The bipartisan leadership of both the House and Senate Select Intelligence Committees said this week they have started inquiries into Russian hacking and interference in the U.S. election.
House Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) and Ranking Member Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said Wednesday the committee has started the inquiry specifically into underlying intelligence used to draft the Intelligence Community (IC) Assessment, “Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections.”
The committee has already started to receive documents but the leaders said “we trust that the incoming leadership of the Intelligence Community will fully and promptly support our requests for information related to the inquiry.”
The committee leaders highlighted reviewing the documents at the agencies would not be adequate, particularly when they are expected to consist of thousands of pages. “They should be delivered to the House Intelligence Committee to provide members adequate time to examine their content.”
The House inquiry scope covers Russian cyber activity and “other measures” directed at the U.S. and allies; counterintelligence concerns with Russian and the 2016 election including intelligence on links between Russian and individuals associated with political campaigns; U.S. government response to the Russian active measures and impacts they may have on intelligence relationships and traditional alliances; and possible leaks of classified information related to the IC’s assessment on these issues.
Nunes and Schiff highlighted that “for many years, one of the House Intelligence Committee’s highest priorities has been to oversee the Intelligence Community’s activities to counter Russian aggression, including the cyber-attacks directed against the United States in the last year.”
Now, they said, “this issue is not about party, but about country. The Committee will continue to follow the facts wherever they may lead.”
Nunes previously criticized with Obama administration in December for not taking a hard enough stance against Russia in the past and vowed to oversee the production of the assessment after Obama first announced it “to ensure analytical integrity.” (Defense Daily, Dec. 16, 2016).
Nunes also served in the Trump transition team starting in November, advising the then-President-elect on appointments of Cabinet members and other top administrative positions.
Separately, the bipartisan leadership of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC) and Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.), released a joint statement earlier on Tuesday concerning their inquiry into the Russian hacking issue.
“The Committee today agreed to move forward, under terms of reference proposed by Chairman Burr and Vice Chairman Warner, with its inquiry into Russian efforts directed against the 2016 US elections and related efforts abroad. The Committee hopes to expeditiously conduct its review and report its findings.”