get to the full truth about Russia’s involvement in the 2016 election and any collusion between any campaign and foreign governments, the following must take place:

• Speaker Paul Ryan must immediately remove Rep. Devin Nunes as Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. Rep. Nunes has surrendered his own integrity and undermined public faith that the House Intelligence Committee can conduct a thorough and impartial investigation.
• Congress must establish an independent, bipartisan special commission. The only way to get an independent investigation, Congress must establish a special commission, independent of Congress, to lead the investigation of possible collusion between the Trump for President campaign and the Russian government.
• A special prosecutor should be appointed at the Department of Justice. This special prosecutor should investigate Russia’s role in the 2016 election and any possible coordination between the Trump team and Russia.
• The Office of Congressional Ethics should investigate Rep. Nunes’ actions. The Office of Congressional Ethics should conduct an inquiry into whether Rep. Nunes violated any House ethics rules.
• Public hearings should continue with public testimony from key witnesses. As Congress moves to create a special commission, the Senate and House Intelligence Committees should continue to have public hearings with key witnesses on the Russian interference so Americans can get more information.